ENGL53130: Renaissance Humanism

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• to enable students to engage directly with some of the most influential writings of the Renaissance (e.g. the works of Petrarch, Boccaccio, Pico, Ficino, Machiavelli, Castiglione, Erasmus, More);
• to enhance students' appreciation of Renaissance English literature by introducing them to the dominant intellectual and literary movement of the Early-Modern Period;

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• to be able to trace Humanist themes and debates in a range of works of imaginative literature;
• to be able to reflect on: the uses of Antiquity; the Renaissance 'Philosophy of Man'; the emergence of a 'Republic of Letters' (Respublica litterarum); and the relations between 'Renaissance Humanism', the Reformation and modern senses of the word 'humanism';

Subject-specific Skills:

• to write competent essays on questions raised by this module;

Key Skills:

• Through a variety of teaching activities and approaches, seminars will facilitate the development of communication and critical skills. Sessions will introduce broad topics and genres, contexts and frameworks to aid conceptual understanding and specific texts for analysis as well as encourage individual interpretation and enquiry. Two summative assignments will assess the competencies and outcomes outlined above and foster advanced independent study.
• Typically, directed learning may include assigning student(s) an issue, theme or topic that can be independently or collectively explored within a framework and/or with additional materials provided by the tutor. This may function as preparatory work for presenting their ideas or findings (sometimes electronically) to their peers and tutor in the context of a seminar.

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