English

In the Courts of Princes: Politics and Élite Culture in Renaissance England [Autumn]

The great princes of sixteenth-century Europe were allied by blood and a common cultural inheritance but divided by religious belief and nascent nationalism. This course charts the connections between some of the great Renaissance courts of Europe by reference to the cultural artefacts they produced: sonnets, plays and court masques, royal propagandist portraits, and houses and palaces for royalty and nobility. Crucial to this production were princely patronage, confessional allegiance and artistic innovation.

The focus will be on the courts of Henry VIII (1509-47), Elizabeth I (1558-1603), and James I (1603-25), but the influence of other princely courts of Europe will also be considered. Texts studied may include sixteenth-century books on the philosophy of politics and education, poems, court masques, plays by Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, portraits by Holbein, Hilliard and Oliver, letters and speeches.

The course includes a field trip to Hampton Court, one of Henry VIII's palaces.

Subject areas: English.
Check with your home institution for specific information on fulfilment of major/course requirements.

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