English Literature

Course summary

The course will involve the study of eight to ten literary texts – poetry, drama and novels written during the past 700 years. Shakespeare is likely to be the most distant writer chronologically; in contrast, at least one text will have been written since 2000. English Literature is a subject that by its nature has always required candidates to consider individual, moral, ethical, social, political, cultural and contemporary issues but, unlike previous specifications, the new syllabus also includes ‘unseen’ material which tests the autonomous reading skills of students.