Language never stands still. It moves along with us. It is always evolving and with it the stories that define us. This is also true of how we look back – the way we read stories from the past. We read them with today’s eye, always seeing something new that resonates with our world.
Let’s face it, English Literature is one of the most popular courses in colleges and universities in the world today, with a huge number of students enrolling every year due to its diverse nature and numerous graduate opportunities. But with such a broad area of study, prospective students are often confused about the popular courses on English literature as well as what a degree in English Literature actually provides. This article explains the popular courses on English literature.
Most Popular Courses in English Literature
Here are some popular courses in English literature
1. William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare is one of the most popular courses in English Literature and believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock.
Thus the reason of popularity of Merchant of Venice is easily recognised. It is a play with rich romantic elements that raises complex issues of justice mercy and the bonds that join people together.
The Merchant of Venice interweaves three love stories Love story of Portia and Bassanio Love story of Nerissa and Gratiano and Love story of Jessica and Lorenzo.
In this play Portia occupies the place of heroine and she meets three challenges in three plots- in the Casket plot she fulfills her father’s will to marry the man she loves in the Trial plot she restores her husband’s honour by reaching the court in lead the case of Antonio and thus defeats Shylock and in Ring plot she teaches her husband that he loves her more than he does to Antonio.
The final demonstration of her intelligence integrity passion wit and virtue ensures a happy marriage for Nerissa and Gratiano Jessica and Lorenzo and herself and Bassanio.
The romantic comedy ends here with all three couples married. Thus the reason of popularity of Merchant of Venice is easily recognised. It is a play with rich romantic elements that raises complex issues of justice mercy and the bonds that join people together.
2. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment.
With Frankenstein, Shelley wrote the first novel to forefront science as a means to create life, and as such, she wrote the first major work in the science fiction genre.
Theme is the most important element in Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein. In this novel, Victor Frankenstein’s passion for scientific progress leads to the birth of a horrific monster that, in turn, seeks revenge upon Victor and his family. This is simply the plot.
3. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451, dystopian novel, first published in 1953, that is regarded as perhaps the greatest work by American author Ray Bradbury and has been praised for its stance against censorship and its defense of literature as necessary both to the humanity of individuals and to civilization.
The most worrisome problem in Fahrenheit 451 is the paucity of literature and critical thinking. Without critical thinking and literature, people in the society cannot think for themselves, or find new points of view or ideas.
In Fahrenheit 451 everyone conforms to one idea. Nobody thinks for themselves, especially critically, and no one has different points of view, due to not reading books.
In Fahrenheit critical thinking and literature is so bad you are thrown in jail and considered an outsider for doing these things.
These reasons show that the importance of literature and critical thinking is worth standing for and that we must strive to keep reading and thinking critically or become the dystopian world of Fahrenheit 451.
Literature is important to find new points of view while critical thinking helps build your own view with the help of other views.
