John Milton and the English Revolution

Examining John Milton’s life and career during one of the most turbulent periods in English history, we locate his writings, in both poetry and prose, in the context of the dramatic political and religious upheavals of the English Revolution. Through exploring Milton’s writings, we will reconstruct his attitudes and mental world, and the nature of his experiences during the Revolution.

John Milton (1608-74) is famous as perhaps the greatest of all English poets. This course will examine his life and career during one of the most turbulent periods in English history. It will locate his writings, in both poetry and prose, in the context of the dramatic political and religious upheavals of the English Revolution.  

We will explore Milton’s writings through an extensive selection of extracts from primary sources, and use this material to reconstruct his attitudes and mental world, and the nature of his experiences during the Revolution.  

Throughout the course, the focus will be as much on Milton as a political thinker and polemicist as on his literary achievement. 

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes for this course are: 

• To gain an understanding of Milton's life and career within the context of his times; 
• To identify and evaluate how Milton's view changed and developed over time; 
• To gain an understanding of Milton's writings and their impact on his times.

Classes

1. Milton’s early life, up to 1640 
2. The English Civil War, 1642-9
3. The Commonwealth, 1649-53
4. The Protectorate, 1653-60
5. The Restoration, 1660-74 

Required reading

Campbell, Gordon, *John Milton (Oxford University Press, 2007

Smith, David L, *A History of the Modern British Isles, 1603-1707: The Double Crown (Basil Blackwell, Oxford, 1998

Typical week: Monday to Friday

For each week of study you select a morning (Am) and an afternoon (Pm) course, each course has five sessions, one each day Monday to Friday. The maximum class size is 25 students. Your weekly courses are complemented by a series of two daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to the learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events.

Evaluation and Academic Credit 

If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses. 

Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £65 per essay.

For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit.

Certificate of attendance

A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically within a week of your courses finishing.