Everyday Life in Elizabethan England 3301-KB247

The goal of the course is to provide insight into various aspects of everyday life in Elizabethan England. The study of primary sources and iconography from the 16th and 17th centuries offers students an opportunity to become familiar with the following subjects:
1. Social Structure.
2. Religion.
3. Elizabethan Costume and Fashion.
4. Life in London.
5. Theatre and Entertainment.
6. Health and Medicine.
7. Food and Cooking.
8. Education.
9. Family Life.
10. Magic and Witchcraft.

Course coordinators

Paweł Rutkowski

Type of course

elective courses

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

The course intended for BA students. Three absences are allowed. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the classroom is governed by the rules set forth in Resolution No. 16 of the Teaching Council for the programs English Studies, English Studies – Linguistics, and English Studies – Literature and Culture of 9 December 2025 https://ia.uw.edu.pl/fileadmin/ilustracje/dokumenty/2026/RD_IA_2025_UCHWALA_nr16_narzedzia_AI_nowelizacja_ZAL2_EN.pdf AI use: Any and all use of AI must be reported. It is not permitted to use AI for graded assignments or final projects.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge
Students will have familiarity with:
K_W01 advanced terminology, theory and research methods corresponding to the state of the art in Elizabethan studies within the domain of English Studies
K_W08 concepts and principles concerning the protection of intellectual property and copyright

Abilities
Students will be able to:
K_U01 apply advanced terminology, theory and research methods corresponding to the state of the art in Elizabethan studies within the domain of English Studies
K_U08 apply the concepts and principles of intellectual property protection and copyright law

Social competences
Students will be ready to:
K_K01 critically appraise their knowledge and content obtained from various sources
K_K02 recognize the importance of knowledge in solving cognitive and practical problems; consult experts when required

*** PROGRAMME 2022/2023 ***

Knowledge
Students will be able to:
- understand key terminology, well established methods and theories of Elizabethan studies (K_W02)
- describe methodology and recent developments in cultural history studies (K_W03)
- list the characteristics of English grammar, syntax, phonology, phonetics, morphology and pragmatics on an advanced level (K_W05)
- explain principles of designing Elizabethan studies, with special focus on selecting appropriate methods and tools in formulating research questions (K_W07)

Abilities
Students will be able to:
- employ the terminology and methodological tools from culture studies (K_U01)
- employ the methodology of culture studies within English studies, respecting the ethical norms and copyright law (K_U02)
- implement knowledge to describe a problem and identify means to solve it, thereby completing a project in analysing a character (K_U04)
- design one’s own development (K_U11)

Social competences
Students will be ready to:
- undertake life-long learning and personal development, applying skills and competences to select subjects and projects within the course (K_K02)
- value responsibility for one’s own work and respect the work of others, adhering to the professional and ethical norms in various projects and other activities undertaken during the course (K_K03)

Assessment criteria

The final grade depends on:
- attendance
- quality of the term paper on the subject chosen by students

Bibliography

Zbiory tekstów źródłowych:
Aughterson, Kate (ed.). The English Renaissance. An Anthology of Sources and Documents. Routledge. London & New York. 2002.
Cressy, David, Ferrell, Lori Anne (eds.). Religion and Society in Early Modern England. A Sourcebook. Routledge. London & New York. 1996.
Pritchard, R. E. (ed.). Shakespeare's England. Life in Elizabethan and Jacobean Times. Stroud. 1999.

Wybrane opracowania:
Abbot, Mary. Life Cycles in England 1560-1720. Cradle to Grave. Routledge. London & New York. 1996.
Beier, A. L., Finlay, Roger (eds.). London 1500-1700. The Making of the Metropolis. Longman. London & New York. 1986.
Byrne, Muriel St. Clare. Życie codzienne w Anglii elżbietańskiej. Przeł. Anna Staniewska. PIW. Warszawa. 1971.
Duffy, Eamon. The Stripping of the Altars. Traditional Religion in England 1400-1580. Yale University Press. New Haven & London. 1992.
Elton, Geoffrey Rudolph. England Under the Tudors. Routledge. London & New York. 1996.
Gurr, Andrew. The Shakespearean Stage 1574-1642. CUP. Cambridge. 1992.
Haigh, Christopher. English Reformations: Religion, Politics, and Society under the Tudors. Clarendon Press. Oxford. 1993.
Hutton, Ronald. The Rise and Fall of Merry England. The Ritual Year 1400-1700. OUP. Oxford and New York. 1996.
Jewell, Helen M. Education in Early Modern England. St. Martin's Press. New York. MacMillan Press. Houndmills. 1998.
Morill, John (ed.). The Oxford Illustrated History of Tudor and Stuart England. OUP. Oxford and New York. 1996.
O'Day, Rosemary. The Tudor Age. Longman. London and New York. 1995.
Rowse, Alfred Leslie. The Elizabethan Age. Macmillan. London. 1962.
Sharpe, James Anthony. Witchcraft in Early Modern England. Longman/Pearson Education Ltd. Harlow. 2001.
Stone, Lawrence. The Family, Sex and Marriage in England 1500-1800. Penguin Books. London. 1990.
Thomas, Keith. Religion and the Decline of Magic. Studies in Popular Beliefs in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century England. Penguin Books. Harmondsworth. 1973.
Wear, Andrew. Health and Healing in Early Modern England: Studies in Social and Intellectual History. Ashgate. Aldershot. 1998.
Wilson, Frank Percy. The Plague in Shakespeare's London. OUP. London. 1963.