This course will examine closely major works of European literature written since the Renaissance, different in language, genre and style (two novels, a play, an epic poem and a volume of verse) yet all inviting us to think about what a masterwork might be, and how the concept may change over time. The works will be read in English, but we shall pay attention to questions of translation, and to some of the historical pressures placed on the myths and realities of European culture.
