SEMESTER TERMINAL EXAM

ROLL NO. BT615411

  ANSWER NO. 1
  In tracing the course of English literature we now come upon
the first glorious period of the literature namely the age of
Elizabeth I, to distinguish her from the present reigning queen
of England, Elizabeth II. It was the 'golden age of English
literature'. And in social life, too, it was a time of intense living,
of incomparable zest in life and the world. England was literally,
in the words of Milton, "a noble and puissant nation rousing
herself like a strong man after sleep, and shaking her invincible
locks". "The winter was past, the rain was over and gone and
the time of the singing of birds had come".
The Reformation, first an ally of the Renaissance gave spirit of
freedom to the religious conscience of the people. As we have
said in the previous chapter England felt the mighty throb of
the Renaissance about the middle of the sixteenth century. The
Reformation was at first a close ally of the Renaissance in this
liberating power, though it parted ways later on. A spirit of
nationalism, religious independence and a passion for
exploration, to strive, to seek, to tind and not to yield, these are
the legacies of the new movements. The religious and political
troubles of the reigns of Edward VI and Mary were at an end.
Twenty years of sober, stern and wise rule of Queen
Elizabeth brought about peace and tranquillity in the island.
The power of Spain was given a crushing blow in the defeat of
the Spanish Armada.
      The Queen herself, though not a zealot in religion, was
looked upon as the champion of Protestantism by the whole of
western Europe. Her policy which kept England out of war,
husbanding its strength for a period of thirty years, bred a
sense of nationality and independence. The Queen became the
idol of the nation. Confident in their strength and unity at home
Englishmen began to cast covetous eyes on the New World,
which had been hitherto left to Spain to loot. "The national
spirit ran higher and higher: deeds of exploration and
adventure bore testimony to the aspiration of the nation."
Drake circumnavigated the world in 1578 and 1579; Forbisher
made his voyage to the northern seas, Gilbert sailed to the
shores of America. Raleigh sent out expedition to colonise
Virginia. All England was now aglow with the romantic vision of
the world leadership. It was natural that this glowing national
spirit give a tresh impetus to the national literature. The
Renascence attained its full flowering in those spacious days of
the queen, and produced the Elizabethan literature, which in
its richness and variety remains unsurpassed even till now in
the sphere of literature. England had become a veritable nest
of singing birds and produced the greatest of its poets
(Shakespeare), who steadily conquered the world and remains
a permanent possession of the English people, when their
empire is in disintegration and almost gone.
      In so far as this second and culminating phase of the
Renaissance is concerned it is slightly different from the first
phase. There was an "ardent revival of the study of Greek
which brought a dazzling light into many dark places of
intellect" The earlier humanists, Wyatt and Surrey knew no
Greek, but Spenser and Sidney knew a good deal. Again, the
Renaissance now spread beyond the Alps and by the middle of
the sixteenth century the star of Italy was on the wane and the
supremacy in literature passed on to France. Spenser's debt to
Italian poetry is great no doubt, but the chief influence, in his
earlier poems came from France and not Italy. Again the
influence of Petrarch (of Italy) was initially great upon the
English poets, but by 1550 England had made the acquaintance
of the new romantic epic Orlando Furioso by Ariosto, which
influenced Elizabethan poets and dramatists. Spenser in his
Faerie Queene was ambitious of 'overgoing Ariosto.
     It is interesting to note that though Elizabethan
literature was born under the germinating influence of the
Renaissance or humanism, the age of Elizabeth is called by the
historians "the first and greatest romantic epoch in English
literature". This may seem at first a contradiction in terms. But
there is nothing paradoxical in it. The romantic quest is for the
remote, the wonderful and the beautiful. It is the addition of
strangeness to beauty that constitutes the romantic temper, as
Pater has pointed out. The Elizabethan literature is fed upon
this quest and breathes this romantic spirit. There was a daring
and resolute spirit of adventure in the literary as well as other
spheres of activity of the age. There was a revolt against the
past and a new spirit of questioning and re-assessing everything
old. Above all, there was a freshness of spirit that breathed
through the literature. The ardent spirit of adventure blows
over it. Hence it is called the first romantic era in English
literature. For the first twenty years of Elizabeth's reign English
literature was merely groping its way. Except a few translations
and imitations of the classical works of antiquity, no real works
of merits appeared. But these translations of classical works
had the effect of fertilizing the rich soil of literature and in
God's good time the harvest came.
      Drake's circumnavigation of the world and the defeat of the
Armada gave a quickening impulse to the patriotism of the
nation and filled it with a desire of world domination and to
outpace the continental rivals, Spain, France, etc. in all
respects, particularly in literature and politics. A growing
consciousness of strength, pride, of prosperity and spirit of
adventure inspired the whole nation and made it aspire to
reach the first place among the European nations. The latest
arrival in the field of continental literature, she decided
somewhat arrogantly to become the first. The time was ripe for
that. A new faith in her destiny filled and inspired the whole
nation with energy and enthusiasm. With one bound she
caught up with her continental rivals, Spain, Portugal and
France and dreamt of outdistancing them in all spheres of
activity. A spirit ot new conquest, exploration and self-
glorification swept the whole nation, while her sailors, Hawkins,
Drake, Raleigh sailed round the world and brought power and
wealth, her men of letters too were urged onward by a spirit of
new conquest. English writers had faith in their genius, in their
language and were inspired by a faith to outdistance the
contemporary nations of Europe and rival the classical
antiquities in the sphere of literature.
      In a word, the whole nation was intoxicated with a passion
for conquest and glory. England challenged the modern and
ancient writers in the various species of literature-drama, epic,
pastoral, lyric, romance, criticism, history and philosophy. The
whole nation became thus a nest of singing birds. It became
intoxicated with the passion of activity and creativity and thus
there burst out the spring-time of English literature. A whole
host of writers with Shakespeare at their top came and pushed
the old English literature to the first place in European
literature.
REFRENCE:
Jackiey Ash () Elizabethan era: main features in literature.,  Available

at: https://www.englishliterature.info/2020/11/elizabethen-literature-main-feature.html (Accessed: 10 june

2021).
QUESTION NO. 2
1. The major and serious difficulties students face in learning drama in English
literature according to its nature were noticed. The very significant fact was that
reading the drama was considered more common than watching it. In addition
other difficulties such as the length of the play, the themes, the right to choose
the text for study, extensive use of symbolism, similes, metaphor, and writing
style were the major difficulties facing the students in learning drama in English
literature.
2. The role of the drama instructor is not an easy job. The primary criterion each
literary instructor or drama teacher requires to know is in the aspect of creativity,
which is dependent on the teaching style of the instructor. One of the major tasks
of the instructor is the removal of the psychological barrier between students and
literature and participation.
3. Acting out various parts of drama is the most effective strategy in teaching
drama. This is in line with the very first conclusion that reading drama is more
common than watching it. In other words, the need to apply drama into real life
can be considered a contributive aspect dealing with the difficulties in learning
and teaching of drama. Finally, as an issue that can further studied, drama plays
an essential role in bridging the gap between cultural differences. This conclusion
is in line with the claim that drama and literature affect culture. In other words,
the cultural aspects of the student studying drama should be considered. Cultural
differences in the comprehension of foreign learners of drama and literary work
must be given attention. However, this phenomenon should not be
overgeneralized.
Recommendation and Implications
The most significant implication of the study benefits the English Language and Literature of the
students in IUG who learn drama. By having an inclusive overview of the importance of drama
and the role it plays as an “art of communication” (Morgan, 1987: 7), students and teachers
can benefit from the learning and teaching drama for better communication. Secondly,
curriculum developers and syllabus designers can benefit in recognizing the difficulties and try
to include materials based on the findings proposed in the present study. Thirdly, the
conclusion that acting out drama, rather than reading it, is an effective way in learning and
teaching drama, should be taken into consideration in exposing the students to the theater.
One way is to take the literature and drama students to the theatrical stage rather than remain
inside the classrooms. This present study recommends the establishment of a theater for the
English department to have a venue, where it could stage some relevant plays to involve the
students. Instructors can use more visual aids such as LCDs, videos, TV, and films in teaching
drama. Using visual materials creates an atmosphere for students to become more engaged in
the process of learning and appreciating drama. Another recommendation is to focus on the
importance of literature and drama in daily life, its role in progressing nations, and in creating
new leaders. Instructors should allow the students to participate and use their previous
knowledge, experience, and ideas in order to increase positive feelings towards drama.
Moreover, it would be highly effective for English literature instructors if they include the
teaching of culture when they teach literature. They should focus on cultural similarities and
then on cultural differences to bridge the gap between Arab and English cultures. Moreover,
instructors should begin with modern drama to avoid archaic English vocabulary and teach
students classical dramas at advanced level courses. It would be highly positive for English
drama students to engage in discussion by using their skills in paraphrasing, comparing, and
summarizing in order to develop fluency. Their participation will make them braver, more
confident, and have more self-esteem. Encouraging students to participate in acting some
episodes in the text itself gives them a chance for self-expression. In addition, teachers must
vary their techniques in teaching drama. Teachers should be cognizant of the cultural distance,
which influences the understanding of drama and reinforces student confidence, particularly,
those students whose opinions might be wrong. More studies should be conducted to
investigate the role of psychological and cultural factors on how students learn drama.
Furthermore, it is suggested to teach and add many literary works by local researchers and
authors, such as Arab authors, to the syllabus of IUG. Drama, in particular, and literature, in
general play important roles in conveying the cultural message of a people of an age (Morgan,
1987: 7), or at least their representatives of that specific time. The need to further investigate
the relation between culture and literature interrelating with the role of linguistics in each
realm is felt specially in Arab countries like Palestine (Keshta, 2000). Non-native learners of
English literature face many cultural and linguistic differences, which sometimes turn to
difficulties and barriers for the students and instructors. Overcoming these barriers needs to be
tackled in later research.
REFRENCE:
Mahmoud Dawoud Ali Shakfa (2012) 'Difficulties Students Face in Understanding Drama in English Literature
at the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) ', English Language Teaching, 5(), pp. [Online]. Available
at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v5n9p95  (Accessed: 10 june 2021).

QUESTION NO. 3
1. Use combinations of media–classic and modern together, leveraging one against
the other. Music, video streams, short videos (like TikTok), video games, plays, poems,
film, posters, poems, essays, novels, podcasts, etc.

2. Have students analyze diverse media forms for their strengths and weaknesses–and

involve both classic and digital forms.

3. Have students turn essays into videos into podcasts into letters into simply-coded
games into poems into apps. (See also #7.)

4. Allow students to choose media while you choose themes and/or academic and/or
quality standards.

5. When designing units, choose the media first, then the standards (yes, this likely
goes against what you were taught–but give it a try).

6. Insist all student work ‘leaves the classroom’ and is published–then design units

accordingly.

7. Use RAFT: Role, Audience, Format, and Topic/Tone/Theme. Then have them revise
media in response to new roles, audiences, formats, or topics, tones, or themes. Martin
Luther King’s “I Have A Dream Speech” in a new format (a video?), or to a new audience
(modern hip-hop artists?), or with a new tone (angry?). Students experimenting here are
experimenting with media design, which is exactly what authors do.
8. Use a thematic focus to design units, assessments, project-based learning–whatever
activities students ‘touch.’ One of the hallmark characteristics of classic literature is that
it endures. This is, in part, due to the timelessness of the human condition. Love lost,
coming of age, overcoming obstacles, civil rights, identity, and more are all at the core
of the greatest of literary works.

The ability to the texts to nail these conditions gives them their ability to endure, so
teach through that. The author (e.g., Shakespeare) or media form (e.g., a play) may not
seem relevant to a student–and that’s okay. The author chose that form based on
prevailing local technology. Help them focus on what is being said and why–and how.

9. Use tools for digital text annotation on pdfs, note-sharing, and more to help

students mark text, document questions and insights, and revisit thinking or
collaborate with others during the reading of classic texts.

10. Create social media-based reading clubs. Establish a hashtag that anchors year-
long discussion of certain themes, authors, text, or whatever other category/topic that
makes sense for your curriculum.

11. Have students create and produce an ongoing podcast or YouTube channel on,

as above, relevant themes, authors, texts, etc.

12. Connect the old with the new in authentic ways to center the knowledge
demands of modern readers.

REFRENCE:
Terry Heick () 12 Strategies For Teaching Literature In The 21st Century,  Available
at: https://www.teachthought.com/literacy/12-strategies-for-teaching-literature-in-the-21st-century/ (Accessed:
10 june 2021).