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Pre-18th Century Must-Reads for English Majors

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Here are some of the works every English major specializing in pre-18th-century literature should know.

Rated 0 points - posted 13 years ago by phdlist in category Books.
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1.

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Paradise Lost – John Milton Report Abuse
This epic poem is an important touchstone for British literary studies.
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2.

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The Faerie Queene – Edmund Spenser Report Abuse
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3.

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream – William Shakespeare Report Abuse
Of course, one Shakespeare play isn’t possibly enough, so try this romantic comedy as well as Hamlet.
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4.

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Every Man Out of His Humour – Ben Jonson Report Abuse
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5.

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Hamlet – William Shakespeare Report Abuse
Well, you should be familiar with everything Shakespeare wrote, but if you must only choose one, make it this most-referenced tragedy.
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6.

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Essais – Michel de Montaigne Report Abuse
The father of the personal essay, Montaigne started writing so that his loved ones would have a clear sense of him after he died.
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7.

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Beowulf Report Abuse
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8.

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The Canterbury Tales – Chaucer Report Abuse
This 14th-century road trip story provides a fairly thorough and very entertaining critique of English society.
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9.

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Doctor Faustus – Christopher Marlowe Report Abuse
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10.

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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Report Abuse
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11.

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The Book of Margery Kempe – Margery Kempe Report Abuse
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12.

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Absalom and Achitophel – John Dryden Report Abuse
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13.

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Epithalamion – Edmund Spenser Report Abuse
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14.

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Holy Sonnets – John Donne Report Abuse
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15.

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“To His Coy Mistress” – Andrew Marvell Report Abuse
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16.

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The Anatomy of Melancholy – Robert Burton Report Abuse
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17.

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Complete Essays – Francis Bacon Report Abuse
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18.

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The Lais of Marie de France – Marie de France Report Abuse
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19.

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The Temple – George Herbert Report Abuse
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20.

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The Misanthrope – Moliere Report Abuse
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