Crime and Punishment in England, 1500-1800

3 units

In this course, we will study the history and cultural role of crime and punishment in early- modern England. We will examine attitudes to crime and criminality; we will also explore the relationships between laws and the people who made, broke, enforced, or selectively ignored them. The smaller size of a summer class allows for vibrant discussion, and our meetings will be built around conversation, intensive engagement with primary and secondary sources, and ongoing small-group projects that are fueled by the digital humanities. After the first two days of introduction to the topic and historical context, the course will follow a pattern that alternates assignments of academic articles or book chapters with in-class discussion of primary sources such as pamphlets, ballads, prison sermons, trial records, and illustrations. Written assessments each Friday will be followed by films; from Arden of Faversham to Moll Cutpurse, crimes and criminals had a fierce hold on the imagination of early modern authors and audiences alike, and print and theatrical culture influenced both criminal and legal practice. Through analysis and discussion of these and other primary sources, we will gain insight into the social relations, gender dynamics, power structures, religious tensions, and political dealings of early-modern England.