The course will offer a survey of the early English literature from the beginning up until the end of the 17th century. A special focus will be on the relationship between medieval and early-modern literature, and the social, political, religious and intellectual contexts in which it was originally written and received. The cultural exchange between England/Britain and the Continental Europe will also be stressed, especially the way in which various georgaphical regions influenced one another. The aim of the course is also show the emergence and development of forms and genres that were crucial not only for the development of early English literature, but also for English culture as such.