This course begins with selections from John Milton’s provocative version of Adam and Eve’s original sin in Paradise Lost. Focusing on Milton, John Donne and others, we will examine the theme of sin—political, religious, and sexual— in early modern literature. The events of the English Reformation profoundly influenced these writers, and their personal struggles against societal institutions have greatly influenced subsequent literary expressions of rage and rebellion. Students will also be reading texts by contemporary writers such as David Mamet which address the theme of sin in the modern city. This course will be offered in 2022-23, and in alternating years thereafter.