This Routledge Critical Thinker is an introduction to the literary thought of three major classical thinkers: Plato, Aristotle and Longinus.

Students in literary studies frequently come across Plato, Aristotle and Longinus, either directly through their names and concepts or indirectly, in the work of writers and theorists responding to them. Eaglestone argues that while great thinkers of antiquity may seem far away, their ideas still shape how we think about literature and culture even today. Contemporary examples illustrate the meaning of the original texts...

Doing English presents the ideas and debates that shape how we 'do' English today, explaining arguments about the value of literature, the canon, Shakespeare, theory, politics, and the subject itself.

In his lucid and engaging style, Robert Eaglestone:

• Orients students by encouraging them to think about what they are doing when they study literature
•  Bridges the gap between English at A-level and International Baccalaureate to English in Higher Education by exploring traditional and theoretical approaches to literature and...

"Despite centuries of arguments, no one can agree on what literature is, or how to study it. But, argues Eaglestone, it is precisely the open-ended nature of literature that makes it such a rewarding and useful subject of study. Literature is a living conversation which provides endless opportunities to rethink and reinterpret our world"--