Back
| Semester | fall semester 2014 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Ladina Bezzola Lambert (ladina.bezzola@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | The seminar focuses on the drama in England in the age of the Shakespeare 'sans' Shakespeare. Instead we will discuss a selection of plays by his most prominent contemporaries, considering them in their wider cultural context. While Jacobean drama is often subsumed under the term ‘Elizabethan drama’, James’ accession to the throne effected a palpable change in the theatrical scene. His court was obsessed with dramatic performance and keen to exploit and control theatrical settings. In consequence, the drama of the day manifests a strong concern with the theatricality of power, as well as with issues of class, social mobility, sexuality, gender and genre or, more generally, structuring categories beyond the literary and the question of their validity. Equally characteristic for these plays is their sense of vulnerability, physical and psychological violence, a strong awareness of death and the desire for redemption. N.B. The Shakespeare Week 2014 in Stratford-on-Avon (23-31 August 2014) sponsored by the English Department in Zurich offers the rare opportunity to see Dekker/Middleton's "The Roaring Girl" and Webster's "The White Devil". For further information, consult their website: www.es.uzh.ch/stratford. |
| Learning objectives | Students will develop their skills in close reading and interpretation and become acquainted with or extend their knowledge about the rich theatrical culture in England in the early 17th century. |
| Bibliography | Francis Beaumont / John Fletcher, "The Knight of the Burning Pestle"; Elizabeth Cary, "The Tragedy of Mariam", "Fair Queen of Jewry"; Thomas Dekker / Thomas Middleton, "The Roaring Girl"; John Ford, "’Tis Pity She’s a Whore"; Ben Jonson, "The Alchemist"; Thomas Middleton / William Rowley, "The Changeling"; John Webster, "The White Devil". Critical essays will be posted on ISIS. Recommended editions: - Beaumont / Fletcher, "The Knight of the Burning Pestle" (Manchester UP, 2011 (ISBN: 978-0-7190-6967-3) - Cary, "The Tragedy of Mariam" (London: Methuen, 2010; ISBN: 978-0-7136-8876-4) - Dekker / Middleton, Thomas Middleton: Four Plays (London: Methuen, 2012) [includes "The Roaring Girl" and "The Changeling"] - Jonson, "The Alchemist and Other Plays" (Oxford UP 2008; ISBN: 978-0199537310) - John Webster, "The White Devil and Other Plays" (London: Penguin 2014; ISBN-13: 978-0141392233) [includes Ford, "’Tis Pity"] |
| Comments | We will discuss a new play approx. every other week and critical literature on the side. Read "The Roaring Girl" for first week of semester. |
| Weblink | ISIS |
| Admission requirements | For MA students |
| Course application | Please register on ISIS. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) Modul English & American Literature (Master's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Literaturgeschichte (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Active participation; oral presentation |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |