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| Semester | fall semester 2016 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Ladina Bezzola Lambert (ladina.bezzola@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | In the early 1590s, with the London theaters closed because of the plague, Shakespeare started a new career as a poet. His two long narrative poems written in this period - "Venus and Adonis" and "The Rape of Lucrece" - are adaptations of classical materials that earned the young playwright a reputation as the witty new English Ovid. These poems aimed to impress, captivate, tickle and amuse a cultural elite of private readers, establishing the playwright as a poet. At the same time, they show a strong sensibility for performance and visual spectacle and thus a clear influence of the theater. In this course, we will discuss "Venus and Adonis" and "Lucrece" in the context of their classical sources to ask what was at stake in literary imitations, how and to what effect Shakespeare adapted and appropriated his sources, and how he succeeded in doing this in a 'new' way. We will also read the poems in connection with two thematically related plays - "Titus Andronicus" and "Cymbeline" - to consider how Shakespeare combined his two careers as poet and playwright, thus distinguishing himself as an author in the early days of the publishing industry. |
| Learning objectives | Students will learn about the Renaissance practice of literary imitation with its complex (inter)textual negotiations in connection with the rise of the modern author. The double focus on Shakespeare's poetic and his dramatic works will highlight generic conventions, while familiarizing students with less widely read, though no less fascinating works of this Protean writer. |
| Bibliography | Participants need to have read the four main primary texts by the beginning of the semester. Critical texts and additional materials will be made available on ADAM. Primary literature, recommended editions: William Shakespeare, "The Poems", ed. John Roe, The New Cambridge Shakespeare, Cambridge: CUP, 2012 [without the Sonnets]. OR: W.S., "The Complete Sonnets and Poems", ed. Colin Burrow, The Oxford Shakespeare, Oxford: OUP, 2008 [with the Sonnets]. William Shakespeare, "Cymbeline", ed. Martin Butler, The New Cambridge Shakespeare, Cambridge: CUP, 2005. William Shakespeare, "Titus Andronicus": any good, relatively recent scholarly edition such as Oxford World Classics, The New Cambridge Shakespeare, Arden III, or - most recently published - Penguin Classics (2015). |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | For MA-students only |
| Course application | Please register by e-mail to ladina.bezzola@unibas.ch. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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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 Literatur- und kulturwissenschaftliche Forschung (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul Literaturgeschichte (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul Research in Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | 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 |