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| Semester | fall semester 2023 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Thomas Manson (thomas.manson@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Since opening in December 1904, Dublin’s Abbey Theatre has been at the centre of Ireland’s fraught socio-political and cultural landscape, responding to the deep injustices of British colonial rule and attempting to form a renewed Irish identity from the debris of the country’s tangled and often tragic past. This search for an Irish identity will form the main focus of this course, namely the Abbey’s vital role as part of the Celtic Revival, a movement which sought to reenchant modern Ireland through a reappraisal of the country’s Celtic heritage. From the ritual theatre experiments of W. B. Yeats to the magic realist plays of J. M. Synge, we will consider how these writers reconciled this return to the past with their own innovative modernist literary strategies in staging a new Irish modernity. This will open onto questions of myth, folklore, anthropology, nationalism and (post)colonialism, as well as the complex interplay between theatre and politics. Moving through the twentieth century to the present day, we will also consider works by the likes of Lady Gregory and Sean O’Casey, as well as contemporary playwrights such as Marina Carr and Enda Walsh, whose plays continue to probe and explore Irish identity in the context of a newly politicized present. |
| Learning objectives | Students will gain an understanding of key critical and methodological approaches to Irish theatre (with a particular emphasis on modernism), refining their analytical skills as well their ability to apply theory and wider-historical sources to the texts in question. |
| Bibliography | All texts will be made available on ADAM. |
| Comments | For those who are interested, there will also be the opportunity to explore these texts through practice. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | It is strongly recommended that this course is taken only after the successful completion of the "Introduction I: Literary Studies" and "Introduction II: Literary Theory" proseminars. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 21.09.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 28.09.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 05.10.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 12.10.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 19.10.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 26.10.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 02.11.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 09.11.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 16.11.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 23.11.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 30.11.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 07.12.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 14.12.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Thursday 21.12.2023 | 16.15-18.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Modules |
Modul: Introduction to Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance, active participation and presentation. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |