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Jacobean and Caroline Tragedy
DozentIn: Dr. phil. Anja Höing, M.Ed.
Veranstaltungstyp: Seminar
Ort: nicht angegeben
Zeiten: Do. 10:00 - 12:00 (wöchentlich)
Beschreibung: This is a V1 LITERARY STUDIES course, also open as the literary studies part of the I-Module.
William Shakespeare is such a dominant figure in academia that it is easy to forget that he was just one dramatist writing among many others at the heyday of British drama. In the Early Modern era, the London theatres experienced one of their most productive eras, with several theatre companies and a number of highly productive authors struggling for the attention of potential playgoers. In the early seventeenth century one topic in particular fascinated the London public: bloody revenge. Sparked by Thomas Kyd’s successful Elizabethan play The Spanish Tragedy, a diverse and very prolific genre of revenge tragedy developed and flourished throughout the Jacobean and Caroline eras until the closure of the London theatres in 1642.
In this seminar, we will focus on two major authors who shaped this writing tradition as few others did: John Webster and John Ford. The two lived and wrote simultaneously, though Webster reached the peak of his success in the Jacobean and Ford in the Caroline era. We will read two plays by each author, investigating the many ways in which the dramatic genre of revenge tragedy both reflected and shaped the Early Modern imagination.
This class requires extensive reading before the sessions commence. Make sure to have read the following plays before the term starts:
- John Webster. The Duchess of Malfi.
- John Webster. The White Devil.
- John Ford. The Broken Heart.
- John Ford. ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore
As editions of Early Modern dramatic texts differ considerably (and editorial notes are uniquely helpful to make sense of them in the twenty-first century), it is important that you all buy the same versions of the plays. Please buy the following edited primary text collection:
- Kingsley-Smith, Jane, editor. John Webster and John Ford: The Duchess of Malfi, The White Devil, The Broken Heart and 'Tis Pity She's a Whore Penguin Classics, 2014. [ISBN 978-0-141-39223-3]
Some additional reading might be assigned for certain sessions and will be made available either on Stud.IP or in the university library. Check Stud-IP on a regular basis to be aware of updates, announcements, and changes.
Students will be required to
- read and discuss a number of Early Modern plays and additional readings
- participate actively and regularly in (online) course activities in the form of weekly tasks on the Stud.IP platform that students can complete at any time during the week
- prepare a “background” handout on one of the plays (group work) [Studiennachweis]
- write a term paper (Details on requirements will be announced in the first session) [Prüfungsleistung]
In this course, term papers will be due on August 31, 2021. In all likelihood, I will not be able to offer deadline extensions.
