31031 - English Literature 1 (M-Z)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students should know the general outline of literary history. They should be able to read, understand and translate texts from English into Italian and they should also be acquainted with the methods and analytical tools they need to interpret the works of the main authors, contextualising them within their cultural and historical period.

Course contents

Shakespeare, centre of the canon

In the history of British literature from its origins to the end of the XVII century, Shakespeare’s works are undoubtedly at the centre of the canon; and among the works of Shakespeare, the position of Hamlet and King Lear, even though debatable, is quite indisputable. The course will analyze two of his most famous tragedies, showing how and why they can be interpreted in more than a way, and their continuous request to be considered not only as literary works but also as plays that need to be performed.

Readings/Bibliography

Student will read the following works:

 

William Shakespeare, Hamlet

William Shakespeare, King Lear

 

Critical texts

John Peck and Martin Coyle, How to Study a Shakespeare Play, London, Macmillan, 1985, pp. 1-15 (Chapter 1: “How to approach a Shakespeare play”) and pp. 162-166 (“Further Reading”)

Margreta De Grazia and Stanley Wells, edited by, The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2001 (E. Honigmann, “Shakespeare’s life”, pp. 1-12; John H. Astington, “Playhouses, players, and playgoers in Shakespeare’s time”, pp. 99-113)

Stephen Greenblatt, “General Introduction”, in The Norton Shakespeare, New York, Norton, 1997, pp. 1-65

Giorgio Melchiori, “Shakespeare e il mestiere del teatro”, in Shakespeare, Bari, Laterza, 2005, pp. 3-25

 

Hamlet:

Harold Bloom, “Amleto”, in Shakespeare, pp. 265-319

Piero Boitani, “Amen per la caduta di un passero”, in Il Vangelo secondo Shakespeare, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2009, pp. 21-39

Keir Elam, “Introduzione”, in Amleto, Milano, Rizzoli, 2006, pp. 7-47

Northrop Frye, “Amleto”, in Shakespeare, pp. 89-108

Stephen Greenblatt, “Hamlet”, in The Norton Shakespeare, New York, Norton, 1997, pp. 1659-1667

Frank Kermode, “Amleto”, in Il linguaggio di Shakespeare, Milano, Bompiani, 2000, pp. 117-150

Jan Kott, "L'Amleto in questo scorcio di secolo", in Shakespeare nostro contemporaneo, pp. 56-70

 

King Lear:

Harold Bloom, “Re Lear”, in Shakespeare, pp. 369-413

Piero Boitani, “Spie di Dio”, in Il Vangelo secondo Shakespeare, pp. 41-58

Northrop Frye, “Re Lear”, in Shakespeare, pp. 109-130

Stephen Greenblatt, “King Lear”, in The Norton Shakespeare, pp. 2307-2314

Frank Kermode, “Re Lear”, in Il linguaggio di Shakespeare, pp. 217-235

Jan Kott, “Re Lear, ovvero Finale di Partita”, in Shakespeare nostro contemporaneo, pp. 92-128

 

 

As for the history of the literary period from Middle Age to the end of the XVII century, the reading list is:

Beowulf, vv. 662-835

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (First Fit)

Geoffrey Chaucer, “General Prologue" and "The Wife of Bath: Prologue" from The Canterbury Tales

Thomas Malory, extract from “The Death of Arthur”, in Le Morte Darthur

Thomas Wyatt, "Whoso List to Hunt”; “What Rage is this?”

Edmund Spenser, “A Letter of the Authors”, “Book I, Canto I, vv. 1- 54” from The Faerie Queene

Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus,last act

William Shakespeare, Sonnets 18, 19, 55, 129, 130, 144

John Donne, “The Good-morrow”; “A Valediction: forbidding mourning”; "The Funerall”; “Death be not proud”

George Herbert, “Easter Wings”

Andrew Marvell, “To His Coy Mistress”

John Milton, from Paradise Lost (Book First, vv. 1-375).

 

To read these text in their proper context, the following works could be useful: 

Lilla Maria Crisafulli e Keir Elam, a cura di, Manuale di letteratura e cultura inglese, Bologna, Bononia University Press, 2009, pp. 1-138

John Peck and Martin Coyle, A Brief History of English Literature, London, Palgrave, 2002, pp.1-113

Teaching methods

Assessment methods

Erasmus or Overseas students could sit the exam as the Italian students or write an essay (about 10-15 pages), whose topic must be approved by the teacher.

Teaching tools

Office hours

See the website of Gino Scatasta