English Literature 1 LM (2013/2014)

Learning outcomes

Students will be offered a discussion of some basic categories of Shakespeare’s plays, such as time and the tragic hero, and of his interpretation of the tragic in relation to classical and contemporary drama.

“The tragic and the sense of time in Shakespeare: the cases of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth.”

The module will discuss the issue of time in Shakespeare’s tragedy starting with an analysis of Romeo and Juliet and then moving to an investigation of the issue of kingship in Macbeth.

LANGUAGE: The module will be held in English.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Primary texts:

• W. Shakespeare, Romeo e Giulietta (parallel text), a cura di S. Bigliazzi, Torino, Einaudi, 2012;
• W. Shakespeare, Macbeth (parallel text), a cura di A. Serpieri, Firenze, Giunti, 2002


Secondary texts:

• R.S. White (ed.), Romeo and Juliet (New Casebooks Series), Palgrave 2001: R.S. White, “Introduction”, pp. 1-27; L. Davies, “Death-marked love: Desire and presence in Romeo and Juliet”, pp. 28-46; C. Belsey, “The Name of the Rose in Romeo and Juliet”, pp. 47-67; J. Kristeva, “Romeo and Juliet: Love-Hatred in the Couple”, pp. 68-84; D. Callaghan, “The Ideology of Romantic Love: the Case of Romeo and Juliet”, pp. 85-115;
• A. Serpieri, Retorica e Immaginario, Pratiche, 1986: “La retorica a teatro”, pp. 73-106; “Polifonia shakespeariana”, pp. 109-192; “Macbeth: il tempo della paura”, pp. 193-266.

Oral exam.