Teaching code

4S000890

Teacher

Massimo Scotti

Coordinatore

Massimo Scotti

Credits

6

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

L-FIL-LET/14 - CRITICAL COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

Period

1 A dal Sep 27, 2021 al Nov 6, 2021.

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars

Learning outcomes

Teaching comparative literature aims at transmitting to the students crucial conceptual intruments and modes of thoughts concerning some important literary themes current in the Western World. By the end of the course the student will master notions and critical methodologies used by the professor in class.

Program

Title: "Mythomania"

The course aims to pursue two purposes: on the one hand, to rediscover figures, themes, episodes, meanings and symbols of the classical Greek myth; on the other hand, to critically retrace, from a comparative point of view, some ancient or contemporary works that find inspiration in Greek myth, to verify the persistence of the fascination of mythology in Western culture for two millennia. In this sense, will be analyzed texts by Sophocles and Virgil; Ovid and Poliziano; Anouilh and Brecht; Rilke and Cocteau; Gore Vidal and Luigi Santucci; Giraudoux and Dürrenmatt; Cesare Pavese, Margaret Atwood and Madeline Miller; Anne Carson and Louise Glück. The illustration of classical myths will also be carried out through examples taken from the visual arts (paintings, sculptures, frescoes, etc.) as well as from cinema and the media in general.

Bibliography

1) Maurizio BETTINI, "Il grande racconto dei miti classici", Il Mulino, Bologna, 2018 (ISBN: 9788815279262)

2) Giorgio IERANÒ, "Gli eroi della guerra di Troia", Venezia, Marsilio, 2015, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2020 (ISBN: 9788829706099)

A text of your choice for each of the following 5 sections:

3A) Andrea RODIGHIERO e Maria Grazia CIANI, "Orfeo: Variazioni sul mito", Venezia, Marsilio, 2004 (ISBN: 9788831784450)
or 3B) Maria Grazia CIANI, "Antigone: Variazioni sul mito", Venezia, Marsilio, 2001 (ISBN: 88-317-7450-6)

4A) Jean GIRAUDOUX, "La Guerre de Troie n’aura pas lieu" (1935), Paris, Larousse, 1998, trad. it. a cura di Stefano Serri, "La guerra di Troia non si farà", Torino, Robin, 2020 (ISBN: 978-88-7274-618-9)
or 4B) Friedrich DÜRRENMATT, "Das Sterben der Pythia" (1976), Zürich, Diogenes, 1998, trad. it. "La morte della Pizia", Milano, Adelphi, 2008 (ISBN: 978-88-459-0296-3)

5A) Gore VIDAL, "The Judgment of Paris" (1952), Frogmore, Panther Books, 1974, trad. it. di Caterina Cartolano, "Il giudizio di Paride", Roma, Fazi, 2006 (ISBN: 88-8112-753-9)
or 5B) Luigi SANTUCCI, "Orfeo in Paradiso" (1967), Genova-Milano, Marietti, 2010 (ISBN: 978-88-211-8237-2)

6A) Madeline MILLER, "The Song of Achilles", London, Bloomsbury, 2012, trad. it. di Matteo Curtoni e Maura Parolini, "La canzone di Achille", Venezia, Marsilio, 2021 (ISBN: 978-88-317-8098-8)
or 6B) Madeline MILLER, "Circe", New York, Black Bay Books, 2019, trad. it. di Marinella Magrì, "Circe", Venezia, Marsilio, 2021 (ISBN: 978-88-297-0532-0)
or 6C) Margaret ATWOOD, "The Penelopiad", Edinburgh, Canongate Books, 2005, trad. it. di Margherita Crepax, "Il canto di Penelope", Milano, Ponte alle Grazie, 2018, 2021 (ISBN: 978-88-3331-132-6)

7A) Louise GLÜCK, "Averno", Manchester, Carcanet, 2006, trad. it. di Massimo Bacigalupo, Averno, Milano, Il Saggiatore, 2020 (ISBN: 978-88-428-2967-6)
or 7B) Anne CARSON, "Autobiography of Red", New York, Knopf, 1998, trad. it. di Sergio Claudio Perroni, "Autobiografia del Rosso", Milano, La Nave di Teseo, 2020 (ISBN: 978-88-346-0401-4)

As regards the program for NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS (therefore those who have not attended classroom lessons, but only in recorded form), in addition to the integral study of volumes 1 and 2 (therefore Bettini and Ieranò), also a reading in plus, at your choice, from those indicated in sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Bibliography

Examination Methods

During the exam (which entitles you to 6 credits) the knowledge of the topics and the analytical skills developed by the student will be ascertained.

The interview that will form the core of the exam will aim to verify:
- the depth and breadth of the knowledge acquired
- the ownership of language and the mastery of adequate technical terminology
- the ability to analytically compare styles, texts, themes, authors, periods, literary genres
- analytical and argumentative ability.

In particular, the teacher will appreciate a critical, personal and possibly original analysis of the topics covered, not a tired repetition. Of the texts, for example, it will be more interesting to highlight the peculiarities and the literary value compared to the narration of the plot, which will be taken for granted.

The teacher will try to respond quickly to messages from Monday to Friday; the reception time is set for Thursday, from 4 and 3 pm, by appointment via email; the studio is on the second floor of Polo Zanotto (room 2.23).

As regards the program for NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS (therefore those who have not attended classroom lessons, but only in recorded form), in addition to the integral study of volumes 1 and 2 (therefore Bettini and Ieranò), also a reading in plus, at your choice, from those indicated in sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7