Teaching code

4S002903

Teacher

Cristiano Ragni

Coordinator

Cristiano Ragni

Credits

6

Language

English

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

L-LIN/10 - ENGLISH LITERATURE

Period

I semestre (Lingue e letterature straniere) dal Sep 25, 2023 al Dec 22, 2023.

Courses Single

Authorized

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars 0

Learning objectives

The course, held in English, aims at introducing students to relevant aspects of English literature, from the Pre-Romantic to the contemporary period, through the reading of a selection of canonical texts. Primary notions about possible methodological approaches for the analysis of literary texts and genres will be imparted. Furthermore, the course will provide a sound knowledge of the English literature of the period (historical context, texts, genres, literary movements and authors) and stimulate abilities and skills for the critical analysis of texts, their discussion and analysis, in consideration of their historical, cultural, and context specificities. At the end of the course, students will be able to: - Analyse the literary texts of the syllabus discussing them in relation to their historical and cultural context; - Discuss the texts using an appropriate critical approach demonstrating the knowledge of the literary conventions of their time; - Express the acquired literary and critical knowledge demonstrating an adequate competence also in the English language.

Prerequisites and basic notions

Being a first-year exam, no preliminary skills, other than those required to enroll, are required. A sufficient competence in English, however, is advisable in order for students to understand lectures conducted in English, comprehend primary texts and scholarly work in the discipline in English, and take the exam in English.

Program

“Serio Ludere: British Comedy, 1890-1990”.
This course, dedicated to British drama, will focus on three plays written and performed between the late 19th century and the close of the 20th century. By reading Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), Noël Coward’s Hay Fever (1925) and Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia (1993), the course will highlight the ways in which wit, irony and learned references - the hallmarks of a specifically British type of comedy - allow theatre not only to question and reflect on the hypocrisy of contemporary society, but also to deal with issues such as the conflict between head and heart with apparent levity.
The programme consists in three parts (see the “BIBLIOGRAPHY” section below): A. Primary texts; B. and B1. Readings; and C. Literature Textbook
Further details on required readings, general information on bibliographical material, and exam method will be given during classes.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A. Primary texts
- Oscar Wilde, "The Importance of Being Earnest", in Oscar Wilde, "The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays", ed. Richard Allen Cave, London, Penguin, 2001.
- Noël Coward, "Hay Fever", Methuen Drama – Modern Classics, London, Bloomsbury, 2002.
- Tom Stoppard, "Arcadia", London, Faber & Faber, 1993 (or later editions).
B. Readings
- Kerry Powell, “Rewriting farce”, in Kerry Powell and Peter Raby (eds), Oscar Wilde in Context, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2013, pp. 168-76.
- Donald Anderson, “A Hasty Kind of Genius: Noël Coward’s Hay Fever”, Modern Drama 54:1 (2011), pp. 45-61.
- Paul Edwards, “Science in Hapgood and Arcadia”, in Katherine E. Kelly (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Tom Stoppard, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2001, pp. 171-184.
- Hersh Zeifman, “The Comedy of Eros: Stoppard in love”, in Katherine E. Kelly (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Tom Stoppard, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2001, pp. 185-200.
B1. Readings for NON-ATTENDING students
- Richard Allen Cave, “Introduction”, in Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays, ed. Richard Allen Cave, London, Penguin, 2001
- Frances Gray, “Always Acting: Noël Coward and the Performing Self”, in Mary Luckhurst (ed.), A Companion to Modern British and Irish Drama, 1880-2005, Malden, MA – Oxford, Blackwell, 2006, pp. 225-236.
- Paul Delany, “‘They Both Add up to Me’. The Logic of Tom Stoppard’s Dialogic Comedy”, in Mary Luckhurst (ed.), A Companion to Modern British and Irish Drama, 1880-2005, Malden, MA – Oxford, Blackwell, 2006, pp. 279-288.
C. Literature Textbook
As regards the literary and cultural context spanning from the Romantic Age to nowadays, students will refer to:
- Paul Poplawski (ed.), English Literature in Context, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2017: Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Bibliography

Didactic methods

Whole class teaching in English.
Teaching support:
Supplementary teaching materials will be uploaded onto the Moodle platform. These supplementary materials do not replace but complement the full and mandatory reading of the primary and critical texts listed under "PROGRAMME > Reference Texts."
In addition, the lecturer remains available during his own office hours, which can also be arranged via ZOOM. Finally, please note that specific support and tutoring activities for inclusion and accessibility are being organised, particularly with regard to the Language and Literature courses in the French, English, Russian, Spanish, and German areas. The activities will take place from November 2022 to June 2023 and will be advertised on the Department page.
Class attendance, while not mandatory, is strongly recommended.

Learning assessment procedures

Oral exam (the exam will last approximately 20/30 minutes and will be based on 5/6 questions).
Students may be required to read and comment on passages taken from primary texts (see “PROGRAMME > Bibliography > a. Primary texts).
The contents of the exam are the same for attending and non-attending students.
There will be no mid-term tests.

Evaluation criteria

1) The knowledge and comprehension of the module’s topics (texts, authors, and genres) and of the literary and cultural context (from the Romantic Age to the present);
2) the development of good analytical and synthetic skill levels with regard to the main historical, cultural, textual, and critical topics of the module;
3) the use of an appropriate vocabulary.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

The final grade will be awarded on a 30-point scale.
Minimum pass: 18/30
Maximum: 30/30 (cum laude)

Exam language

Inglese / English