Learning objectives

The module aims at offering an overview of English Literature, including drama, by placing it in the broader context of European literature and paying special attention to some major texts. At the same time, it wishes to present the students with the basics of textual and genre analysis; it will also foster the improvement of comprehension and analytical abilities with regard to narrative, poetic, and/or dramatic texts in English which will be acquired by foregrounding the investigation of genres and styles not only by critically looking at the literary, rhetorical, historical, and cultural tradition but also at its social and communicative aspects. Specific methodological approaches, aimed at the development of appropriate critical and argumentative skills, will also be adopted. On successful completion of the module, students will be able to produce a coherent and detailed interpretation of literary and/or dramatic texts in English and provide a plausible critical interpretation in a register and style that serve the context and intention.

Prerequisites and basic notions

A sufficient competence in English is advisable in order to comprehend primary texts and scholarly work in the discipline in English.

Program

«Who’s the Jew?» The Merchant of Venice on stage and screen.
Starting from a reading of Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, which famously creates a problematic portrayal of the Jew, Shylock, the course will explore different theatrical and cinematic rewritings of the drama from the late 20th century to the new millennium. It will especially explore Shylock's complex evolution from an antisemitic stereotype to a modern emblem of otherness and humanity, while also prompting a reflection on the cultural and ideological rethinking of the character of Jessica.
Please be advised
Language: lectures will be held in Italian; primary texts will be read in English.
Further materials (slides, images, videos, etc.) will be used in class and will later be available for download from the MOODLE e-repository.
Students are required to do all the readings indicated in the three sections below:
a. Primary Texts
b. References
c. References for non-attending students

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Primary texts
- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, ed. by Charles Edelman, Cambridge University Press, 2002 [traduzione italiana a cura di Dario Calimani, Marsilio, 2016].
- Arnold Wesker, Shylock, in Id., Shylock and Other Plays, Penguin, 1990, vol. 4, pp. 171-261 [traduzione italiana a cura di Esther Fintz Menascé, Guerini & Associati, 1989].
- Michael Radford (dir.), The Merchant of Venice, UK/Luxembourg/Italy/USA, 2004.
- Julia Pascal, The Shylock Play, Oberon Books, 2008.
2. Readings
- Michele Stanco, “Il contratto ebraico-cristiano: l’usura, la penale, il processo in The Merchant of Venice”, in The Merchant of Venice. Dal testo alla scena, a cura di Mariangela Tempera, CLUEB, 1994, pp. 87-116.
- Roberto Baronti Marchiò, “Shylock di Arnold Wesker”, in Shakespeare e il Novecento, a cura di Agostino Lombardo, Bulzoni, 2002, 359-375.
- Drew Daniel, “William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice”, Film Quarterly, Vol. 60, No. 1, 2006, pp. 52-56.
- Jeannette R. Malkin and Eckart Voigts, “Wrestling with Shylock. Contemporary British Jewish Theatre and Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice”, European Judaism: A Journal for the New Europe, Vol. 51, No. 2, 2018, pp. 175-185.
3. Supplementary readings for non-attending students
- J. L. Styan, The English Stage. A History of Drama and Performance, Cambridge UP, 1996, pp. 88-167.
- Julie Sanders, Adaptation and Appropriation, Routledge, 2006, pp. 17-62.
- Russell Jackson, “From play-script to screenplay”, in The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film, edited by Russell Jackson, Cambridge University Press, second edition, 2007, pp. 15-34.

Further details on required readings and general information on the bibliography will be provided during classes.

Bibliography

Didactic methods

Whole class teaching in Italian.
Supplementary teaching materials (slides, images, videos, other texts, etc.) that will be used during classes will be available for download from the MOODLE e-repository. These contents do not substitute but complement the mandatory readings listed in the BIBLIOGRAPHY section. It is strongly advised, although not mandatory, to attend classes. Upon the students’ request, the instructor can assign further bibliographical material. She will also be available during office hours to provide information and answer questions.

Learning assessment procedures

Oral exam (the exam will last approximately 20/30 minutes and will consist of 5/6 questions).
Students may be required to read and comment on passages taken from primary texts (see “PROGRAMME > BIBLIOGRAPHY > a. Primary texts). Please bring your own books on the exam day. There will be no mid-term tests.

Evaluation criteria

1) the knowledge and comprehension of the module’s topics (texts, authors, and genres); 2) the development of good analytical and synthetic skill levels regarding 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 assessment of the three components listed above (see EVALUATION CRITERIA) will form the final grade, awarded on a 30-point scale. Minimum pass: 18/30; maximum: 30/30 (cum laude).

Exam language

Italiano o inglese, su richiesta / Italian or English, if preferred

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