GERM-542 18th Century Drama

GERM-542 18th Century Drama

Faculty:

Dupree, Mary

In this course, we will examine a variety of approaches to the question of drama in the long eighteenth century: as a site of theoretical inquiry, a field of literary praxis and a type of theatrical performance. Looking at a variety of texts, from early-eighteenth-century Vorspiele to the 'classical' dramas of Goethe and Schiller, we will seek to address the following questions: Why does drama hold such pride of place in eighteenth-century aesthetics (and in accounts of eighteenth-century literary history)? How do eighteenth-century intellectuals think through the relationship between dramatic form and the social world? How, when and why do they mobilize (or abdicate) Aristotelian theory and the rhetoric of classicism? What are the consequences of theoretical and practical interventions such as the banning of the Hanswurst, the abolition of the Ständeklausel that limited drama to representations of royalty and aristocracy, and the publication of Lessing's Hamburgische Dramaturgie? Finally, how do eighteenth-century dramas mobilize new images of gender and the family, and to what extent can dramatic works by eighteenth-century women be understood as a critical response to such images?

Course Goals and Requirements:

Students in the course will become acquainted with major canonical works and genres from the period as well as some texts that are less well represented in the canon, e.g. texts by women writers. In addition, students will engage with major issues in eighteenth-century aesthetics and poetics as well as contemporary methodologies of literary analysis. With a dual emphasis on speaking and writing, the course seeks to promote effective communication at an advanced academic level. Special emphasis will be placed on helping students develop crucial research skills, analyze literary and non-literary texts, expand critical vocabulary and structure arguments effectively.

Students will be asked to complete a variety of academic tasks including "factoids," short essays, group discussions, in-class analytical tasks, a 15- to 20-minute presentation (Referat), a partial summary of secondary literature and a final research paper.

Assessment:
Preparation and class participation 30%
Written assignments (incl. factoids) 20%
Presentation 25%
Final paper (ca. 12-14 pp.) 25%

Plays:

Neuber Ein deutsches Vorspiel
G.E. Lessing Minna von Barnhelm
Emilia Galotti
Nathan der Weise
Goethe Götz von Berlichingen
Iphigenie auf Tauris
Lenz Der Hofmeister
Schiller Kabale und Liebe
Die Räuber
Don Carlos
M. Ehrmann Leichtsinn und gutes Herz
Kleist Das Käthchen von Heilbronn
Iffland Die Marionetten

Poetological Texts:

Brecht, Schriften zum Theater
Aristoteles, Poetik (Auszüge)
Lessing: 17. Literaturbrief, Hamburgische Dramaturgie (Auszüge)
Goethe: Zum Shakespeares Tag, Regeln für Schauspieler
Schiller: Die Schaubühne als moralische Anstalt betrachtet
Lenz: Anmerkungen übers Theater
Kleist: Über das Marionettentheater

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: None

Course syllabi
The following syllabi may help you learn more about this course (login required):

Spring '10: Dupree, M. (file download)

Additional syllabi may be available in prior academic years.

More information
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