6 Credits| Prof. Beth Harper<\/p>\n
A survey of European tragedy from ancient Greece to modernity encompassing key critical reflections on the genre of the tragic and its outsized role in European philosophy.\u00a0 We will explore representative works of the genre from its glorious flourishing in ancient Greece (Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus), through Rome (Seneca) and into the early modern period (Racine, Shakespeare) including a brief excursus to China with the\u00a0zaju<\/em>\u00a0drama. Together, we will interrogate the nature of tragedy. We will consider tragedy as a way to give form to and make sense of trauma and loss. We will also question whether tragedy is collective or individual and in so doing will examine the ethical and political questions it raises.\u00a0 Finally, we will interrogate to what extent tragedy remains relevant today whether in prison performances of\u00a0Macbeth<\/em>, Syrian refugees reenacting the Trojan War on the London stage, or reimagining\u00a0Oedipus the King<\/em>\u00a0as Peking Opera.\u00a0 In addition to the plays, we will look at selections from some of the major theorists and philosophers of tragedy, as well as works of art inspired by tragic themes.<\/p>\n Assessment: 100% coursework.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 6 Credits| Prof. Beth Harper A survey of European tragedy from ancient Greece to modernity encompassing key critical reflections on the genre of the tragic and its outsized role in European philosophy.\u00a0 We will explore representative works of the genre from its glorious flourishing in ancient Greece (Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus), through Rome (Seneca) and … <\/p>\n