| Unit name | French Classical Tragedy |
|---|---|
| Unit code | FRENM2005 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Forman |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
Students need to have a command of the French language which enables them to study materials in the original |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of French |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The unit will study the major tragic dramatists of the French Classical period with particular reference to Racine. After a look at the work of Jean de la Taille as a representative of pre-classical tragedy, the key works of Pierre Corneille and of Racine will be studied, as examples both of tragic literature and classical drama. Some comparison will be made with significant works by lesser contemporaries, notably Thomas Corneille and Thiophile de Viau. There will be some emphasis on the texts as performance works and attention paid to the more recent history of their performances and to different approaches to modern production of plays from this period. Some account will be taken of the way the work of Racine in particular has given rise to controversial re-interpretations by critical writers in the late twentieth century.
TBC
Seminar
Essay
TBC
