LanguagesEnglishLiterature in English

The course provides a practical introduction to important theories and techniques of literary criticism.  Following the previous course format, and using a selection of short texts as examples, it covers at a basic level the fundamental theories of literary criticism and demonstrates how these ‘tools’ can be applied to provide useful insights into a range of genres.  The course will enable those with an interest in literature to approach and analyse different texts systematically and with confidence, using correct terminology and a sound theoretical approach.

By identifying, cross referencing and then comparing significant themes and topics from different historical periods across a range of text types and genres, this course aims to introduce a specific critical and analytical approach. It addresses issues of current theoretical importance by illustrating in practice the concepts and techniques of literary criticism which form the foundation for advanced literary studies.

The Victorian era was a time of extreme social and cultural change, represented by huge discrepancies between rich and poor and dramatic differences in the status of men and women. Art and literature reflected these current preoccupations: critical themes range from social advancement, mobility, realism and discussion of social problems, gender roles, aestheticism, art for art’s sake, to Gothic horror. Taking an interactive approach, this course uses a variety of media - paintings, movies and documentaries - to focus on relevant cultural and socio-historical topics while relating these to representative literary texts.

This course takes a socio-historical approach to literature, and examines the events and developments in American society through the works of eight writers.  It begins with a short introduction to American history between 1914 and 1945, and goes on to look at different aspects of this historical period in the light of several poems and short stories, as well as a memoir and a novella. The course includes a mixture of lecture and discussion.

This course examines the American family and society as portrayed in five 20^th century American plays. While the focus of each class in on the analysis of the written scripts, certain excerpts from the theatrical or cinematic productions of these plays will also be shown and discussed.

The course introduces some of Shakespeare’s tragedies in an attempt to crystallise unifying ideas about his thoughts on the human condition as well as analyse and debate notions like sexuality, war, fear, women, identity, the tragic hero, body, space, stage, guilt, language, and madness through Shakespeare’s literature. Tragedy works include Macbeth, Coriolanus and King Lear.

As a subject in philosophy, a trope in literature, and a most common theme in cinema, love is a master signifier in language for all its unsatisfactory definitions. Looking at various cinematic productions, this course explores the idea of love as a sign of being as well as non-being, as both confirmation and destabilisation of identity at once; hence, as an attraction and a danger.

The Bible is a source of inspiration that has given birth to many great works of literature throughout the last 20 centuries; an understanding of the Book is therefore of paramount importance to students who are interested in literary studies. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the Bible as a literary work, as well as a collection of books written in different genres. It will begin with an introduction to the historical and geographical back-grounds of the Old and New Testaments; and will then focus on specific books and genres.
 
 

From classical Greek drama to contemporary theatre, the stage has always been an integral part of the human experience. The course looks at selective moments in the history of drama in which certain playwrights benefited fully from the history of the genre and yet departed so radically from that history. Exploring the content as well as the form of their dramatic works provides key insights into some of the most important societal and cultural issues of both past and present.

This course explores the idea of storytelling through reading the works of some of the short story’s most prominent writers. It deals with fundamental questions like: Why do people need to tell, read, write and listen to fictional stories? By examining the aesthetics as well as the politics of storytelling, the course aims at shedding some light on the different themes generated by narration and revealing the void that lies beneath man’s sense of identity.