Studies in the relationship of literature in English to philosophy.

In this course we will be examining tragic drama. Tragedy, long regarded as among the most important and elevated genres in literature, is also in many ways perplexing and problematic. Why, we will be asking, do we seem to enjoy, or at least are drawn to, stories that end in misery and mayhem? Is it, as Aristotle famously believed, because it leads to an immense release of emotion? Why do tragedies seem more “important” and “serious” than comedies? How has the idea of what the nature of tragedy really is, changed since its origins in the misty past of Ancient Greece? To answer these questions and more, we will be looking at three different historical time periods and some of the tragedies they produced. Firstly, we will look at Ancient Greek tragedy and think about the beginning of the genre. We will read plays central not only to the history of the genre, but also, in the case of the Oedipus plays, stories central to the development of western mythology and psychology. The classical period will also be considered alongside the contemporaneous intellectual revolution occurring in Athens. Then we will turn to the Elizabethan period and look at Shakesperean tragedy. Finally, we will turn to the modern day and see how tragedy, although assuredly transformed, retained many elements from its long history. We will be reading plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Shakespeare, Samuel Beckett, Eugene O’Neill, Caryl Churchill, and others. Possible secondary readings include Aristotle, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, George Steiner, St. Augustine, and Walter Benjamin.

Required Texts:

Hamlet Norton Critical Edition

Othello Norton Critical Edition




This class satisfies the Literatures in English Major Requirement
https://english.berkeley.edu/major-requirements

Repeat Rules

Requirements class fulfills