When we hear the terms 'supernatural' or 'fantastic', many would firstly think of novels and films of the past century. The early modern stage, however, often harboured characters that go beyond realist imaginings of humans, such as witches or werewolves. In this seminar, we will dive into examples of early modern drama that employ such supernatural characters and phenomena and look deeply into their functions and backgrounds. Specifically, we will be targeting William Shakespeare's Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, and John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi. How were supernatural elements deployed in these plays, how were they perceived in early modern society? Which discourses, which cultural and social biases do they potentially reflect and engage with? This selection of plays will firstly give students an introduction to a range of genres of early modern drama, as well as the opportunity to discuss canonical works from topical perspectives such as gender and disability studies. The overarching aim of the seminar will be teaching students to question dramatic functions of, for example, the supernatural more deeply and to explore different analytical approaches to drama.
Primary Literature to be purchased and read for the seminar:
William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Arden Shakespeare edition)
William Shakespeare, Macbeth (Arden Shakespeare edition)
William Shakespeare, The Tempest (Arden Shakespeare edition)
John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi (Norton critical edition)
- Dozent/in: Alina Aulbur