Intendierte Lernergebnisse
The aim of this course will be to explore how the 'Irish Literary Renaissance', also coined as the 'Celtic Twilight', came into being and how Ireland developed its national theatre and drama in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as part of this literary movement whose primary goal was to promote Irish national identity, culture and language and thus revive an interest in Ireland's Gaelic heritage through the power of theatre. Towards this end, selected late nineteenth and early twentieth century plays by the leading Irish dramatists of the 'Irish Literary Renaissance', such as Lady Augusta Gregory, William Butler Yeats, John Millington Synge, and Sean O'Casey, will be studied. Selected plays will be examined within their social, historical and political context and with a particular focus on the concepts of national identity, language and religion as markers of Irish culture and society. At the end of the course, students will have been familiarised with the Irish Literary Renaissance and its leading literary figures and their works. Students will also be able to critically understand and appreciate the significant role of Irish theatre and drama and the Gaelic revival in the creation of a strong sense of cultural (as well as national) identity at the turn of the twentieth century.
Lehrmethodik
This course will be conducted through lectures, student presentations and plenary discussions.
Inhalt/e
Relevant secondary sources will be provided by the lecturer. It is advised that students obtain their own copies of the play texts to be studied. The required primary texts and secondary sources will be announced at the start of the semester and some of the material to be used in the course will be made available on the Moodle course page.
Erwartete Vorkenntnisse
None. However, some background knowledge on late 19th and early 20th century Ireland would be appreciated.
Curriculare Anmeldevoraussetzungen
Successful completion of "Introduction to Literary Studies II."
Literatur
Primary sources: The plays to be studied will be announced on the Moodle course page at the start to the semester. The playwrights to be introduced will include Lady Augusta Gregory, William Butler Yeats, John Millington Synge, James Joyce and Sean O'Casey.Major secondary sources:Ray, Moira L. “The Irish Literary Revival and Its Gaelic Writers.” The Sewanee Review, vol. 14, no. 1, 1906, pp. 20–27. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27530730. Roche, Anthony. The Irish Dramatic Revival 1899-1939. London: Bloomsbury. 2015.Watson, George J. Irish Identity and the Literary Revival: Synge, Yeats, Joyce and O'Casey. Washington D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press.1994.