Comp Lit 331C - Tragedy

Institution:

Washington University in St Louis

Subject:

Description:

What is the relationship between freedom and luck? How do men and women respond to large forces beyond their control? Is character a struggle against outside events, or is it a submission to destiny? What happens when two ethical principles, taken absolutely, collide together? What is the nature of evil, and how does good respond to it? In ancient Greece, Renaissance England, 17th-century Europe, modern Europe, and post-colonial Africa, the form of tragedy has grappled with these questions, generating both a rich body of imaginative literature and equally compelling philosophical reflections about tragedy. This course explores great works of tragic literature by authors such as Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Shakespeare, Racine, Ibsen, Dostoevsky, Miller, and Soyinka, and examines philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Weil, and Arendt in order to explore the questions raised by tragedy.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wustl.edu

Phone Number:

(314) 935-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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