CEEL 0933 - Me, Myself, and My Masks: Constructions of Self in Renaissance Comedy

Institution:

Brown University

Subject:

Description:

Ever wondered where our obsession with the individual originates? This class will take you back to the time period that is often considered the cradle of the individual: the Renaissance. The “discovery” of the self led playwrights to experiment with their characters’ identities in an attempt to come to grips with the period’s social fluidity: they had women dress up as men, men as donkeys, and servants as kings. This three-week class will introduce students to some of the most important European comedies of the period. We will explore the construction of identity (both real and deceptive, as characters take on fake identities in order to dupe one another) in two Shakespeare plays and a selection of Italian, French, and Spanish Renaissance comedies. Extending the study of Renaissance drama beyond the borders of England will broaden the students’ perspective and enrich their high school studies of Shakespearian drama. In our textual analyses, we will trace cross-cultural patterns in the construction of the self. We will explore common themes and recurring elements, as well as regional differences. To conclude the course, we will read Italian Nobel Prize winning author Luigi Pirandello’s Henry IV, an exquisite twentieth century comedy that represents the climax of identity-shifting and madness. In our study of this play, we will see how the concepts and ideas we have studied throughout the course carry over into modern theater. This jump in time will shed light on some of the lasting contributions of Renaissance drama to the history of theater.

Credits:

0.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.brown.edu

Phone Number:

(401) 863-1000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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