ENG4772 - Roots of Stories

Objectives:

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

(1) Demonstrate understanding of literary form (eg epic conventions, narrative and poetry) in a range of classical and Biblical texts;
(2) Demonstrate understanding of technical features and key devices (eg gendered character types, narratives of divinity) in a range of classical and Biblical texts;
(3) Demonstrate awareness of the cultural contexts in which a range of classical and Biblical texts were produced;
(4) Discuss classical and Biblical texts in terms of a range of relevant ethical and literary issues (eg interpretation, translation, and the uses to which the texts have been put)

Content:

The module will offer students an introduction to material that lies at the roots of much of the literature they will be encountering over their three years of study. Two principal strands of influence can be identified, given that culture and education in English has been based until very recently on the Classics and the Bible. A knowledge of the root material enhances a full understanding of the many resulting references and imitations in English literature. This module aims to provide an opening into such knowledge and understanding.

Key extracts (in translation) from the works of ancient Greece and Rome will be studied, for example from Homer’s epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, and Virgil’s Aeneid. The context for these works will be considered, including for example the historical background; the epic form; classical education in England. Prominent episodes from the Bible will be considered, for example the fall of Adam and Eve; extracts from the Book of Revelation; and parables and events from the New Testament. Specialist terms will be explored, for example epic, heroic, biblical, translation, imitation, allusion, influence, myth, religion. Gendered and other structures will be explored, for example the male hero, prophet, warrior, patriarch; and female types representing virtue, wisdom, temptation, discord. The context of the Bible will be studied, for example the overall structure and genesis of the work; translation history; and interpretations of the Bible in European history.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Seminars will feature: tutor guidance; discussion within the whole group and in smaller groups with feedback to the whole group; and a range of other learning activities. Learning through these methods will be supported by handouts, and by preparation and reading before each seminar as directed by the tutor.

Seminars
Contact hours 40
Number of groups 1

Assessment: