‘Introduction to Drama’
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‘Introduction to Drama’
Credit Units: 2/semester
Hour: 3/week
Time: Fri. 2 3 4
Textbook: Miller, Jordan Y. The Heath Introduction to Drama. 5th ed. Lexinton:
Heath, 1996.
Course Objectives:
‘Introduction to Drama’ is open to second-year (and above) undergraduates who are
interested in both the historical and literary development of Western drama, theatre,
and play, from the classical era, through Renaissance, and up to the late twentieth
century. It is a two-semester course focusing on a wide selection of the dramatic
works in the English language, including those originally composed in other
languages but later translated into English. With reference to some fundamental
knowledge of genres, theories, and social issues, this course will guide the students to
act as an audience as well as a reader to approach the assigned tragedies, comedies, or
something in between by discussing their characters and languages, themes and plots,
forms and structures, types and styles, settings and contexts, and other dramaturgies
and theatrical elements. Besides the textbook, some selected articles, together with
relevant videos and DVDs of certain films, TV dramas, and theatrical productions,
may serve as supplementary teaching materials. Although this weekly course will be
conducted in a series of topical discussions that have been allocated to each of the
selected plays before the first lecture, the students are all welcome to provide any
comments, feedbacks, and suggestions regarding the discussed works in other
directions.
Course Plans:
A. 1st Semester:
The 1st semester endeavours to familiarise the students with the ideas of drama,
theatre, and play in terms of art, literature, religion, entertainment, culture, and life.
This semester will pay special attention to the following categories: the ancient
Greek masterpieces by Sophocles and Aristophanes, medieval mystery plays by
anonymous writers (15th century), early modern plays by Shakespeare and Molière
(16th and 17th century), comedies of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (18th
century), and early forms of modern drama (from the late 19th century to the wake
of World War I) by Henrik Ibsen, Anton Chekhov, and George Bernard Shaw, who
all contributed to the movement of realism.
‘Introduction to Drama’
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Method
Date
18/09
(W1)
Contents
A. Class Orientation
B. ‘Introduction on Drama’
Pagination
&
Activity
PPT
pp. 1-23
The Ancient Greek Era
25/09
(W2)
A. Oedipus Rex (c. 480 B.C.)—Sophocles
B. Discussion: the ‘Oedipus Complex’
pp. 25-72
PPT
09/10
A. Lysistrata (411 B.C.)—Aristophanes
pp. 73-119
PPT
(W4)
B. Discussion: the position of women
pp. 121-48
PPT
pp. 149-263
PPT
02/10
(W3)
16/10
(W5)
The English Medieval Era
23/10
(W6)
A. The Second Shepherds’ Play (c.1420)—
Anonymity or The Wakefield Master
B. Discussion: Christianity and ‘low’ characters
The Early Modern Era
I. The English Renaissance
30/10
(W7)
06/11
(W8)
13/11
(W9)
A. Hamlet (1600)—William Shakespeare
B. Discussion: Hamlet’s trauma
C. Review for the midterm exam
Midterm Exam
II. French Comedy and Farce
20/11
A. Return and discuss the midterm examination
papers
B. Tartuffe (1669)—Molière
PPT
pp. 265-324
(W10) C. Discussion: the idea of hypocrisy
The 18th Century
A. The School for Scandal (1777)—
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
27/11
(W11) B. Discussion: the comedy of manners
pp. 325-96
PPT
‘Introduction to Drama’
3
The Early Period of Modern Drama
I. Norway
04/12 A. A Doll’s House (1879)—Henrik Ibsen
(W12) B. Discussion: the husband-wife relationship and
domestic conflicts
11/12
pp. 397-468
PPT
pp. 645-760
PPT
pp. 459-505
PPT
(W13)
II. Ireland
18/12 A. Major Barbara (1905)—
(W14)
George Bernard Shaw
25/12 B. Discussion: the idea of social reformation
(W15) C. Review for the final exam
01/01
National Holiday: New Year
(W16)
III. Russia
A. The Cherry Orchard (1904)—Anton Chekhov
08/01
B. Discussion: tradition and progress
(W17)
15/01
Final Exam
(W18)
B. 2nd Semester:
In addition to Harold Pinter as one of the most influential and contemporary British
dramatists who ever caught up with the European trend of ‘the theatre of the absurd’
fashionable in the late 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, the 2nd semester mainly focuses on
the modern American playwrights, including female and black writers, from World
War I to the last two decades of the twentieth century. Contemporary issues such as
warfare, economic depression, domestic conflicts, personal and social
disappointment, racial discrimination, gender problems, and the lost of social status
and cultural identity prevailed in the theatrical world of the period. Susan Glaspell,
Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Lorraine Hansberry, David
Rabe, Marsha Norman, and August Wilson, writing in relation to realism, naturalism,
expressionism, impressionism, and absurdism, all contributed to the development of
modern American drama, theatre, and play.
‘Introduction to Drama’
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Method
Date
26/02
(W1)
05/03
(W2)
Contents
A. The history of early American drama, theatre,
and play
B. Trifles (1917)—Susan Glaspell
C. Discussion: significant trifles vs.
trifle significance
&
Activity
PPT
pp. 609-24
pp. 625-78
PPT
pp. 673-32
PPT
pp. 731-808
PPT
A. Return and discuss the midterm examination
papers
30/04
(W10) B. The Dumb Waiter (1957)—Harold Pinter
C. Discussion: ‘the theatre of the absurd’
pp. 809-45
PPT
07/05 A. A Raisin in the Sun (1669)—
(W11)
Lorraine Hansberry
pp. 841-914
PPT
pp. 915-89
PPT
12/03
A. Desire under the Elms (1924))—
Eugene O’nell
B. Discussion: Greek tragedy vs.
Pagination
modern naturalistic tragedy
(W3)
19/03
(W4)
26/03
(W5)
02/04
(W6)
09/04
(W7)
16/04
(W8)
23/04
(W9)
A. The Glass Menagerie (1944)—
Tennessee Williams
B. Discussion: a mixture of the past and the
present without the future
Holiday
A. Death of a Salesman (1949)—Arthur Miller
B. Discussion: the father-son relationship vs.
a social and family misfit
C. Review for the midterm exam
Midterm Exam
14/05 B. Discussion: ‘black drama’
(W12)
21/05 A. Sticks and Bones (1971)—David Rabe
(W13) B. Discussion: warfare and domesticity
28/05
(W14)
‘Introduction to Drama’
A. ’Night, Mother (1983)—Marsha Norman
pp. 991-1030
PPT
pp. 1031-93
PPT
04/06 B. Discussion: female characters, the
mother-daughter relationship, and
(W15)
the meaning of life
11/06 A. Fences (1985)—August Wilson
(W16) B. Discussion: African-American drama, the rise
of black nationalism, and
18/06
race relations
(W17)
C. Review for the final exam
25/06
Final Exam
(W18)
Evaluations:
A. Attendance and Class Participation 10 %
-- The students are required to be punctual to class.
-- The students who are absent TRICE a semester will FAIL this course.
-- The students will be given time to discuss specific topics with reference to the
assigned plays. Those who are active to share their ideas will be awarded bonus
points.
B. Assignments 20%
-- The students are required to read the assigned play for each week prior to the class.
-- The students have to write a 300-word response to each of the assigned plays
according to the scheduled progress.
-- Plagiarism is strictly forbidden; thus any of the students who are found of
plagiarising their assignments will FAIL this course.
C. Midterm Exam 35%
-- Explanations and Identifications
-- Essay Questions
D. Final Exam 35%
-- Explanations and Identifications
-- Essay questions
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