Drama: Modern Tragedy
Nathan K. Hensley
Fall 2010 / Macalester College
ENGL 136.01 / T-Th, 9:40-11:10
Office: 205 Old Main
Office Hours: T, 12:30-2:00 pm; Th 11:30 am-1:00 pm; and by appt.
nhensley@macalester.edu
Class Location: OLRI 370
Office Phone: 651-696-6388
Do you believe in happy endings? Literature’s happiest plots follow the forms of comedy and melodrama,
ending in scenes that model social cohesion. The good guys win, virtue is rewarded, and true love
culminates in marriage. Tragedy, on the other hand, is based on conflicts that can’t be resolved. According
to many critics, tragic conflicts don’t so much aim toward social cohesion as they put the very prospect of
social cohesion into question.
This introduction to dramatic literature examines a genre most often associated with the stage, tragedy, and
assesses its relevance now. In addition to dramatic texts, we’ll consider films, prose fiction, and live
performances. We’ll ask how fidelity to your family puts you in violation of state law (Sophocles, Antigone);
determine whether blind commitment to a cause is fanatical, idealistic, or both (Milton, Samson Agonistes);
consider which constitutes a greater tragedy, permanent boredom (Beckett, Waiting for Godot) or permanent
war (Brecht, Mother Courage); follow a story about star-crossed love (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet) until “starcrossed love” becomes a brand name (Luhrmann, Romeo + Juliet); and assess whether the antagonisms of our
own moment might have a happy ending (Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire), or no formal solution at all
(Gaghan, Syriana). To enrich our primary readings we’ll have recourse, occasionally, to critical work by
thinkers like Aristotle, G.W.F. Hegel, George Steiner, and Raymond Williams. Together the class will attend
at least one performance at the Guthrie Theater or other venue(s) in the Twin Cities.
Because this is an introductory course, we’ll focus on the skills you’ll need should you continue as a Mac
English major. We’ll read closely; learn literary terms; draft and re-draft papers; and begin putting aesthetic
questions into dialogue with historical and political problems. Always we’ll keep our eye on the question of
what, if anything, tragedy might say to us now. This course fulfills the gateway requirement for majors.
Goals
Over the course of this semester, we’ll read broadly and with fanatical closeness. We’ll consider a variety of
texts – novels, plays, and live performances— and consider how these creative works reconfigure social
facts, turning real problems into aesthetic questions. At the end of the class you will have:
Gained an introduction to what it means to “do” English, by reading closely and writing with zeal;
Been introduced to a variety of instances of tragic literature, and begun formulating a critical
sense of what a literary genre (like “tragedy”) is and does;
Put close textual observations in dialogue with historical, philosophical, and political problems;
Created your own critical interventions, drafting and redrafting academic essays;
Gained experience working in a variety of analytic modes: formal (in essays), informal (in responses),
and collaborative (in class discussions);
Used historical forms to pose questions about the contemporary world and our place in it.
Required Texts
Our required books can be purchased at the College Bookstore. Please note that I’ve ordered specific
editions of these books; if you’re ordering online, please use the provided ISBN number to make sure you
get the right version. Secondary readings marked with an asterisk (*) are available as E-reserves through the
class Moodle site.
Sophocles (Fitzgerald and Fitts, trans). The Oedipus Cycle. ISBN 015602764X
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet (Pelican), ISBN 0140714847
Dickens, Charles. Hard Times (Oxford). ISBN 0199536279
Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. ISBN 0802130348
Soyinka, Wole, Death and the King’s Horseman (Norton Critical Editions), ISBN 0393977617
Brecht, Berthold, Mother Courage and Her Children (Grove, Eric Bentley, trans), ISBN 0573698414
Artaud, Antonin, The Theater and Its Double (Grove Press), ISBN 0802150306
Films
You are responsible for making sure you’ve viewed our assigned films before the class period in which they’ll
be discussed. Class screenings will be scheduled in every case, but situations may arise when you will need to
check out the films on your own. The films are on reserve at DeWitt Wallace Library, and are readily
available at video stores and via Netflix:
Mandatory:
Luhrmann, Baz, dir. Romeo + Juliet
Boyle, Danny, dir. Slumdog Millionaire
Gaghan, Stephen, dir. Syriana
Optional:
Beckett, Samuel. Endgame (Blue Angel Films)
Mira Nair, dir. Salaam Bombay!
Moodle
We’ll read selections from several other texts and follow multiple websites: all of this will be available
through the class Moodle site. moodle.macalester.edu Please check the course Moodle site regularly. You are
responsible for what is posted there.
Assignments
This course requires 3 four page essays; 1 six to eight page final project (an expansion of a shorter one); a
brief (5-10 min.) presentation of a dramatic scene; and 4 short, informal responses shared with the class
online.
Four short responses: 250 words: the equivalent of one double-spaced page. These are short,
informal engagements with the works we read, posted to the class Moodle site. Not polished writing,
but proofread. You’ll need to use relevant citations to show us what you mean, rather than just telling
us. See the Moodle site for tips on how to do these. You pick 4 weeks to do them; they’re due by midnight
the night before the class for which you’ve signed up. A sign-up schedule will be passed around after
add/drop ends.
Presentation of scene: You and a partner will together perform a short scene (5-10 minutes);
performances will be developed in consultation with the instructor at least a week prior to the
presentation. As any actor will tell you, good preparation is essential here. A sign-up schedule will be
passed around after add/drop ends.
Three small essays (“Essays”): 3-4 pages, 12 pt., normal-looking font, double spaced. These are the
college essays you’re here to write. Make an argument, show how the argument works with relevant
examples from the text(s) you consider. Please remember that there must be an argument, with that
term understood to mean “point” or “position taken,” not “objection.”
One big essay (“Final Project”): 6-8 pages, 12 pt., normal-looking font, double spaced. This is an
extension and a magical thickening of one of the short papers you’ve already written. The idea here
is to broaden your focus, add a new primary text into the mix, or otherwise expand the scope of
your inquiry. The most important difference is that you must consider at least two critical texts and put
them in dialogue with your main text.
Course Grading Policy
Your final grade for this course will reflect the quality of work you produce, but it will also reflect the quality
of your participation in the collaborative labor of the course. Thus, your thoughtful responses to the texts,
your active participation in class discussions, and your level of effort will all contribute crucially to your final
grade.
The percentage breakdown is as follows:
Essay 1
Essay 2
Essay 3
Final project
Responses
Participation
Dramatic Presentation
10%
13%
15%
20%
15%
22%
5%
Absence and Tardy Policy
The seminar-style nature of this course makes your presence in class imperative. Your first two absences,
whether excused or unexcused, will not be penalized. Every unexcused absence beyond the third will result
in a 1 percentage point drop in your final grade, i.e. from 91% to 90%. If you must miss a class session, it’s
your responsibility to learn what happened in class and to obtain any of the materials distributed that day. If
you know in advance you’ll miss a day when an assignment is due, let me know so we can arrange another,
earlier, due date. You are permitted three late arrivals over the course of the semester. Every two late
arrivals after the first three will count as one class absence.
The MAX Center
The Macalester Academic Excellence (MAX) Center (x6121; Kagin Commons) provides academic
enrichment and support services, ranging from workshops to individual assistance. I encourage you to make
use of this resource.
From their website: “The Macalester Academic Excellence (MAX) Center, located in Kagin Commons, has
peer tutors available for assisting students in all stages of their writing. Hours are 9:00 A.M. – 4:30 P.M., MF and 7 P.M. – 10 P.M., S-Th. Becky Graham and Jenny White also provide writing assistance to students
during the daytime hours, M-F. You may drop in for help or call x6121 (daytime) or x6193 during evening
hours to schedule an appointment.”
Plagiarism Policy
To knowingly present someone else’s work as your own is to plagiarize. The penalty for plagiarism is
failure of the course. Note: We will be using MLA style citation in this course; overviews of this style will
be available in class and are ready for consultation at the library. See the Mac Libraries website on academic
integrity for guidelines about what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it:
http://www.macalester.edu/library/instruction/academicintegrity/tutorial/introduction.html.
Disabilities, Problems, Etc.
I’m committed to providing assistance to help you be successful in this course. This is Mac boilerplate:
“Accommodations are available for students with documented disabilities. Contact the Associate Dean of
Students, Lisa Landerman, at 696-6220 to make an appointment. It is important to meet early in the
semester to ensure your accommodations are approved to ensure you being the semester successfully.” I
want to help you do the absolute best work you can: please see me for anything that might fulfill that goal.
DRAMA: MODERN TRAGEDY
A template, a roadmap, a ghost of certainty: please note that I reserve the right to alter our schedule as our progress dictates.
ACT 1: BEGINNING
Week 1
T. September 7 // Introduction. What is tragedy? What isn’t?
TH. September 9 // Sophocles, Antigone (442 BCE)
Week 2
T. September 14 // Sophocles, Antigone
TH. September 16 // Antigone and her interpreters: Hegel, from Phenomenology of Spirit*; Judith Butler, from
Antigone’s Claim*
Week 3
T. September 21 // Milton, Samson Agonistes (1671)*
TH. September 23 // Milton, Samson Agonistes*
Week 4
T. September 28 // Milton, Samson Agonistes;* “On Religious Violence”: videorecordings of papers
available at: http://humanities.miami.edu/symposia/milton400 [SHORT ESSAY 1 DUE]
ACT 2: MIDDLE
TH. September 30 // Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet (1599)
Week 5
T. October 5 // Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet
W. October 6 // SCREENING: ROMEO + JULIET
TH. October 7 // Luhrmann, dir., Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Week 6
T. October 12 // Dickens, Hard Times (1853) // Sigrid from Classical Actors Ensemble [Note this is an
updated schedule; previously scheduled for 10/7]
TH. October 14 // Dickens, Hard Times
Week 7
T. October 19 // Dickens, Hard Times
TH. October 21 // Dickens, Hard Times
Week 8
T. October 26 //Artaud, from The Theater and Its Double
[SHORT ESSAY 2 DUE]
TH. October 28 // FALL BREAK: NO CLASS
Week 9
T. November 2 // Artaud, The Cenci
TH. November 4 // Brecht, Mother Courage and Her Children.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6: ‘TIS A PITY SHE’S A WHORE, by the Classical Actors Ensemble, with
talkback until 10:30.
Week 10
T. November 9 // Brecht, Mother Courage and Her Children, cont’d; Brecht, from Brecht on Theater, on
“defamiliarization” or “alienation” from “A Short Organum for the Theatre”
TH. November 11 // CLASS CANCELLED
ACT 3: END
Week 11
T. November 16 // Beckett, Waiting for Godot
TH. November 18 // Beckett, Waiting for Godot, cont’d
F. November 19 // Special Evening Session: Performance of Scenes, Venue TBD
Week 12
T. November 23 // Soyinka, Death and the King’s Horseman. [SHORT ESSSAY 3 DUE]
TH. November 25 // THANKSGIVING: NO CLASS
Week 13
T. November 30 // Soyinka, Death and the King’s Horseman, cont’d. Plus criticism: Biodun Jeyifo, “Ideology
and Tragedy” and Adebayo Williams, “Ritual and the Political Unconscious,” in the back of the book.
TH. December 2 // Boyle, dir. Slumdog Millionaire.
Week 14
T. December 7 // Gaghan, dir. Syriana, cont’d.
TH. December 9 // Final class: what about tragedy now?
[FINAL PROJECTS DUE IN MY OFFICE OR VIA EMAIL NO LATER THAN DECEMBER
15, 2010, NO LATER THAN 4:30 PM.]
APPENDIX: RELEVANT PERFORMANCES IN AND AROUND ST. PAUL
Below is a working list of performances happening in the Twin Cities this semester, loosely related to the
themes of our class. I encourage you to see all of them, but I hope you’ll see at least one: consider this
recommended. Reimbursement for tickets may be available via the Critchett Fund. If you do see a play and
feel moved to write on it, please see me and we’ll discuss possibilities for integrating your fieldwork into an
assignment.
‘Tis a Pity She’s a Whore, by John Ford
Classical Actors Ensemble
Mid-October to Thanksgiving, exact dates TBD
Note: we will be seeing this play together as a class
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, by Tom Stoppard
Every week Friday, Saturday from Fri., September 10 until Sun., October 3, 8:00pm, Every week Sunday
from Sun., September 12 until Sun., October 3, 2:00pm
Theatre In the Round
245 Cedar Ave.; Minneapolis MN
Price: $20
The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams
Every week Friday, Saturday from Fri., September 10 until Sun., October 17, 8:00pm, Every week Sunday
from Sun., September 12 until Sun., October 17, 2:00pm, Every week Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from
Tue., September 14 until Sun., October 17, 7:30pm
Jungle Theater
Jungle Theater
2951 Lyndale Ave. S.; Minneapolis MN
Price: $20-$35
Orpheus & Eurydice
Sat., September 25, 8:00pm, Every week Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday from Tue., September 28 until Sat.,
October 2, 7:30pm, Sun., October 3, 2:00pm
The Minnesota Opera
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
345 Washington St.; St. Paul MN
$20-200
Gee’s Bend, by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder
Every week Sunday from Sun., October 17 until Sun., November 7, 2:00pm, Every week Thursday, Friday,
Saturday from Fri., October 15 until Sun., November 7, 7:30pm
Park Square Theatre
20 W. 7th Pl.; St. Paul MN
Price: $15-$20
The Great Game: Afghanistan
Every week Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from Wed., September 29 until Sun., October 17, 7:30pm, Every
week Saturday, Sunday from Sat., October 2 until Sun., October 17, 3:00pm, Every week Saturday, Sunday
from Sat., October 2 until Sun., October 17, 7:30pm, Every week Saturday, Sunday from Sat., October 2
until Sun., October 17, 11:30am
Guthrie Theater
818 S. 2nd St.; Minneapolis MN
Price: $30-$120
Sleep Deprivation Chamber, by Adrienne and Adam Kennedy
Every week Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday from Thu., September 16 until Sun., October 10,
7:30pm, Every week Sunday from Sun., September 19 until Sun., October 10, 2:00pm, Every week Sunday
from Sun., September 19 until Sun., October 10, 7:30pm
Penumbra Theatre
270 N. Kent St.; St. Paul MN
Price: $10-$38
How Can You Stay in the House All Day and Not Go Anywhere? By Ralph Lemon
September 24, 25, and 26th.
Walker Art Center
1750 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Price: see me for Mac-purchased tickets
Also note: Romeo and Juliet comes to the Guthrie Theater starting January 8, 2011