AJL24258 The Theatres of Václav Havel - II

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2019
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 6 credit(s). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
James Joseph Little, M.Phil., Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Jana Chamonikolasová, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Wed 10:00–11:40 G32
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 10 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/10, only registered: 0/10, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/10
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Students on this course will study the dramatic writing of one of Central and Eastern Europe’s most important cultural figures in the context of modern European and American drama. Working from an understanding of the political situation in which Havel wrote, we will read his plays alongside those by playwrights who inspired Havel to start his own theatre career (Ionesco; Beckett), compare his work to that of writers with whom he had important working relationships (Beckett; Stoppard) and analyse his dramatic writing alongside that of his Central and Eastern European antecedents and contemporaries (Brecht, Čapek, Mrożek). In addition, we will investigate parallels between Havel’s work and other modern dramatic representations of self-alienation (Adamov; Pinter). The course will run in two parts: Part I in the spring semester; Part II in the winter semester. Students can take one or both parts.
Learning outcomes
Our comparative approach will allow us to examine the following questions related to Havel’s dramatic style: Can Havel be included as part of what Martin Esslin termed the ‘theatre of the absurd’? How do Havel’s representations of key intellectual topics of the 20th century such as self-alienation and a perceived estrangement from language compare to those of his theatrical contemporaries? How might we imagine future stagings of Havel’s work?
Syllabus
  • Week 1: Re-Introducing the Absurd; re-introducing Havel
  • Week 2: Havel, Audience (1975); Havel, Unveiling (1975); Havel, Protest (1978)
  • Week 3: Tom Stoppard, Rock ‘n’ Roll (2006)
  • Week 4: Samuel Beckett, Catastrophe (1982); Havel, Mistake (1983)
  • Week 5: Havel, Largo Desolato (1984)
  • Week 6: Stoppard, Professional Foul (1977)
  • Week 7: Václav Havel, Temptation (1985)
  • Week 8: Arthur Adamov, Professor Taranne (1953)
  • Week 9: Havel, Redevelopment (1987)
  • Week 10: Harold Pinter, The Dumb Waiter (1960)
  • Week 11: Havel, Leaving (2007)
  • Week 12: No class; upload paper proposal to IS.
    NOTE: There will be no class on 23 October. This class has been rescheduled for Wednesday 30 October (during Reading Week) at the same time (10:00–11:40) in the same classroom (G 32).
Teaching methods
All primary texts will be available in the learning materials section of the IS course page as PDFs. It is crucial that you bring the primary texts (in print or digital form) to class so we can discuss them each week.
Assessment methods
Students will be assessed on an end-of-semester essay of 3,000 words, written according to MLA style. Each student will submit a 250-word paper proposal on their final paper topic in Week 12, along with a list of at least three sources in MLA Style.
Active participation in class discussion and the giving of a presentation is required in order to receive a credit for the course. Discussion questions will be sent out prior to class. Aside from week 1, each class will feature a short presentation (10–15 minutes) by members of the class.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Information on course enrolment limitations: Předmět si nemohou zapsat studenti Bc. studia AJ
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2019/AJL24258