ENG 3180 - MODERN DRAMA

credits: 3.0
Crosslisted/Same As: LAL 3180
ENG 3180-LAL 3180. This course offers a detailed study of several of the major European and American dramatists of the modern period, including Ibsen, Chekhov, Shaw, Pirandello, O’Casey, Lorca, Brecht, O’Neill, Miller, and Williams. Their plays will be examined from a structural perspective, with analyses of plot, characterization, setting, dramatic language, and theme. Some attention will be paid to the theatrical nature of the works, though the principal emphasis of our study will be on the plays as literary constructs. The ideas of the plays will be studied as reflective of the great political, social, intellectual, and artistic tumult of the times. Method of Instruction: Informal lecture and class discussion. As part of their regular preparation for class, students will write analytical reports that will enable them to serve as in-class “experts” on assigned topics. Method of Evaluation: Two critical essays on plays written by our authors, but not studied in class (20% each) and ten or so written reports (60%). Attendance and participation in class discussions will also be considered in the awarding of final grades. Meets *WRT and *WEP Distribution Requirements.

Prerequisite(s): AT LEAST TWO PRIOR COURSES IN LITERATURE.