Module FREN2101: THE CANON IN CONTEXT: FRENCH THEATRE OF THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES

Department: Modern Languages and Cultures (French)

FREN2101: THE CANON IN CONTEXT: FRENCH THEATRE OF THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES

Prerequisites

• French Language 1 (FREN1011). Others: see the Chairman/Chairwoman of the Board of Studies in MLAC or his/her representative.

Corequisites

• Modern Languages, Combined Honours and all Joint and 'with' programmes: French Language 2 (FREN2051). Other: see Chairman/Chairwoman of the Board of Studies in MLAC or his/her representative.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To introduce students to the full range of theatrical productions in the 17th and 18th centuries, situating 'canonical' works in relation to other genres, including French farce, commedia dell'arte and spectacle theatre, thereby demonstrating that there was more to French theatre in this period than the supposedly canonical authors
• To situate these works in relation to the social and political context of their production
• To further situate them in relation to the material context of their production via an introduction to the theatre history of the period (companies, theatres, stage design, audiences)
• To introduce students to the key critical issues relating to 17th-and 18th-century French theatre
• To introduce students to the phenomenon of canon production.

Content

• Students will study a number of texts and extracts from a variety of genres (French farce, commedia dell’arte, ‘classical’ comedy, ‘classical’ tragedy, spectacle theatre). These will be contextualised by means of lectures covering areas including (for the 17th century):
• Architecture, performance spaces and audiences,
• Companies and competition,
• Genre,
• The careers of key ‘canonical’ dramatists (Molière, Racine, Marivaux, Voltaire),
• The Italian influence on farce and stage design,
• The rise of the ‘machine play’ and the importance of music,
• Parisian theatre post-Molière,
• Lully and French opera,
• Religious and political controversy.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of this module, students will have:
• Familiarity with theatrical works from a wide range of genres,
• An understanding of the various contexts in which these works were created,
• An understanding of the ways in which national theatrical canons are formed,
• Knowledge of the critical and theoretical debates relating to theatrical production in this period.

• By the end of this module, students will have:
• The ability to read, understand and analyse a wide range of early modern theatrical works,
• The ability to read and evaluate related critical and historical works in both French and English,
• The ability to undertake research on a topic related to early modern theatre.

• By the end of this module, students will have:
• Improved reading skills,
• An enhanced familiarity with different varieties of French,
• An improved ability to conduct research,
• Improved essay writing skills,
• Improved skills in oral presentation.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Weekly lectures and fortnightly seminars.
• Students will be called upon to give sole or group presentations.
• Assessment will be by means of two summative essays (each 50%), with students being given the opportunity to design their own essay titles and research a topic of their choice.
• Teaching will be in English

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Students will be given the opportunity to discuss ideas for presentations and essays during the tutor's office hours. Feedback will be provided on both presentations and essays.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University