MWF 12:20-1:10

meets A&H requirements

In this class, we will discuss works of literature featuring the
most hateful, disgusting and vengeful acts of which humans are
capable.  We will talk about ritual cannibalism, murder, revenge,
kidnapping, and dismemberment.  We will consider the role of fortune
and the gods, the chain of being, character motivation, revenge and
the overall aim of descriptive acts of violence.  Murderer,
tyrannical lunatic, psychopath, and sodomite are monikers that
demarcate cultural boundaries and point up the distinction between
civilized and barbaric modes of behavior. As a point of reference,
we will read Seneca's “Thyestes” the prototype and the model from
which later Renaissance dramatists drew inspiration. Seneca blended
grotesque physical horror with allusions to stoic philosophy. Later,
Marlowe and Shakespeare will perfect the form.  We’ll also look at
actual accounts of cannibalism from the early modern period, as well
as reports of early Christian martyrdom. Texts will include:
Marlowe’s Tamburlaine the Great and The Jew of Malta, Shakespeare’s
Titus Andronicus, Dobyns’ The Wrestler’s Cruel Study, and Gifford’s
Night People.