CLCS 181 - Love, Genre, and Gender: Plays and Poetry in the Renaissance

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

How are gender and genre blurred across literary, theatrical, and visual representation in the early modern period? This first-year writing seminar explores the intertwining themes of love, comedy, and imitation through Italian and English Renaissance poetry, prose, and plays, with a focus on the relationship between truth, ambiguity, and performance. Texts include sonnets written by Petrarch and those who later imitated him, including female poets; Italian comedies that served as precursors to Shakespeare’s plays; and dialogues written by women on the topic of love. All texts are in English. Students are given a range of options regarding their individual assignments, including presentations, creative writing projects, and short critical essays. Alexia Ferracuti.

Open only to first-year students; satisfies the college requirement for a First-Year Writing Seminar.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS