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Kies de Nederlandse taal
Course module: UCHUMLIT24
UCHUMLIT24
Ancient Myth in European Literature
Course info
Course codeUCHUMLIT24
EC7.5
Course goals
After completing this course students are able to:
  • demonstrate broad understanding of the significance of ancient myths to Western European literature and history,
  • describe the profound influence of modernity on the cultural consciousness of the West,
  • interpret individual literary treatments of ancient myths in their cultural and historical context.
Content
This course examines the role that ancient myths play in classical Greek and Roman literature as well as in modern European literature from ca. 1750 to 1950. Neutrally, the term ‘myth’ is commonly used as referring to a traditional, legendary tale with which people and cultures express their understanding of the world and themselves. More important, however, are its deeper connotations: of untruth, the unknown, the irrational, deceit, transgression, ecstasy, savagery and even death. In the first part of this course, highlights of classical Greek and Roman literature are studied to examine under which influences the Western concept of ‘myth’ took on this remarkable assemblage of connotations. In the second half of the course, highlights of modern European literature are examined to get insight into the specific meaning that ancient myths adopted by the emergence of modern Western society. A recurring theme during the course will be the opposition between the ‘Apollonian’ and the ‘Dionysian,’ which will be traced through literary history all the way from antiquity to modernity.

Format
Class meets two times a week. Each week the focus is on one literary text. The first meeting consists partly of a general introduction to the subject. The rest of the time is devoted to an in-depth seminar-discussion of the specific ways in which ancient myths are used in the text in question. Student activities include the careful reading and study of the course material, the preparation of papers and examination, and active participation in class discussions. Additionally, students visit the university libraries for independent research.
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Kies de Nederlandse taal