In this course, we will read a wide range of literature that can broadly be called “tragic.” We will explore issues such as fate and free will, power dynamics, difficult choices, individual trauma, and suffering and redemption. Our texts will include the Oresteia trilogy, materials drawn from the works of Ovid (notably his Metamorphoses), selections from Arthurian legends, short works by Geoffrey Chaucer and Giovanni Boccaccio, and a selection of early modern drama. The course will conclude with a selection of modern re-imaginings of classical and pre-modern materials culminating with Madeline Miller’s exquisite new book, Circe.

(Group III) (Writing Option) (Group III)