230568 War in British Drama (S) (WiSe 2008/2009)

War is among the extremes of human experience that literature has tried to represent in various genres over the centuries. Although drama has proved to be a difficult medium for the literary evocation of war, playwrights have nevertheless dealt with the phases of preparation, experience, and aftermath of war.

We will read four plays that represent a variety of dramatic approaches to war and the discourses surrounding it: William Shakespeare, King Henry V; John Bowen, Florence Nightingale; R.C. Sherriff, Journey's End; Nick Whitby, To the Green Fields Beyond.

A reader containing all plays will be available at the beginning of the semester.

Note that Bowen's Florence Nightingale will be the production of the English Drama Group in the winter. Students attending the class may contribute to the production in various roles on stage and behind the scenes and acquire credit points in connection with their Praxisstudien. Details will be announced at a later stage.