LFU:online

Institut für Anglistik Institut für Anglistik

Mag. Dr. Ulrich Pallua Mag. Dr. Ulrich Pallua, +43 512 507 41408

609564

British and/or Postcolonial Literature: The Image(s) of African Slaves in Eighteenth-Century British Drama

PS 2

5

wöch.

semestral

Englisch

The aim of this course is to familiarise students with key concepts of postcolonial theory for the analysis of plays written during the abolition period dealing with the enslavement of African slaves.

The course introduces you to the postcolonial key concept of the ‘Other’ used in the analysis of African slaves in various plays of the abolition period. In order to get an overview of African characters in plays, we will also include Edward Young’s Revenge (1721), James Miller’s Art and Nature (1738), Mrs. Weddell’s Incle and Yarico (1742), and Isaac Bickerstaff’s The Padlock (1768). Edward Young’s Revenge is particularly important as it deals with the theme of revenge in William Shakespeare’s Othello. We will take Othello as the actual starting point for the analysis of the African ‘Other’ enabling students to scrutinise, compare, and contextualise the African character in the colonial discourse. At the same time, we will take into consideration Aphra Behn’s short novel Oroonoko (1688) and its dramatic adaptations - Thomas Southerne (1696), John Hawkesworth (1759), Francis Gentleman (1760), and John Ferriar (1788) – as the image of Oroonoko was crucial in the portrayal of African slaves in literary texts. The introduction will address issues of British colonialism, the history of the slave trade/slavery, Restoration Theatre, and the genre of drama in general.

lecture, group discussions, presentations

written paper

Gilbert, Helen, and Joanne Tompkins. Post-Colonial Drama: Theory, Practice, Politics. London and New York: Routledge, 1996. Print. Gilbert, Helen, ed. (Post)Colonial Stages. Critical Views on Drama, Theatre & Performance. Hebden Bridge: Dangaroo Press, 1999. Print. Barthelemy, Anthony G. Black Face, Maligned Race. The Representation of Blacks in English Drama from Shakespeare to Southerne. Baton Rouge and London: Louisiana State University Press, 1987. Print. Worrall, David. Theatric Revolution. Drama, Censorship and Romantic Period Subcultures 1773-1832. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006. Print. Boulukos, George. The Grateful Slave. The Emergence of Race in Eighteenth-Century British and American Culture. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2008. Print. Dellarosa, Franca. Slavery on Stage. Representations of Slavery in British Theatre, 1760s-1830s. Bari: Edizioni dal Sud, 2009. Print.

Anmeldevoraussetzung/en: Bachelorstudium: positive Beurteilung der Pflichtmodule 3 und 16 Entspricht im Diplomstudium (343): PS 2 English Literature Entspricht im Lehramtsstudium (344): PS 2 English Literature
Beginn: 06. März 2012