Ibsen and Chekhov (10 credit points)

Pre-requisites for enrolment

The reading of the set texts is essential.

Content of Course

1. Introduction to European theatre: innovation and tradition in the late nineteenth century.

2. ‘The first modern tragedy’?: Ibsen’s A Doll’s House (1879).

3. Symbolism and Realism in Ibsen’s The Wild Duck (1884).

4. Oppressed women? Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler (1890).

5. Ibsen really shocks with Ghosts (1891), a study of hereditary syphilis.

6. Chekhov’s debt to Ibsen: The Seagull, his ‘comedy’ of 1896.

7. The ‘sad comicality’ of bourgeois life: Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya (1897).

8. The influence of Stanislavski in Chekhov’s Three Sisters (1900).

9. Symbolism in Chekhov’s last ‘comedy’, The Cherry Orchard (1903).

Teaching method(s)

2-hour discussion-based seminars using visual material. All the texts are available over the Internet in large print.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Discuss the basic concerns of each playwright;

• Explain the special concerns of their ages;

• Apply techniques of literary analysis to the works.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

• Chekhov, Anton 2004 Plays: Ivanov; The Seagull; Uncle Vanya; Three Sisters; The Cherry Orchard London: Penguin

• Ibsen, Henrik 2008 Four Major Plays (Doll’s House; Ghosts; Hedda Gabler; The Master Builder) Oxford: Oxford World’s Classics

• Ibsen, Henrik 2009 An Enemy of the People, The Wild Duck, Rosmersholm Oxford: Oxford World’s Classics

Or any other edition.

Recommended:

• Bryan, George B 1984 An Ibsen Companion London: Greenwood Press

• Rayfield, Donald 1975 Chekhov: The Evolution of His Art London: Paul Elek

• Stanislavsky, Konstantin 1962 My Life in Art London: Geoffrey Bles

Class Handouts

Background to Ibsen and Chekhov.

Assessments

10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide.

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.