Middlebury

GSFS 0419

Gender,Power,Politics on Stage

Gender, Power, and Politics on the Early Modern Stage (I) (Pre-1800)
In this class we will explore the representation of gendered embodiment on the early modern stage, considering as we do so how theatrical embodiment intersects with other treatments of the body in early modern culture. We will read both early modern and contemporary theoretical accounts of gender as performance, investigating among other issues the use of boy actors, the representation of specifically “female” disorders (e.g., “suffocation” or hysteria), the performance of maternity, and the treatment of same-sex eroticism. Of particular importance will be the representation of the articulate or angry woman as the “shrew” or “scold,” and we will begin the class with an investigation of so-called “shrew-taming” narratives. Primary readings will include: Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and The Winter’s Tale, Webster’s Duchess of Malfi, and Cavendish’s Convent of Pleasure. We will end the semester with a look at how this material plays out in our current political moment, focusing in particular on the representation of Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Christine Blasey Ford. 3 hrs. sem.
Subject:
Gender Sexuality &Fem. Studies
Department:
PrgGender/Sexuality/Fem. Study
Division:
Interdisciplinary
Requirements Fulfilled:
EUR LIT
Equivalent Courses:
WAGS 0419
ENAM 0419
ENGL 0419 *

Sections in Spring 2023, School Abroad Japan (Tokyo)

Spring 2023

GSFS0419A-S23 Seminar (Wells)