Theatre and Religion in the Middle Ages (VS1) (U02966)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : LLC-3-U01391

This course examines the sometimes vexed and paradoxical relationships between theatre and religion. Although the Christian Church officially condemns theatre, its own practices of devotion and ritual help to create a type of 're-birth' of theatre through the very institution that set out to ban it. The course examines Liturgical Drama in English and certain key Christian rituals like those of the Annunciation, Good Friday and Easter Sunday will be highlighted as influencing specific dramatic conventions of Liturgical Drama and exercising influence beyond it. The gradual shifts from the confines of the church to the broader socio-political arena will be touched on through reference to the corpus of Mystery Plays and Morality Plays. Instances of this tense but creative relationship between drama and religion in other historical periods - classical Greek tragedy to the 20th century - will be drawn on in an attempt to provide a wider historical and theoretical context for the course.

Entry Requirements

? This course is only available to part year visiting students.

? This course is a variant of the following course : U01391

? Special Arrangements for Entry : Numbers are limited to 15, with priority given to students taking degrees involving English or Scottish Literature and Visiting Students placed by the Admissions Office. Students not in these categories need the written approval of the Head of English Literature before enrolling. In the case of excess applications places will be decided by ballot.

? Costs : Essential course texts

Subject Areas

Home subject area

English Literature, (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Schedule G)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

? Other Required Attendance : 1 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing the course will develop an awareness of the structural and constitutive relationship between theatre and religion in the Middle Ages. They will acquire an understanding of theoretical models drawn from anthropology and classical studies that may be used to define the relationship between theatre and religion both in the Middle Ages and beyond. They will become acquainted with a broad range of medieval religious dramatic practice, and learn to interpret it using contemporary theory about the performative nature of culture. They will learn to re-examine the Bible as a literary and dramatic text.