Women and War

 

Beginning with Aristophanes’ Lysistrata and Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, the course will first examine the structure and complications of a world in which men wage war and women wage sex.  It will then move on to the discussion of ways in which this world-view is challenged or overturned, including:  the collision of war and sex in the figure of Judith (plays of Hebbel and Giraudoux); the virgin warrior Joan of Arc (Voltaire, Schiller, Anouilh, Shaw); Amazons ancient and modern (Kleist, Wittig); women at the intersection of war and business (Brecht).  Space will be left in the schedule to accommodate one or two texts suggested by students.  At least one paper will be required, perhaps two, depending on the size of the class.

 

 

 

 

Women and War:  detailed plan

 

1/13:  Women and war, general intro, Sappho’s response to Homer

 

1/15:  Begin Lysistrata

 

1/17:  Lysistrata

 

 

1/20:  off

 

1/22:  Antony and Cleopatra

 

1/24:  A&C

 

 

1/27:  A&C

 

1/29:  Intro to Judith, Book of Judith

 

1/31:  Book of Judith, intro to Hebbel, other versions, Nestroy.

 

 

2/3:  Hebbel’s Judith

 

2/5:  Hebbel’s Judith

 

2/7:  Finish Hebbel, Giraudoux’s Judith

 

 

2/10:  Giraudoux’s Judith

 

2/12:  Giraudoux’s Judith

 

2/14:  Intro on virginity.  Virginity and war, Athena, Joan.  Virginity and politics, Elizabeth I

 

 

2/17:  Negative images of Joan, in Shakespeare, in Voltaire; first paper assignment

 

2/19:  Schiller, Maid of Orleans

 

2/21:  Schiller, Maid of Orleans

 

 

2/24:  Finish Schiller, Anouilh, The Lark

 

2/26:  Anouilh, The Lark

 

2/28:  Anouilh, The Lark

 

 

3/3:   Shaw, Saint Joan

 

3/5:  Shaw, Saint Joan

 

3/7:  Shaw, Saint Joan, review, further readings?

 

Spring break

 

3/17:  Review and discussion of further readings.

 

3/19:  Intro to Amazons, and to Penthesilea

 

3/21:  Kleist, Penthesilea, first paper due

 

 

3/24:  Kleist, Penthesilea

 

3/26:  Finish Kleist, intro Wittig

 

3/28:  Wittig, Les Guérillères

 

 

3/31:  Wittig, Les Guérillères

 

4/2:  Wittig, Les Guérillères

 

4/4:  Business and war, Brecht, Saint Joan of the Slaughterhouses

 

 

4/7:  Brecht, Saint Joan of the Slaughterhouses

 

4/9:  Brecht, Saint Joan of the Slaughterhouses, and Mother Courage

 

4/11:  Brecht, Mother Courage 

 

 

4/14:  Brecht, Mother Courage

 

4/16:  Brecht, Mother Courage

 

4/18:  Intro to final readings.

 

 

4/21:  From this point on, discussion of readings suggested by students and decided upon in class discussion.  Perhaps especially texts by women on war.  I will suggest selections from Hannah Arendt.  But the aim is to get independent suggestions from students.

 

4/23:

 

4/25:

 

 

4/28:

 

 

Readings:

 

Ten Plays:  Aristophanes, Lysistrata; Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra; Hebbel, Judith; Giraudoux, Judith; Schiller, The Maid of Orleans; Anouilh, The Lark; Shaw, Saint Joan; Kleist, Penthesilea; Brecht, Saint Joan of the Slaughterhouses; Brecht, Mother Courage

 

The Apocryphal OT Book of Judith

 

Monique Wittig, Les Guérillères, a quasi-novel

 

Readings suggested by students, at the end of the semester

 

Papers and exams:  If there are 30 or fewer students or if there are >30 students and there is money for sufficient grading help, students will write two papers, on an assigned topic at mid-term, on a free topic at the end of the course.  One exam, to check up on the reading, if necessary.

 

Women and War

 

Beginning with Aristophanes’ Lysistrata and Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, the course will first examine the structure and complications of a world in which men wage war and women wage sex.  It will then move on to the discussion of ways in which this world-view is challenged or overturned, including:  the collision of war and sex in the figure of Judith (plays of Hebbel and Giraudoux); the virgin warrior Joan of Arc (Voltaire, Schiller, Anouilh, Shaw); Amazons ancient and modern (Kleist, Wittig); women at the intersection of war and business (Brecht).  Space will be left in the schedule to accommodate one or two texts suggested by students.  At least one paper will be required, perhaps two, depending on the size of the class.