The Mythology of Literature

The Mythology of Literature (COLT 0810Z)

Instructor: Nora Peterson

Great authors throughout the ages have been fascinated by ancient mythology and have incorporated elements of it into their texts. Similarly, the ways in which these myths are modified and varied throughout time can serve as a lens into values, traditions and the passage of time. This course will investigate different kinds of cultural myths, and the disparities and similarities – diachronological, geographical and thematic – that we can observe in different versions. We will investigate the values and limitations of interpreting, representing and translating myth in literature. Our focus will be myth in the literature of different Western nations from the medieval period to the twentieth century.

We will begin with the reinterpretation of Classical myth into medieval verse – what changes do authors such as Marie de France and Milton apply along the way? Why might they be making these choices? What implications do they have for the interpretation of the text as a whole? Next, we will move to the German Romantics’ attempt to create a new cultural mythology in Germany. What methodological and ideological problems arise from such an attempt? How are these authors using mythology to make a statement about their contemporary cultures? Goethe’s Iphigenie in Tauris and Kleist’s Penthesilia will be our main texts for this segment of the course. Finally, we will explore myth across genre and time. How does mythology translate differently into drama, as in Racine’s Phèdre? What happens to myth when it is re-created with racial implications, as in Shakespeare’s Othello? And finally, what might a modern mythology look like, as in Kafka’s Metamorphosis?

Throughout this course, students will be challenged to question the distinction between myth and reality, both in the literature we read and in the cultural implications our discussions will raise. Because of the comparative and interdisciplinary nature of this course (we will cross historical, cultural, literary and scientific frontiers) students will gain skills that will extend beyond the scope of the classroom. By the end of the course, students will have learned to question the things they read in new ways, in ways that lead them to critical insight and enhance their capacity to interpret, discuss and analyze their thoughts, words and writing. Assignments will include three short papers and a final paper.