Comparative Literature

Comparative Literature Seminars

Greek Tragedy and the Bible: Responding to Evil and Injustice (Peter Paik) [Full]

In this course, we will examine the conflict and interplay between tragedy and theodicy, looking at their sources in Greek drama and in the Bible as well as casting a glance at how they have shaped modern accounts of suffering and redemption.

The Literature of Love and Romance (Vida Muse) [Full]

In this course we will examine the romance and its conventions, from its early manifestations in the Middle Ages to contemporary popular fiction, which make up a billion dollar industry. We will seek to understand why this genre remains so popular and what it tells us about our views of femininity and masculinity, the purpose of a woman’s life, the nature of male desire, and our notions of romantic love and marriage. How has the idea of the right partner changed over time? What kinds of yearnings, hopes, and anxieties that have defined the rituals of courtship across different historical periods?