Literature-Revenge: Medea’s Heirs
Proposal and Annotated Bibliography You are required to write a research topic proposal and compile an annotated bibliographycorresponding to the topic proposal. Your research topic should indicate the questions you are interested in pursuing, the methods you will employ in research, and the anticipated contribution your topic makes in the field.The annotated bibliography will contain a minimum of 5 entries. Presuming that many of your entries will be journal articles, one of the fivemust be a relevant monograph or a collection of essays treated together. All entries must provide full bibliographical informationas well as a substantial paragraph(150-250words) detailing the substance and importance of the specific work. You may use the internet to locatetextual sources, but the actual sources cannot be web-sites. Research paperThe term paper offers you the opportunity to work through some issue or question of your own choosing. The paper is an exercise in choosing an appropriate topic as well as an opportunity to demonstrate critical analysis and research skills. Constructive and critical use of secondary sources is expected. Citations should follow MLA format which includes in text citation of the literature and a works cited page at the end of the docu The difference between justice and revenge is a quandary depicted through several literary
forms, across time, and in various cultures. This course takes as its topic the social, political,
emotional, ethical, and philosophical questions implicated in narratives of revenge from
Greek tragedy to postmodern cinema. From its classical origins to its Hollywood
manifestations, revenge is central to literary representations of social justice, individual
autonomy, and culturally specific ideas about what makes a hero. Revengers not only respond
to and attempt to supersede the offenses imposed on them, but also often seek to outdo the
revenge heroes that precede them. The topic is therefore inherently intertextual, and
awareness of revenge as a genre as much as an act generates further inquiry into the ways
different representations tackle the dilemma of unmitigated social violence and the
glorification of uninhibited sovereignty.
Some questions we will consider include: What are the possibilities and the limits of revenge
as represented from the protagonists’ point of view? What other points of view allow us to
envisage and evaluate the role of the revenger in society? How do emotions (anger, jealousy,
desire, empathy) influence acts of revenge? What are the physical, emotional, economic,
social, and psychological effects of retribution on the agents of revenge and on others? How
is the reader/viewer to judge acts of retaliation? In what ways do different literary forms
influence audience evaluation? As a society, what are the ethical and social repercussions of
such a long and varied catalog of narratives of violence?
With so many revenge fictions from which to choose, the course takes as its blueprint for
jealousy, anger, carnage, and retribution the narrative of Medea. As such, we will start with
the Euripides and Seneca versions of Medea and trace their alignments and deviations from
representations of revenge figures in 16 th
-21 st century depictions. Alongside the diachronic
survey of revenge stories in which gender and genre are crucial points of inquiry, we will
discuss interpretations of revenge and justice from the lenses of classical antiquity, historical
context, and critical theory. This course is also, inevitably, about violence and the often
revolting, shocking, and at times seemingly gratuitous spectacles of destruction in the wake
of revenge. We will investigate the motives and effects of such spectacles, consider the issues
of inequality, autonomy, and forgiveness that underwrite them, and assess the toll they take
on literary characters and audiences alike.
Objectives
Understand and analyze aspects of revenge via literary, philosophical, and social
inquiry
Evaluate the assigned material in their social and historical contexts while improving
skills of observation, description, and analysis
Critique the various theoretical frameworks encountered in the literature and theory
readings
Actively participate in class discussions critically, respectfully, and ethically
English 4460 Revenge: Medea’s Heirs
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Coherently convey understanding of justice and revenge through several literary
forms, across different historical periods, and as represented in various cultures
Provide persuasive and effective analysis in the classroom and in written submissions
Assignments:
Class Participation 10%
6 Reading Assessments (quizzes, responses, active learning) 20%
Short Paper 1: Close Reading Analysis 10%
Discussion Panelist (choose 2 readings to lead) 15%
Proposal and Annotated Bibliography 15%
Research Paper 30%
You are allowed to miss two classes in the course of the semester. On your third absence, you
will receive a grade of F in the course.
Assignment Rationale
Classroom Participation and Reading Assessments
Participation and Reading Assessments showcase how much effort you have put into
preparing for the class and enable you to be accountable for the intellectual level of the
discussion in the classroom. General components of participation to be marked are: 1)
punctuality, 2) required reading materials are brought to class, 3) readiness to discuss the
assigned play’s structural techniques, literary details, and thematic concerns, and 4)
willingness to share your observations and questions. General components of reading
assessments include 1) quizzes 2) written responses, 3) active learning activities like dramatic
readings. When relevant, your contribution to various group activities will be noted.
Short Paper Analysis
Early in the semester, you will be required to submit a close reading of a passage assigned.
Details will be discussed in class but the point is to construct a brief essay (4-6 pages) that
incorporates close reading and analyses of a passage from Seneca’s Medea.
Panel Prompter
This portion of the grade will display your ability to understand one critical voice in the field.
Please do not just regurgitate the article verbatim. Your prompts can take the following
forms:
• Provide a list of key concepts or themes central to the argument of the author and discuss
the ways these concepts are important to the article.
• Pick a specific paragraph to outline/analyze its importance to the argument.
• Articulate the merits as well as the limits of the article.
• Interrogate the article’s relevance to the class and raise issues linked to other aspects of the
course.
You will be part of a panel of students developing class discussion of the reading. As a group,
you will highlight key aspects of the article, make connections to the relevant play, and
generate discussion topics for the class to tackle. Try to be creative in conveying this
information!
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Proposal and Annotated Bibliography
You are required to write a research topic proposal and compile an annotated bibliography
corresponding to the topic proposal. Your research topic should indicate the questions you are
interested in pursuing, the methods you will employ in research, and the anticipated
contribution your topic makes in the field.
The annotated bibliography will contain a minimum of 5 entries. Presuming that many of
your entries will be journal articles, one of the five must be a relevant monograph or a
collection of essays treated together. All entries must provide full bibliographical information
as well as a substantial paragraph (150-250 words) detailing the substance and importance of
the specific work. You may use the internet to locate textual sources, but the actual sources
cannot be web-sites.
Research paper
The term paper offers you the opportunity to work through some issue or question of your
own choosing. The paper is an exercise in choosing an appropriate topic as well as an
opportunity to demonstrate critical analysis and research skills. Constructive and critical use
of secondary sources is expected. Citations should follow MLA format which includes in
text citation of the literature and a works cited page at the end of the document.
Student Conduct
There will be much discussion during class meetings and it usually proceeds smoothly, but
please remember several basic principles. 1) Our class will be composed of diverse members,
with a wide range of experiences and perspectives; it is your responsibility to use appropriate
language in class and to respect the opinions and cultures of others. 2) Although argument is
encouraged, remember that argument consists of supported assertion. Dogmatically stated,
unsupported opinions are inappropriate. Personal attacks will not be tolerated. 3) Everyone
knows that carrying on independent conversations during class discussion is rude and
disruptive, but here is a reminder.
Laptops, Tablets, Cell Phones. etc.
For your convenience, I have made required readings to be accessible electronically.
Therefore, a device from which to access your READINGS can be used during class. Please
do not use your cell phone as a way to access readings. Mine will be turned off; I expect the
same of you.
Submission Requirements
All submissions are collected at the beginning of the class in which they are due. Papers must
be typed or computer-printed and double-spaced. Use a clear font such as Times New Roman
with 12-pt. size and 1-inch margins on all sides. Make sure your name, my name, the course
title, date and title of the paper is at the top of the first page. Citations should follow MLA
format.
I will not accept any written work after the class period in which it is due, nor from someone
other than you. I will be glad to accept completed assignments before the due date.
Attendance
Because so much of what you learn in this course relies upon in-class discussion and
activities, you must attend class on a regular basis to receive credit for this course. I do not
distinguish between “excused” and “unexcused” absences. Therefore, do not miss for trivial
reasons, only to have none left when a real situation occurs. Students who miss more than
two classes, (which is a total of two weeks in this format) will fail the course. Let me be
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clear: on your third absence, an F will be recorded as your grade for the class, unless the
absences were caused by a documented medical emergency.
If I must miss a class, I will either have someone fill in or post a sign. I will also attempt to
notify you by email. However, if you come to class and I do not arrive by 15 minutes into
class, you may assume class in cancelled.
Lateness
If you are late for class, you must input the time of your arrival on the attendance sheet.
Should a student’s lateness persist, he/she will be asked to withdraw from the class, or risk
receiving an F for the final grade. Late papers or projects will receive a grade of F.
However, if at any point you are having trouble completing an assignment, make an
appointment with me or stop by during my office hours prior to the due date.
Plagiarism
Academic dishonesty will be punished. Dishonesty includes various kinds of cheating,
“plagiarism” (defined as the use of the words and ideas of others as if they were your own),
and copying the work of another student in a test. Penalties for academic dishonesty can be
severe and I will impose them. At the very least, plagiarism of all or a portion of any
assignment will be strictly penalized with a failure of the course and a mark on your
university records. Please refer to the on-line student handbook for details regarding
academic conduct: http://www.wright.edu/students/handbook
Schedule
The assigned reading is to be completed by the day that it appears on the syllabus. Please
come to class prepared to write and to discuss. I suggest you print out the schedule to have it
readily available.
DATE READINGS ASSIGNMENTS/SIGN UP
August 29 Introduction to the Course
Overview of Medea
Revenge theories and concepts
Euripides’s Medea (431 BC)
Paper 1 Instructions
Sign up for two discussion
panelists
September 5 Euripides’s Medea (431 BC)
Secondary readings on Euripedes’s
Medea
Jeffrie Murphy’s “Two Cheers for Vindictiveness” in Getting
Even
Foley’s Female Acts in Greek Tragedy (excerpt)
Sample discussion panelist
assignment
September 12 Seneca’s Medea (50 CE)
Secondary readings on Seneca’s
Medea:
Benton’s “Seneca’s Medea the Anxieties of Imperialism”
A.J. Boyle’s “Seneca Instriptvs”
Short Paper 1 due
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September 19 Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy
(1587)
ISBN-13: 978-1472528957
Reading Assessment # 1 Quiz
September 26 Secondary readings on The Spanish
Tragedy
Ronald Broude’s “Revenge and Revenge Tragedy in
Renaissance England”
Jonathan Bate’s “The Performance of Revenge: Titus
Andronicus and The Spanish
Tragedy”
Discussion panelists
Broude 6:
Bate 6:
October 3 Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus
(1592) Arden Shakespeare Series
ISBN-13: 978-1903436059
Reading Assessment # 2 Active
Learning dramatic reading
October 10 Secondary readings on Titus
Andronicus
Marguerite Tassi’s Women and Revenge in Shakespeare
(excerpt)
Gwynne Kennedy’s Representing Women’s Anger
(excerpt)
Discussion panelists
Tassi 6:
Kennedy 6:
October 17 NO IN-CLASS MEETING
Look up representation of Medea in
17-19 th
century paintings by
Corrado Giaquinto (1750) Charles-
Andre van Loo (1759 and 1760),
Valentine Prinsep (1880), Anselm
Feuerbach (1870 and 1871), Henri
Klagmann (1868), Eugene Delacrois
(1838), Paul Cezanne (1882),
Frederick Sandys (1868)
Reading Assessment # 3 Written
response to art (See Pilot for
guidelines)
Professor LaPerle will be
attending the Ohio Valley
Shakespeare Conference in
Berea, Ohio as well as take part in
the Folger Shakespeare Library
Colloquium in Washington, DC
October 24 Wilkie Collins’s The Moonstone
(1868) Oxford World Classics edition
ISBN-13: 978-0199536726
Secondary reading:
Leo Zaibert’s “Punishment and Revenge”
Reading Assessment # 4 Quiz
Discussion panelists
Zaibert 6:
October 31 Christina Wolf’s Medea: A Modern
Retelling (1998) ISBN-13: 978-
0385518574
Secondary reading:
Peter Arnds’s “Translating Greek Myth
Reading Assessment # 5 Active
Learning dramatic reading
Discussion panelists
Arnds 6:
November 7 Margaret Atwood’s The Robber Bride
(1993)
ISBN-13: 978-0385491037
Discussion panelists
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Secondary reading:
Gabriel and Monaco’s “Clinical Considerations of
adaptive and maladaptive
vengeance”
Gabriel/Monaco 6:
November 14 Natsuo Kirino’s Out (2003)
ISBN-13: 978-1400078370
Secondary reading:
Amanda Seaman’s “Inside Out: Space, Gender and Power
in Kirino Natsuo”
Reading Assessment # 6 Written
response to prompt
Discussion panelists
Seaman 6:
November 21 Park Chan-wook’s Lady Revenge
(2005)
Viewing
Happy Thanksgiving Holiday!
November 28 Park Chan-wook’s Lady Revenge
(2005)
Secondary reading:
Choe’s “Revenge and Forgiveness in Films by Park
Chan-wook”
Discussion panelists
Choe 6:
December 5 Workshop on proposals
Bring books and articles for annotated
bibliography
