(Re)Writing Aphra Behn

ENGL31182 (Re)Writing Aphra Behn 20 Semester 2 Undergraduate Level 3 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 Who tells our stories? Whose voices do we hear? This module will focus solely on the work(s) and product of a seventeenth-century female playwright, with the aims of shifting Shakespearean drama from its canonical centrality  by  enabling students to both read and interpret afresh a woman writer in a variety of economic, social, political and performative contexts. Behn was the first woman to earn her living by writing as a dramatist, poet and novelist. Behn herself both adapted earlier seventeenth-century authors herself, and was and has been adapted by others. Recent revived engagement with Behn includes an up-coming Netflix film on her life, and a scattering of new productions., This unit enables students to both observe and participate in the historic acknowledgement of a key woman writer, to query the canon and its construction, and to  respond creatively and critically to her work and place in history and culture.  Who tells our stories? Whose voices do we hear? This module will focus solely on the work(s) and product of a seventeenth-century female playwright, with the aims of shifting Shakespearean drama from its canonical centrality  by  enabling students to both read and interpret afresh a woman writer in a variety of economic, social, political and performative contexts. Behn was the first woman to earn her living by writing as a dramatist, poet and novelist. Behn herself both adapted earlier seventeenth-century authors herself, and was and has been adapted by others. Recent revived engagement with Behn includes an up-coming Netflix film on her life, and a scattering of new productions., This unit enables students to both observe and participate in the historic acknowledgement of a key woman writer, to query the canon and its construction, and to  respond creatively and critically to her work and place in history and culture.  The unit aims to:• To re-locate Behn’s work within their performative, interpretative and productive contexts; • To enable students to study the work of a (still neglected) woman writer • To re-evaluate the canon and the marketplace through debates about performance and  performance history(ies) and legacies • To encourage and enable students to engage with drama in a variety of expressive  modes through authentic assessments; • to provide opportunities for students to imagine, view, model and discuss modern  literary practices, performances and productions.     The critical and creative outputs will enable students to enhance and demonstrate the following (employable) skills:• creative thinking;  • writing for different audiences;  • critical evaluation and assessment;  • presentational;  • understanding of political and ideological hegemonies;  • familiarity with, and ability to use,  feminist literary, cultural and political theories; • time-management; • collaboration; • ability to appreciate and understand performative texts   Demonstrate a critical understanding of Aphra Behn’s works across a range of genres (novella, play, poetry)Show familiarity with and confidence using a range of theory appropriate to the subject of intertextual transmission, appropriation and adaptationShow critical understanding of contemporary feminist re-visioning of canonical textsShow nuanced understanding of how political and ideological hegemonies construct canons and readings Demonstrate critical and creative understanding of the cultural placing of Aphra BehnWrite and speak for appropriate and different audiencesDemonstrate an ability to understand how texts and their reception change through timeSynthesise theoretical material and apply to new readings of texts Plan and complete independent research work on chosen topicProduce high-quality written outputs appropriate to genre and audienceUse ‘workshopping’ of ideas in a collaborative way in classDevelop ‘creative’ outputs relating to critical material Ability to use writing and thinking skills in ‘real world’ scenariosProduce writing to specific audiences and to specific deadlinesResearch historical and contextual material and synthesise for contemporary audienceSupporting other students through workshopping and collaborative discussion Who tells our stories? Whose voices do we hear? This module will focus solely on the work(s) and product of a seventeenth-century female playwright, with the aims of shifting Shakespearean drama from its canonical centrality by enabling students to both read and interpret afresh a woman writer in a variety of economic, social, political and performative contexts. Behn was the first woman to earn her living by writing as a dramatist, poet and novelist. Behn herself both adapted earlier seventeenth-century authors herself, and was adapted by others – firstly Thomas Southerne’s adaptation of Oroonoko, more recently in plays such as Joan Ammo-iddo’s Imoinda or She Who Will lose her Name (2007) and a recent opera based on the latter play, Imoinda A Story of Love and Slavery. Other appropriations include crime fiction. Writing back is a key pedagogical, intellectual and political practice which this module will use to engage students actively in considering what stories we should be repeating / rewriting today to both reconceive past constructions and articulations of identity formation and which ones we need to acknowledge and know anew.This module will have five interwoven threads:  1. Familiarising students with some key works in Behn’s oeuvre, focusing particularly on those which have either been adapted or accessibly produced in recent years (for example, Oroonoko and The Rover) as entrances into understanding Behn’s work in  both original and performative/adaptive contexts.  2. Considering contemporary feminist re-visions of ‘canonical’ early modern texts – eg. One of: Hamlet/ Hamnet; The Winter’s Tale/The Gap of Time; King Lear/ Thousand Acres or  Private Rites 3.    Using Southerne’s adaptation/ re-writing of Oroonoko and Ammo Iddo’s re-imagining through a ‘marginal’ character as key case studies for the ‘after-life’ of Behn.   4. Creating familiarity with theories of adaptation, intertextuality, and writing back.  5. Developing ideas for student’s own intervention in adapting Behn for the twenty- first century – this can be in the form of a proposed performance, or a re-write of one of  her novels, poems or plays.   WEEKLY:  One hour lecture 2-hour seminar/ workshopMaterials will all be on Blackboard/ e-library week-by-week, including essential and recommended reading, weblinks, viewings where available, links to theatre programmes, and websites.  2 Written assignment (inc essay) 70% 7 Oral assessment/presentation 30% BA (Hons) English Literature BA (Hons) English Literature Third Year Optional BA(Hons) Latin and English Lit BA(Hons) Latin and Eng Lit (1) Third Year Optional BA Hons Drama and English Lit BA Hons Drama and English Lit Third Year Optional BA Eng Lit & American Stds BA Eng Lit & American Stds Third Year Optional BA Eng Lit w Creative Writing BA Eng Lit w Creative Writing Third Year Optional BA (Hons) Eng Lang & Eng Lit BA (Hons) Eng Lang & Eng Lit Third Year Optional BA (Hons) Eng Lit & Hist BA (Hons) Eng Lit & Hist Third Year Optional BA Film and English Lit BA Film and English Lit Third Year Optional BA Eng Lit & Spanish BA Eng Lit and Spanish Third Year Optional BA (Hons) Art Hist & Eng Lit BA Art Hist & Eng Lit Third Year Optional BA Eng Lit & Italian BA Eng Lit & Italian Third Year Optional BA Eng Lit & German BA Eng Lit & German Third Year Optional N 0 0 0