The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Rethinking the Italian Renaissance
RL&L 224
Spring 2020 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
COL 224, ITAL 224, MDST 223 |
In this course we explore the intellectual achievements of the Italian Renaissance. We study the development of new secular values and the quest for the fulfillment of body and soul, glory, and exuberant pleasures. We question notions of beauty, symmetry, proportion, and order. We also unveil often-neglected aspects of Renaissance counter-cultures, such as the aesthetics of ugliness and obscenity and practices of marginalization (e.g., misogyny, homophobia). We inquire into the rediscovery of classical civilizations. We consider how the study of antiquity fundamentally changed the politics, literatures, arts, and philosophies of Italy at the dawn of the modern era. Through a close reading of texts by authors such as Francesco Petrarca, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Michelangelo, we investigate continuities and ruptures between their quest for human identity and ours. This course is conducted in English, and all primary and secondary sources are in English. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (ITST)(MDST)(MDST-Art/Arch)(MDST-History)(MDST-Lang/Lit)(MDST-Phil/Reli) |
Major Readings:
N. Machiavelli, THE PRINCE and THE MANDRAKE
Michelangelo, POEMS
L. Ariosto, MAD ORLANDO
B. Castiglione, THE BOOK OF THE COURTIER
F. Petrarch, MY SECRET BOOK
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Examinations and Assignments:
Oral presentation, quizzes, discussion questions, written assignments of varied lengths, including book review, critical essay. This is a discussion-based class and students' active participation is expected, encouraged, and supported. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This class will be discussion-based with lectures offering historical and cultural contextualization. Students will be expected and encouraged to participate fully in discussion and in guided classroom activities. We will combine a close analysis of literary texts, with exercises in critical writing, aimed at prompting critical reflection on the ways in which present cultural practices are built upon the practices of the past. |
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