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School of Modern Languages and Cultures

Racine and Corneille

Athalie, suite

Complete your reading of the play and look at the following extracts:

The destiny of Joas: the role of Jehovah: V, 6 - 8, lines 1768 - 1815.

Formulate a research topic relating to Athalie. Areas you might consider include:

  • The significance of time (past, present, future)
  • The role of the child / childishness
  • Heroism and gender
  • The nature of God / the gods
  • The Absolutist Court: an influence on the play?

Add a page to the Racine section of the wiki in which you organise ideas and gather resources around this research topic.

Athalie and Rodogune

Listen to the lecture podcast and follow the powerpoint slides (click here to access these)

Content and structure

 
Think about the following points individually and bring your ideas along to the seminar:
  • Analyse the significance of the setting of the two plays, and link with the unity of place.
  • Compare and contrast the major tensions / themes that each play seeks to dramatise. To what extent are these tensions resolved at the end of each play (in other words, is catharsis achieved?)
What conclusions can you draw about the way in which the unity of action is applied in each play?
 

Ideas of family

Prepare your thoughts on one of the following discussion topics (see below), and relate that topic to BOTH Athalie AND Rodogune. You should think both thematically and formally (ie: reflect not simply on the ideas about family conveyed, but on the way in which each dramatist conveys them). Please prepare a mind map and upload to the wiki to be discussed during the class.
  • blood / inheritance
  • death and dying / self-sacrifice
  • the parent - child relationship
  • love, jealousy and other passions




 



 
 
     
     
     
     
     

     

     


     

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