LT111-4-FY-CO:
Origins and Transformations in Literature and Drama

The details
2024/25
Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 27 June 2025
30
09 May 2023

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

LT209

Key module for

BA W800 Creative Writing,
BA W801 Creative Writing (Including Year Abroad),
BA W803 Creative Writing (Including Placement Year),
BA W808 Creative Writing (Including Foundation Year),
MLITQ392 Creative Writing,
BA QW24 Drama and Literature,
BA QW25 Drama and Literature (Including Placement Year),
BA WQ28 Drama and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA WQ42 Drama and Literature (Including Year Abroad),
BA T720 English and United States Literature,
BA QQ23 English Language and Literature,
BA QQ24 English Language and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA QQ32 English Language and Literature (Including Year Abroad),
BA QQ35 English Language and Literature (Including Placement Year),
BA Q300 English Literature,
BA Q303 English Literature (Including Placement Year),
BA Q320 English Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA Q321 English Literature (Including Year Abroad),
BA PQ32 Film Studies and Literature (Including Year Abroad),
BA PQ38 Film Studies and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA QW26 Film Studies and Literature,
BA QW27 Film Studies and Literature (Including Placement Year),
BA QV21 History and Literature,
BA QV22 History and Literature (Including Placement Year),
BA QV2C History and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA VQ12 History and Literature (Including Year Abroad),
MLITQ391 Literature,
BA QV23 Literature and Art History,
BA QV24 Literature and Art History (Including Placement Year),
BA QV2H Literature and Art History (Including Foundation Year),
BA QV32 Literature and Art History (Including Year Abroad),
BA QV3B Literature and Art History (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA LQ32 Literature and Sociology,
BA LQ33 Literature and Sociology (Including Placement Year),
BA QL23 Literature and Sociology (Including Year Abroad),
BA QV25 Philosophy and Literature,
BA QV26 Philosophy and Literature (Including Placement Year),
BA VQ52 Philosophy and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA VQ58 Philosophy and Literature (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA VQ5F Philosophy and Literature (Including Year Abroad),
BA QW30 Literature and Creative Writing,
BA QW31 Literature and Creative Writing (Including Year Abroad),
BA QW33 Literature and Creative Writing (Including Placement Year),
BA QW38 Literature and Creative Writing (Including Foundation Year),
MLITQ393 Literature and Creative Writing,
BA Q210 English and Comparative Literature,
BA Q211 English and Comparative Literature (Including Year Abroad),
BA Q212 English and Comparative Literature (Including Placement Year),
BA Q218 English and Comparative Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA P530 Journalism and Literature,
BA P531 Journalism and Literature (Including Placement Year),
BA P532 Journalism and Literature (Including Year Abroad),
LLB M1Q3 Law with Literature,
LLB M1Q5 Law with Literature (Including Placement Year),
LLB M1Q6 Law with Literature (Including Year Abroad)

Module description

Which writers re-worked Homer's Odyssey? Or borrowed ideas from Dante's Inferno? Examine how key literary texts and genres from across world literature have been used and transformed by successive generations of writers up until the present day.

This module explores how ancient and foundational literary texts and stories continue to speak to us, and to inspire writers, many of whom have adopted, and adapted, their themes and form, to create new masterpieces. How have we inherited genre definitions such as tragedy and comedy? How have key themes like the underworld and the outsider inspired some of the greatest books, plays, stories and poetry ever written?

Module Content Note: texts under discussion may contain references to: abuse and physical violence; homophobia; incest; poor mental health; physical violence, self-harm and suicide; racism and xenophobia; rape and/or sexual assault; religious discrimination; slavery and colonialism. Please contact the module supervisor if you have any questions.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • To provide students with an understanding of key literary genres and themes as a foundation upon which they can build throughout their degree

  • To enable students to draw links between texts from different centuries, cultures and continents

  • To help students develop a critical understanding of the ways in which key literary texts and genres are borrowed from, re-written or re-worked by successive generations of writers

  • To develop students' ability to trace literary origins and critically evaluate the complex links and fissures across cultural traditions.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Demonstrate an understanding of key literary genres and themes

  2. Establish and critically interrogate any links between texts from different centuries, cultures and continents

  3. Evidence their critical understanding of the ways in which key literary texts and genres are borrowed from, re-written or re-worked by successive generations of writers

Module information

This is an introductory survey module. The twenty lectures cover a wide range of world literature, and each lecturer speaks on an area related to their particular field of expertise. The module is a showcase of the Department's research specialities, which we introduce to our students at the very outset of their studies with us.

Learning and teaching methods

Anticipated teaching delivery: Weekly 1-hour lecture followed by 1hr seminar/class

Bibliography

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Formative Assignment: Essay Plan  25/11/2024  0% 
Coursework   Essay 1 (1,500 words)   14/01/2025  20% 
Coursework   Essay 1 - RESITWA students ONLY  14/01/2025   
Coursework   Essay 3 - TRAILING REASSESSMENT STUDENTS ONLY  24/01/2025   
Coursework   Essay 2 (2,000 words)   25/03/2025  35% 
Coursework   Essay 2 - RESITWA students ONLY  25/03/2025   
Coursework   Essay 3 (2,500 words)   29/04/2025  40% 
Coursework   Essay 3 - RESITWA students ONLY  29/04/2025   
Practical   Participation     5% 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Owen Robinson, email: orobin@essex.ac.uk.
Various
LiFTS General Office - email liftstt@essex.ac.uk. Telephone 01206 872626

 

Availability
Yes
Yes
Yes

External examiner

Dr Doug Haynes
University of Sussex
Reader in American Literature and Visual Culture
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 51 hours, 51 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 

Further information

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