Trinity College Dublin

What is myth? How do myths deal with fundamental human concerns about who we are and the world we live in? What is the relationship between myth and religion? Why did the Greeks and Romans worship many gods, believe in oracles, or perform animal sacrifice? This course is an introduction to the major myths and religions of the classical world using the full range of primary source material: literary, artistic and archaeological. The course CLU11200 is only available to full-year visiting students. 

Because ULYSSES rewards careful attention to detail, the main focus of this class is a slow, patient, and close reading of Joyce's novel. The course begins with A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN before moving into ULYSSES. The course ends with a few classes that present an introduction to FINNEGAN'S WAKE. The general theme of the class is the evolution of Joyce's artistic sensibility contrasted with Joyce's representation of that evolution. The course also approaches the texts from a variety of perspectives: Joyce as an “Irish writer”; Joyce as an “English writer”; Joyce as a “European writer”; the poetics of style and form; the politics of style and form; humor as style; modes of ideology (race, religion, gender, and nation); framing a literary tradition; and the production and reception of Modernism. The course also discusses the composition of ULYSSES as is indicated on the NLI ULYSSES drafts.

This course explores Irish Theater since 1964. Some of the texts studied include Brian Friel's PHILADELPHIA HERE I COME, Enda Walsh's THE WALWORTH FARCE, FREEFALL by Michael West, and David Ireland's CYPRUS AVENUE. A new play is studied at each week's lecture.

The Hundred Years War was in reality a series of wars, on both land and sea, arising primarily from the political and dynastic conflicts of the kings of England and France. It was fought mainly in France but also engulfed Brittany, Scotland, the Iberian kingdoms, the Netherlands, and other countries. The first part of the wars is retailed in considerable detail by the contemporary chronicler, Jean Froissart, whose powerful portrait of warfare and political rivalry is set against a backdrop of chivalric endeavor and glory. The module takes its lead from Froissart’s vivid chronicles. Tutorials are focused exclusively on various aspects of his chronicles and students are expected to write an essay on Froissart’s work. Lectures concentrate on key themes associated with Froissart’s world, such as kingship, chivalry and warfare, diplomacy, and popular revolt.

In this course, students explore a broad range of texts in the Irish literary tradition. It encompasses material from the 18th century (Jonathan Swift) to the present (Emma Donoghue and Kevin Barry), and, in the process, engages with some of the most innovative and exciting literature to be produced over the last 300 years. The course is generically diverse, and includes work by a variety of poets, novelists, playwrights, and short-story writers. It is not organized chronologically, rather, material is clustered around a number of concepts or ideas (satire, history, violence, and place), with several lectures given over to a discussion of each of these issues.

This course provides an overview of theoretical approaches as well as various analytical strategies related to internationally comparative research in general and across Europe. Lectures contour European societies based on selected topics related to social and demographic change. The discussion of comparative sociological research on Europe (and beyond) will be illuminated by drawing upon pertinent comparative studies adopting different modes of research methodology and design (e.g., small-N vs. large-N, cross-sectional vs. longitudinal). The course presents common issues in applying qualitative as well as quantitative techniques of comparison and possible solutions as found in the literature.