Weekly Schedule Summer Quarter 2011

Please material in bold type before each week's class meeting. To facilitate discussion and later references to readings and resources, print copies for your workbook and/or take careful notes on what you read. Some readings are substantially longer than others and need not be printed out--but do read them and make note of their major points.

Myth and Modernity I: Long ago in a galaxy far, far away-- fair maidens, dark fathers, and tricksters

Of Myth and Men (Time Magazine dialogue between Bill Moyers and George Lucas); Maurice Phipps, The Myth and Magic of Star Wars: A Jungian Interpretation (ERIC); C. G. Boeree, an essay on Carl Jung and archetypes
See Resource Links: Archetypes & Cycles for more information related to this class and next week's.
Workshop (at home): archetypes and masks

Margaret Hiley, "Stolen Language, Cosmic Models: Myth and Mythology in Tolkien." Modern Fiction Studies 50:4 (Winter 2004), 838-860 (available through Proquest); Plato, "The Ring of Gyges" (handout; but available here). Note: the article is pretty dense and may be difficult to understand, althouth the main points are accessible. I'll provide a summary for discussion. Also recommended: Stefan Arvidsson, "Greed and the Nature of Evil: Tolkien versus Wagner" Journal of Religion and Popular Culture 22:2 (Summer 2010) through Proquest, and Pia Skogemann, "A Jungian Interpretation of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings." National Geographic, The Lord of the Rings: Beyond the Movie

Workshop: Astronomy and Cosmology
Video: Art Through Time: Cosmology and Belief
Lecture/Discussion: Cosmology and Architecture; Acoma creation myth
Project proposal and preliminary bibliographies due at the beginning of class
Supplement: AstroLinks (sites dealing with myth and astronomy)
Assignment: Mythography critique (due week 8)

Myth and Theater: ceremony, performance, sacrifice, and storytelling

Sacred Theater and Dance; Theater History
Euripides, The Bacchae (Invitation to World Literature); Ian Johnston, An Introductory Note to Euripides's Bacchae; Resources on Euripides and the Bacchae; a list of translations and other resources available online
Workshop: Group Performance

Guest speaker: Tony Buenning on myth and Harry Potter
Workshop: project finalization & writing clinic
Performance group meeting

Myth and Modernity IV: myths and legends of the Bronze Age Aegean

Greek Mythology Links on Theseus
Plato, excerpts from Timaeus and Critias (handout)
Performance group meeting
Mythography critique due.

This test is mandatory, but extra credit will be awarded, and festive food supplied. It should last about an hour, after which performance groups will meet for final rehearsals.
Final projects, essays, & bibliographies due at the beginning of class.

Project presentations
Group performances