OVERVIEW

This course in English Literature, taught in English, is offered in the first semester.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide critical tools to analyse and understand the processes of literary transformation through three main perspectives: the transmission of texts across time and space, translation as a creative and cultural act, and adaptation across different media and contexts. Students will explore how literary works evolve, are reinterpreted, and are renewed, developing skills in comparative analysis and theoretical reflection.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students who have attended this course and studied the proposed materials:

• know the main characteristics of Early Modern English and are able to read and understand English texts in old spelling;
• have an in-depth knowledge of at least one Shakespearean play, can describe its main formal features and relate them to specific historical and cultural contexts;
• are able to analyse highly complex texts such as Shakespearean ones, recognizing the main formal characteristics of individual texts and connecting them to various historical and cultural contexts, as well as making use of the critical insights provided by the proposed materials;
• are able to evaluate different arguments and challenge preconceived ideas;
• are familiar with the main theories of adaptation and are able to critically and competently analyse film adaptations of literary texts.

PREREQUISITES

A language proficiency in English of at least C1 level (Common European Framework of Reference). A broad knowledge of English literature and especially of early modern theatre is assumed.

TEACHING METHODS

The course will be taught in English. Lectures may be accompanied by seminar sessions to discuss the proposed topics (depending on the number of students) and by partial screenings of scenes of film versions of Hamlet.

Attendance is strongly recommended.

For students unable to attend, an exam syllabus with specific additional readings will be defined, which will be made available on Aulaweb.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course explores the fluid and ever-changing nature of the literary text, taking Shakespeare's Hamlet as its central case study. Moving away from the idea of a "fixed" original work, the course will explore Shakespeare's masterpiece by tracing its complex editorial history, its endless interlinguistic circulation, and its countless media remediations. Through the study of material transmission (from the Quartos to the First Folio), translation dynamics, and adaptation theory, students will analyse how Hamlet has survived, transformed, and been constantly recreated in new contexts, from the Elizabethan theatre to contemporary cinema.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All students must read:

• Hamlet by William Shakespeare in English (an edition with facing-page translation is recommended);

• the critical and support materials that will be indicated during the lectures and made available on Aulaweb and/or in the library.

They must also watch the following film versions of Hamlet:

• Hamlet, dir. Laurence Olivier (1948)

• Hamlet, dir. Franco Zeffirelli (1990)

• Hamlet, dir. Kenneth Branagh (1996)

• Hamlet 2000, dir. Michael Almereyda (2000)

As a complement to their preparation, non-attending students will be assigned additional material, which will be specified on Aulaweb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

28 September 2026

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam, in English, will be written for all students and will consist of a questionnaire with open-ended questions on the critical material and the texts and materials studied. Depending on the number of students, in-progress assessments may be included based on the quality of participation in the planned activities (presentations, textual analyses, classroom discussion, academic papers or creative writing texts, etc.).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam questionnaire includes open-ended questions on all aspects of the syllabus, aimed at verifying knowledge and understanding, while also allowing for the assessment of the achievement by students of a sophisticated level of analysis and contextualization of literary texts and their adaptations, as well as the ability to express oneself effectively in English in written form.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Exam registration: online on the University website.

Course registration: through MANDATORY registration on Aulaweb (in particular, it is VERY IMPORTANT that non-attending students register for the course on Aulaweb, where all information about the syllabus and some of the materials useful for preparation will be gradually uploaded).

This syllabus is valid until February 2028.

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.