AJL25056 Arthur Miller, Playwright

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2020
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Tomáš Kačer, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Tomáš Kačer, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Thu 12:00–13:40 G31
Prerequisites
Some existing knowledge of the following will be required before the actual beginning of the course:
1. Read the classics, Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, and get acquainted with their (1) most important interpretations, (2) staging history (important contexts and revivals) and, (3) film adaptations – watch the film versions from 1985 and 1996, respectively. Students interested in taking the course must make sure they are familiar with typical views of the main characters (Willy Loman, Abigail Williams and John Proctor) – what they stand for and how their interpretations may have changed over time.
2. Possess a detailed knowledge of Bigsby’s “Arthur Miller: The Moral Imperative,” Modern American Drama, 1945-2000, pp. 69-123 (2nd ed., CUP 2004).
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 9 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/9, only registered: 0/9
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 16 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Students will learn:
Selected knowledge from the development of American drama in the second half of the 20th century;
To critically evaluate dramatic works by one of the most important conteporary playwrights and analyze them in context.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, a student will be able to:
- discuss the life and works of one of the most prominent American playwrights in the 20th Century - Arthur Miller;
- analyze a play script;
- analyze a theatre performance;
- discuss critical features of a play from various theoretical perspectives;
- write an essay about a theatre production within the context of the development of Arthur Miller's career as a playwright.
Syllabus
  • Arthur Miller's life and work (a critical approach)
    Early works
    Later works
    Radio plays and smaller works
    Film scripts and adaptations
    Political activism
    Other genres (essays, fiction)
Literature
  • BIGSBY, C. W. E. Arthur Miller : 1962-2005. First paperback edition. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. xiii, 589. ISBN 9780472118175. 2013. info
  • BIGSBY, C. W. E. Arthur Miller : 1915-1962. Paperback edition. London: Phoenix. x, 739. ISBN 9780753826157. 2009. info
  • Student companion to Arthur Miller. Edited by Susan C. W. Abbotson. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. xii, 169 p. ISBN 0313309493. 2000. info
  • BIGSBY, C. W. E. A critical introduction to twentieth-century American drama. Vol. 2, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Edward Albee. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire]: Cambridge University Press. viii, 355. ISBN 0-521-25811-1. 1982. info
Teaching methods
lectures, class discussion, critical analysis of dramatic works, analysis of audio-visual materials (films, stagings)
Assessment methods
Class participation (up to 10 per cent of the final grade).
A class presentation on the assigned reading (up to 30 per cent).
Final essay (up to 60 per cent).
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Teacher's information
The course will consist of discussions about Miller's works, based on the knowledge of his biography and critical materials.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2022, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2020, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2020/AJL25056