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Questioning Genre
This section brings together resources from the across the Great Writers Inspire site to illustrate how these can be used as a starting point for exploration of or classroom discussion about genre.
The 'Questions of Genre' essay introduces a series of topics and questions and gives examples of resources to explore. It is aimed at teachers, students and anyone who is interested in literature who wants to put text into context and be inspired by Great Writers.
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| # | Title | Description | Contributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Approaching Fantasy Literature |
This shortened version of a lecture seeks to introduce the listener to the concept of fantasy... |
Stuart Lee |
| 2 | Character in Modern Drama |
In this Open Day taster lecture, Kirsten Shepherd-Barr investigates how the notion of ‘character... |
Kirsten Shepherd-Barr |
| 3 | Genre (pt.2) |
Video podcast with Dr Jane Rickard, The University of Leeds. Part 2 (of 2) + discussion forum... |
Jane Rickard |
| 4 | Genre (pt.1) |
Video podcast with Dr Jane Rickard, The University of Leeds. Part 1 (of 2) + discussion forum... |
Jane Rickard |
| 5 | The Victorians: Gender and Sexuality (lecture) |
Free public lecture by Professor Sir Richard Evans FBA. From Gresham College. Available as video... |
Richard Evans |
| 6 | Jonathan Swift and the Art of Undressing |
Dr Abigail Williams gives a talk on Jonathan Swift and the Art of Undressing |
Abigail Williams |
| # | Title | Description | Contributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Romance of the Middle Ages |
Dr Nicholas Perkins talks about how romance functions as a genre in the middle ages, especially... |
Nicholas Perkins |
| 2 | King Lear |
Showing how generations of critics - and Shakespeare himself - have rewritten the ending of King... |
Emma Smith |
| 3 | Jonathan Swift and the Art of Undressing |
Dr Abigail Williams gives a talk on Jonathan Swift and the Art of Undressing |
Abigail Williams |
| 4 | The Comedy of Errors |
Lecture 12 in the Approaching Shakespeare series asks how seriously we can take the farcical... |
Emma Smith |
| 5 | George Eliot 2. Genre and Justice |
The second lecture in the series on George Eliot considers how narrative justice operates in... |
Catherine Brown |
| 6 | Antony and Cleopatra |
What kind of tragedy is this play, with its two central figures rather than a singular hero? The... |
Emma Smith |
| 7 | Richard II |
Lecture eight in the Approaching Shakespeare series asks the question that structures Richard II... |
Emma Smith |
| 8 | The Winter's Tale |
How we can make sense of a play that veers from tragedy to comedy and stretches credulity in its... |
Emma Smith |
| 9 | Measure for Measure |
The third Approaching Shakespeare lecture, on Measure for Measure, focuses on the vexed question... |
Emma Smith |
| 10 | Is Tragedy still Alive? |
Discussion on whether tragedy still exists in modern culture, whether in films, modern theatre... |
Oliver Taplin, Joshua Billings |
| 11 | Does Tragedy Teach? |
Third dialogue on the nature of tragedy where they talk about whether tragic theatre teaches... |
Oliver Taplin, Joshua Billings |
| 12 | What does Tragedy do for People? |
A discussion of what the use of tragedy is, and whether the emotional experience of tragic... |
Oliver Taplin, Joshua Billings |
| 13 | Defining Tragedy |
First dialogue between Oliver Taplin and Joshua Billings on tragedy: they discuss what '... |
Oliver Taplin, Joshua Billings |
| 14 | The Duchess of Malfi: John Webster |
In dramatizing a woman's sexual choices in a notably sympathetic manner, this tragedy... |
Emma Smith |
| 15 | The Revenger's Tragedy: Thomas Middleton |
A blackly camp tragedy - Hamlet without the narcissism - set in a court corrupted by lust and... |
Emma Smith |
| 16 | The Shoemaker's Holiday: Thomas Dekker |
Like a Busby Berkeley depression-era musical, Dekker's comedy is a feel-good antidote to a... |
Emma Smith |
| # | Essay Title | Description | Contributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonathan Swift and 'Gulliver's Travels' |
This essay is the second of two distilled from a lecture series on Jonathan Swift given by... |
Abigail Williams, Kate O'Connor |
| 2 | Jonathan Swift and 'A Tale of a Tub' |
This essay is the first of two distilled from a lecture series on Jonathan Swift given by Dr... |
Abigail Williams, Kate O'Connor |
| # | Title | Description | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bartholomew Fair |
ebook version of Bartholomew Fair |
Jonson, Ben, 1573?-1637 |
| 2 | MEASVRE, For Measure. |
ebook version of MEASVRE, For Measure. |
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 |
| 3 | The Comedie of Errors. |
ebook version of The Comedie of Errors. |
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 |
| 4 | The Winters Tale. |
ebook version of The Winters Tale. |
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 |
| 5 | The shoemakers' holiday |
ebook version of The shoemakers' holiday |
Dekker, Thomas, ca. 1572-1632 |
| 6 | THE TRAGEDIE OF KING LEAR. |
ebook version of THE TRAGEDIE OF KING LEAR. |
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 |
| 7 | The Plays of William Shakespeare as published in the first folio of 1623 |
ebook version of The Plays of William Shakespeare as published in the first folio of 1623 |
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 |
| 8 | Cynthia's revels |
ebook version of Cynthia's revels |
Jonson, Ben, 1573?-1637 |
| 9 | The Duchess of Malfi |
ebook version of The Duchess of Malfi |
Webster, John, 1580?-1625 |
| 10 | THE TRAGEDIE OF CYMBELINE. |
ebook version of THE TRAGEDIE OF CYMBELINE. |
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 |
| 11 | ALL'S Well, that Ends Well. |
ebook version of ALL'S Well, that Ends Well. |
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 |
| 12 | THE TRAGEDIE OF Anthonie, and Cleopatra. |
ebook version of THE TRAGEDIE OF Anthonie, and Cleopatra. |
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 |
| 13 | Lady Windermere's Fan | Oscar Wilde | |
| 14 | Poetics |
Translated by S. H. Butcher |
Aristotle |
| 15 | Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World | Jonathan Swift | |
| 16 | Pride and prejudice | Jane Austen | |
| 17 | The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark | William Shakespeare | |
| 18 | Plays by Thomas Dekker |
The shoemaker's holiday -- The honest whore, pts l-2 -- Old Fortunatus -- The witch of Edmonton... |
Thomas Dekker |
| # | Resource Title | Description | Contributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Garrick - Between Tragedy and Comedy (image) |
"David Garrick Between Tragedy and Comedy" by Joshua Reynolds. |
| # | Resource Title | Description | Contributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Wisdom and Modern Love (course) |
Course material, including video lectures and discussion questions, for 'Ancient Wisdom and... |
David O'Connor |
| 2 | ULYSSES: Gerty, Romance, and You | ... | Tara Prescott |
| 3 | Course: John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi |
An Open University course.
|
Open University |