Topics in Literary and Cultural Theory: Angry Heroes

Source: https://german.princeton.edu/whats-on/courses/graduate/2025-26-fall/ger-520 Parent: https://german.princeton.edu/whats-on/courses/previous/graduate

GER 520

Topics in Literary and Cultural Theory: Angry Heroes

Fall 2025

W

7:30pm - 10:20pm

https://registrar.princeton.edu/course-offerings/course-details?term=1262&courseid=003207

“Rage” was the first word of The Iliad and, thus, of European literature. Beginning with the rage of Achilles, which offers a glimpse into antiquity’s universe of conflict, rage––along with variants such as wrath, outrage and hate––has assumed different forms and courses in western culture: divine fury, mortal sin, military frenzy, passion as such or a fatal tear in the social tie. Against this background, the seminar follows a history of affect from antiquity to the present through texts and sources that explore the diverse patterns of this passion’s escalation: its political, theological, aesthetic and psychological dimensions. Taught in English and German.

Image

“The Angel of the Home or the Triumph of Surrealism,” created in 1937 by Max Ernst in Paris, France, is an oil painting on canvas measuring 114 x 146 cm.