Dark Thoughts: Melancholy in Early Modern English Literature, Music and Art
Melancholy, or melancholia,
was the term for a condition profoundly influencing one’s mood, one’s state of
mind, and even, on a fundamental level, one’s character or temperament. On the
one hand, melancholy was regarded as a medical condition, something that, given
the right therapy, might respond to treatment. On the other hand, it also
became hugely fashionable. During the sixteenth and seventeenth century, there
was what can be described as a cult of melancholy. Young men in particular
began to wear distinctive black outfits and cultivated the kind of body
language associated with melancholy. Melancholy was seen as something that
could provide a powerful creative impulse – texts, music and works of art
dealing with dark, brooding thoughts became popular.
This course will give you
an opportunity to learn and think about melancholy, and in particular the
fashion for melancholy. We will look at what dark thoughts can do, and how
people actually came to enjoy them. We will also look into the later history of
the concept, some forms of which have survived into our own time.
There will be a Moodle room
in which a variety of texts, images and music will be made available. You will
receive the Moodle room password via e-mail (to your official university e-mail
address).
Just in case your
application is rejected by the LSF system: If you want to do this course
because you are genuinely interested, you will be most welcome, no matter what
LSF says. Please get in touch with claudia.hausmann@uni-due.de who will enrol
you manually. The worst that might happen to you is that you cannot do a Leistungsnachweis
if you lack the formal requirements.
