Topics in Literary and Cultural Theory: Angry Heroes

“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.