This course will focus on the book entitled Morality Play by Barry Unsworth, a master of time and space in fictional settings. The book follows a band of "Players" roving around England in the 14th century who come upon a murder mystery and using the power of drama, are able to solve the mystery. In class discussions we will explore the layers of meaning in the plot, the characters, and the interplay of events that are depicted as real with those that are portrayed as fictional. The book also offers the opportunity to explore all things medieval, including art and architecture, rituals and entertainment, and the roles of nobility and church figures.
Note: No class will be held on Friday, October 20. The seminar will resume on October 27 and continue through November 17.
Group Leader: LEE BEHNKE and MOLLY SHERDEN
Venue: Chilton Club
Meets on: Fridays 10:00 am to noon
Starting: 10/13/2023
Sessions: 5
Class Size: 12
Teaching Style: Seminar
Weekly Preparation: 1 - 2 hours
Group Leader Biography:
Lee Behnke has taught classics and English at Buckingham Browne & Nichols, the University of Chicago, and more recently Phillips Exeter Academy. She received a B.A. magna cum laude from Smith College in English, an M. Ed. from Harvard in language acquisition, and an M.A. from Tufts University in classics. She has taught ancient civilization courses for the University of Chicago in Rome, Barcelona, and Athens. She coordinated the great books stream of the humanities requirement and directed the Undergraduate Latin Program. Her special interest is the classical tradition and its reception in later literature.
Molly H. Sherden holds Bachelor’s Degrees in English Literature and Art History from Stanford University and a Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law. She is a Senior Associate at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and has led tours there since 2004. She has been a course leader at Beacon Hill Seminars with a class entitled "Delving into the MFA."