[COLT 0510M] 1

Early Modern Selves: From Soliloquy to Self-Portrait

[COLT 0510M]

Rembrandt, Self-Portrait in a Cap, Rembrandt, Self-Portrait as an Oriental

Open-Mouthed (1630) Potentate (1634)

Instructor: Cristina Serverius Spring 2013

Email: Cristina_Serverius@Brown.edu Classroom: Sayles 012
Office: Marston Hall B-06 Time: MWF 11-11.50am
Office Hours: Mondays 12-1.30pm or by appointment

Course Description

We will study the early modern self through its manifestation in the soliloquy
(Shakespeare), philosophical treatise (Descartes), early modern poetry, and self-
portraiture (Rembrandt). After examining Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” speech and other
Shakespearean soliloquies as moments in which characters represent themselves in
speech, we will turn to Descartes’ view of man’s essence as his thinking nature. We will
then read metaphysical poetry to understand the influence of religion on the early modern
self.

Since the Enlightenment, thinkers and artists have considered the Renaissance and early
modern period as the beginning of the rise of the individual. Throughout this course, we
will think critically about this notion as we question early modern selfhood through an
examination of its representation in four genres: drama, philosophical treatise, poetry, and
self-portraiture. We will contrast these different modes of self-representation: How does
Descartes’s Cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore, I am) compare to the discursive selfhood
of the Shakespearean soliloquies? We will consider the influence of the Reformation not
only on religious poetry, but also on seemingly secular self-portraits. Through our
reading of the Taming of the Shrew and female poets, we will also consider how the
female self is narrated: How does her (self-)representation differ from that of her male
counterparts? Finally, the study of light, eye contact, and impersonation in Rembrandt’s
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self-portraits will offer a radically different angle to our study of the early modern self,
and it will further enrich and complicate the panorama we have sketched during the
semester.

Course Aims and Pedagogy

On Mondays and Wednesdays, I will provide the framework for our extensive class
discussions on Fridays. The main purpose of the lectures is to clarify topics and provide
more background information and broader contextualization, as well as to introduce other
texts that might be of interest for your final projects. Our Friday discussion maximizes
student involvement in selecting the points of discussion from each week’s reading.

The entire course is framed by an ongoing analysis of Rembrandt’s self-portraits.

During the first week, you will select one self-portrait that resonates with you. You are
encouraged to view the drawing/painting/etching daily, and are required to keep a weekly
journal of your observations about the portrait with notes on how the weekly readings
inform your viewing experience. You might want to choose a portrait that you will be
able to visit in a museum during the weekend or over Spring Break. Starting out the
semester with a critical reading on Renaissance art (Baxandall) sets the stage for our self-
portrait exercise, and encourages us to look at the plays, poems, and philosophical
treatises with a “period eye.” Baxandall’s theory on the influence of particular cultural
circumstances on how a society produces and views visual art will inform our other
readings. This interdisciplinary approach feeds a discussion on how representations of the
early modern self in different genres inform each other and illuminate or obfuscate the
very idea of an early modern self.

The portrait analysis reinforces the reading and critical thinking skills we will develop
throughout the semester. The writing and revision assignments encourage you to look
critically at your own writing (both at the process and the product), and develop an
individual writing routine that includes tools for self-editing. Reading each other’s work
and learning to give constructive feedback will further enhance our writing skills.

Required texts: Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Taming of the Shrew, Richard III, Richard II;
Descartes’ Meditations, Discourse on Method, and Passions of the Soul; Norton Critical
Edition of John Donne’s Poetry; Harry Berger’s Fictions of the Pose

All books are available at the bookstore. Selected poems by Anne Vaughan Locke,
George Herbert, Aemilia Lanyer, Mary Wroth, and chapter II of Michael Baxandall’s
Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy will be available on Canvas.

Course Proceedings and Requirements

Class schedule and attendance:

Class will be held MWF 11-11.50am. Attendance is mandatory. If circumstances do
require you to miss class, you must inform me ahead of time by email or in class the
week prior to your absence. Please be proactive in approaching me about absences.
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Discussion Questions:
Every week before 1pm on Wednesday, students will post at least one thoughtful
discussion question on the week’s reading to the class discussion board on the Canvas
site. The question should deal with something you found interesting, surprising, or
confusing about the texts to be discussed in section. Everyone should read and consider
the weekly questions and come prepared to discuss them on Friday. You may find it
helpful to include specific passages that are relevant to your question.

Individual consultations:
You are invited to meet with me as often as you wish during office hours (Mondays 12-
1.30pm). Everyone is required to meet with me at least twice during the semester for an
individual consultation on your progress for the final paper project.

Papers:
You are required to write 2 close readings (2-3 pages double-spaced) on a selection of
prompts handed out at least a week before the deadline. You will then turn in revised
versions of the assignments based on extensive instructor feedback. Additionally, you
will write one longer final paper (8-10 pages double-spaced), in which you engage in
depth with a topic of your choice. Final papers will focus on comparative close analyses
of materials from at least two genres. You will hand in a one-page final paper project
proposal including three bibliographical references by week 10. We will discuss this
proposal in an individual meeting the following week. (Guidelines for paper assignments
will be handed out separately.)

1st assignment – 27 February: close reading of a passage from one of the plays (with
prompt)
2nd assignment – 8 March: revisions of 1st assignment
3rd assignment – 22 March: close reading of poem or passage from Descartes (with
prompt)
Final paper project proposal – 5 April
4th assignment – 12 April: revisions of 3rd assignment
First full draft of final paper – 22 April
Final paper – 8 May

All papers should be in my mailbox in Marston Hall by 5pm of the due date. You can
also hand them in during class.

Grade Breakdown:
Two short papers + two revision assignments: 30%
Journal writing assignments: 15%
Attendance and participation: 15% (this includes weekly postings to the class wiki)
Final paper project (including proposal and draft; 8-10 pages): 40%
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Class Schedule

23-25 February Introduction, Syllabus, and the Period Eye

Discussion of the portrait assignments
Reading: Chapter II (“The Period Eye”) from Baxandall
Writing assignment: Submit your close reading notes for the portrait of
your choice

The Shakespearean Soliloquy

28 January – Hamlet
1 February Reading: Hamlet
Writing assignment: Journal writing

4-8 February The Taming of the Shrew

Reading: The Taming of the Shrew
Writing assignment: Journal writing

11-15 February Richard III

Readings: Richard III
Writing assignment: Submit journal entries and conclude with notes on
how you might use your informal weekly observations in a paper

20-27 February Richard II

Readings: Richard II
Writing assignment: Submit a close reading of a passage from one of the
plays (with prompt)

The Cartesian Cogito

1-4 March Discourse on Method

Readings: Discourse on Method
Writing assignment: Journal writing

6-8 March Meditations

Readings: Meditations
Writing assignment: Submit revised close reading + submit journals

11-15 March Passions of the Soul

Readings: Passions of the Soul
Writing assignment: Journal writing

The Metaphysical/Religious Poets’ Poetic “I”

18-22 March Anne Vaughan Locke and John Donne
Readings: Selected poems by Anne Vaughan Locke and John Donne
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Writing assignment: Submit papers on Descartes, Vaughan Locke, or

Donne (with prompt)

SPRING BREAK

1-5 April Herbert, Wroth, and Lanyer

Readings: Selected poems by George Herbert, Mary Wroth, and Aemilia
Lanyer
Writing assignment: Submit final paper proposal

Rembrandt’s Self-Portraits

8-12 April Fictions of the Pose

Readings: Fictions of the Pose (selection)
Writing assignment: Submit revised short papers

15-19 April Fictions of the Pose (continued)

Readings: Fictions of the Pose (selection)
Writing assignment: Work on final paper

22-26 April Peer Feedback

Writing assignment: Submit first full draft of final paper for peer review
Readings: Assigned peer papers
In-class peer feedback: students will read each other’s drafts and provide
constructive feedback and suggestions for the final revisions
Assignment: Read assigned peer drafts and prepare feedback

! Revise final paper based on peer and instructor feedback and submit by 5pm on
Wednesday, May 8.
!