From the Elizabethan theater to 19th-century Italian Opera Houses, audiences were enthralled by works that reflect the strong French influence on the language and culture of Western Europe—a presence especially evident in two iconic works of Theater and Opera: Scenes in Henry V, which focuses on England’s long conflict with France, include an entire French- English vocabulary lesson and a marriage proposal en français. It was upon viewing La Dame aux camélias in a Paris theater that Verdi was inspired to write La Traviata, based on the play (and novel) by Alexandre Dumas fils. In this course, we will focus on excerpts from Henry V and the novel of Dumas fils, in bilingual (French-English) format, to reinforce (or be introduced to) basic French pronunciation and grammar, while deepening our literary appreciation of each work.

Text: All required texts and related materials will be supplied online by the instructor (at no additional cost).