123424 SE Literary & Cultural Studies Seminar / BA Paper / MA British/Irish/New English (2013S)

2012 not only saw the London Olympics but the capital of the UK also hosted the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Marking the Queen's popularity over decades, this seminar will have the fashioning and representation of queen-like femininities at its centre. In our investigations we will employ a wide notion of 'queen' to reflect the diversity and range as well as the complexity and intricacy of the academic discussions concerning our topic. We will investigate Cleopatra and her fictional and cinematic afterlife, explore visual representations of Queen Elizabeth I, look at Cecil Beaton's photographic records of the House of Winsor and will also not neglect the world of female impersonators and drag queens. Our topic will be addressed from multiple perspectives including literary perspectives and will be focused on different historical periods. We will explore what scholars from backgrounds in literature studies, media studies, cultural studies, history and art history have to contribute to our theme.