Heroism, Humanity, and Historiography in China: The Three Kingdoms Beyond Warfare (in English)

From the book of historical fiction The Romance of the Three Kingdoms to the video game Dynasty Warriors, enthusiasm about the Three Kingdoms period in China (220-280 CE) continues to the current day. In this course students will read 16th-century fiction to gain a broad understanding of the Three Kingdoms, a time period during which a long-lasting empire was divided. Students will learn how premodern Chinese historians recounted and how the cultural elite and anonymous writers received and responded to the historical period. By engaging with various forms of literary representation across East Asia, ranging from original historical records to modern movie adaptations, students will also come to understand the Three Kingdoms as an evolving cultural legacy with historical depth. (taught in English)