Fairy tales are more than childhood bedtime stories—they are the foundation of the stories we tell today. They have inspired generations, shaped cultural values, and continue to evolve through literature, film, and digital media. From the chivalrous myths of King Arthur to the playful absurdities of Lewis Carroll’s 'Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,'Ìýfrom the dark moral lessons of Perrault and the Brothers Grimm to Disney’s technicolor transformations — these stories endure because they speak to something universal within us all.
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This July, Â鶹¹ÙÍø University of Rome invites you to step into the enchanted world of fairy tales with "Fables, Fairy Tales, Legends: From King Arthur to Disney," an engaging short course that explores the fascinating evolution of this timeless genre. Ìý
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Through an in-depth study of texts like Perrault’s 'Little Red Riding Hood,'ÌýL. Frank Baum’s 'The Wizard of Oz,'Ìýand Roald Dahl’s 'Revolting Rhymes,'Ìýstudents will uncover the shifting moral, psychological, and philosophical undercurrents that have shaped these timeless tales. We will examine how fairy tales have evolved from their oral folklore origins to the literary masterpieces of the 18th and 19th centuries and, ultimately, to modern reimaginings influenced by Disney and contemporary authors like Angela Carter. Ìý
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But this course is about more than just nostalgia. Fairy tales are powerful cultural artifacts that help us analyze human identity, morality, and societal values across history. They are lenses through which we can understand storytelling itself - how narratives evolve, how symbols endure, and how meaning is created. Whether you are passionate about literature, film, art, or media studies, this course offers insights into why these stories continue to captivate and transform. Ìý
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By the end of the course, students will be able to critically assess the fairy tale genre’s impact on literature and modern media, engage with key theoretical approaches in folklore and children’s literature, and explore how these tales still resonate in today’s storytelling. Ìý
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Step into the world of magic, mystery, and metamorphosis and uncover the deeper meanings of the stories you thought you knew, and perhaps even find the inspiration to tell your own.