ENGL 2834: Tragedies and Romances

Abstract

COURSE DESCRIPTION Derided in 1592 as an “upstart crow”-- an arrogant literary hack from nowhere-- William Shakespeare hit his professional stride in the mid 1590s and spent years as a local celebrity writing tragedies and romances for the stage. This course covers four plays Shakespeare created in the latter half of his career, between 1599 and 1611: Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and Macbeth, tragedies dramatizing the falls of the title heroes, and The Tempest, a romance including fantastical elements and plots of redemption. We will discuss the texts in depth, focusing on genre, character, structure, language, and theme, as well as Elizabethan-Jacobean theater culture and historical interpretations and adaptations. Class sessions will involve seminar-style discussions and video viewings. Requirements will be: two formal essays, a short presentation, a final research project, and reading-check quizzes.¶ PREREQUISITE: ENG 1100 or equivalent