Department of English

An introduction to Shakespeare’s dramatic works designed for students interested in becoming familiar (or more familiar) with a selection of his plays. We will read eleven plays encompassing the distinct dramatic genres that Shakespeare employed: four tragedies, three comedies, two history plays, and two romances. My lectures will seek to discuss the dramatic form and thematic concerns of each play and to situate these plays in the cultural and historical circumstances of Shakespeare’s times. Emphasis in the lectures will be on learning how to read these difficult texts closely and carefully, and on attempting to understand how these plays were constructed for the Shakespearean stage and not for the early twentieth-century page. Lecturing will be the primary format of the class, although time will be set aside for questions and comments. Midterm, final exam, and one (5-7 page) paper will be required.