Course Description
Summary
We will spend the term immersed in in-depth reading and analysis of the plot, structure, and language, and cultural context of five Shakespeare tragedies: Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello. We will also read Tom Stoppard’s 20th-century existentialist, absurdist parody of Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. We will focus on the themes of power, corruption, betrayal, revenge, despair, and madness, among others. We will also spend considerable time discussing representations of gender, race and old age in Shakespeare. Additionally, we will screen and discuss several 20th-century and contemporary films based on individual plays, actively considering the choices film directors have made in their interpretations of the texts. Students should expect to write two critical essays, take multiple in-class reading quizzes, and participate actively and vocally in class conversations.
