English 117 - Winter, 2023

Shakespeare

Class Information

Instructor: Bloom, Gina
Time: MWF 10:00-10:50
GE Areas: World Cultures Writing Experience

Description

In this course we will read some of Shakespeare's early histories and comedies, situating them in the Elizabethan theater in which they were originally performed. We will consider the plays in relation to four key areas of dramatic production: text, stage, actor, and audience. By attending to the theatrical conditions in which the plays were staged, we will be better positioned to explore the ways these dramas grapple with a range of historical and contemporary concerns, including: political power, social status, religious authority, gender difference, and individual agency.

Grading

Assignments:
Analytic Essay
Short Close Reading papers
Lecture Engagement quizzes
Section participation/attendance

Texts

Richard III, eds. Mowat and Werstein
The Taming of the Shrew, ed. Orgel
Henry IV, Part I , ed. McEachern
As You Like It , ed. Dolan
Richard II, ed. Dolan