Spring 2012

Description

This course will be an extended exploration of the difficulty, pain, failures, and occasional successes in finding, creating, and maintaining a dramatic human identity adequate for living in this world. As an introduction to Shakespeare, we will explore six to eight plays through close reading, discuss concepts of dramatic realism, and analyze the ways Shakespeare teaches us to ask questions about his characters and ultimately about ourselves. Our reading list might include Titus Andronicus, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Measure for Measure, Anthony and Cleopatra, The Winter’s Tale, and The Tempest. There will be several short papers, quizzes, a final exam, and opportunities for performance.