Shakespeare:Historical Context

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

In this class we will read very carefully four of Shakespeare’s comedies (early, middle and late) in conjunction with a selection of non-literary early modern texts. Our attention will focus on the plays, but we will spend a good deal of time on texts written by other authors contemporary to Shakespeare. These other texts address central issues raised in the plays – class, gender, sexual identity, marriage, religion, among others – and help provide an understanding of the variety of opinions available in the period. By familiarizing ourselves with the plays’ cultural contexts, we will develop a historically grounded perspective from which we can view more clearly Shakespeare’s formulation of these issues, and deepen our understanding of both the literature and the culture of early modern England. We will also read and analyze recent essays of literary criticism that take a historicist approach in their interpretation of the plays; these will serve as models for the final project. This course assumes some familiarity with Shakespeare’s plays and with literary theory; while not a pre-requisite, I strongly recommend taking ENGL-090 before enrolling in this course. Students will have the opportunity to contribute to the syllabus by researching and selecting a critical essay with a historicist approach on one of the plays we are reading. In addition, you will undertake primary research on a non-literary context of one of the plays, making use of secondary historical sources and early modern texts through the database Early English Books On-line.