Shakespearean Tragedy and its Afterlives

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

From the ancient Greeks to Shakespeare to contemporary film, tragedy remains one of our oldest and most enduring art forms. In a time where our own global circumstances can seem so bleak, what is the appeal of these tales filled with death, violence, betrayal, and deceit? Do they invite us to examine the tragic circumstances of our own lives? Do they inspire us to rebel against them? Why do we turn and return to this form, despite the suffering at its heart? These are some of the central questions of this course, “Shakespearean Tragedy and its Afterlives”. In order to explore the history and contemporary state of tragedy, we will examine four of Shakespeare’s finest tragedies (Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear) and their formally diverse contemporary adaptations (novels, plays, comedy and action films, etc.) from around the globe. What is the appeal of adapting Shakespeare’s plays to speak about more recent problems, from apartheid in South Africa to misogyny in the United Kingdom? How do these stories ask us to think about ourselves, each other, and our shared world?