Shakespeare’s Great Tragedies

Three credits · Undergraduate

Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, and King Lear examine how the desire to know the truth leads to tragedy. Who killed old King Hamlet? Is my wife having an affair? Which of my daughters loves me most? Can I overcome guilt? How does one dispel the desire for vengeance over one’s oppressors? One never discovers the truth, so one acts blindly, which brings unbearable suffering. But suffering brings insight: the reader is instructed how to live with patience and equanimity. Prerequisite: ENGL 100 or 111 or equivalent. Three credits.