What do you do with a cruel comedy? With a tragedy that ends ‘well’? With a play that defies generic classification altogether? In this course, we’ll read four of Shakespeare’s so-called ‘problem plays’ — Measure for Measure, The Merchant of Venice, Timon of Athens, and The Winter’s Tale — with particular attention to their use of language, and we’ll consider what kind of play can happen at the intersection of the tragic, the comic, and the simply odd, which may spark some thoughts about writing (and performing Shakespeare) in our present, confusing moment.
Learning Outcomes:
Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Prerequisites: Students apply with a short sample of their critical prose, via this form. by November 17. Students will be notified by November 22 about acceptance into the class.
Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 4
T/F 10:30AM - 12:20PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 16
Course Frequency: One time only
Categories: 4000 , All courses , Four Credit , Fully In-Person , Literature , Updates
Tags: Comedy , critical analytical thinking , romance , shakespeare , theater , Tragedy