Shakespeare’s Mature Tragedies
In the space of only five or six years at the height of his career, Shakespeare wrote four plays that are universally considered masterpieces of world literature. These are his four great tragedies Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, and King Lear. In this class, we will read all four of them (plus, for good measure, one that was a flop, Timon of Athens). Chiefly we will ask ourselves what makes these works so “great.” Why do people all over the world still imitate, adapt, and admire them so fervently more than 400 years after their first appearance? Why, for that matter, are these most hallowed works all tragedies? What is “tragedy” anyway and why do tragic stories seem to have such a unique and lasting hold on people’s imaginations?
Evaluation will be based on in-class participation, two projects, and a comprehensive final exam. Credit for this course can apply toward the university’s A&H (Arts and Humanities) requirement and the pre-1700 historical distribution area in the English major.