“Tragedy” is too narrow a term to describe the remarkable variety included in the plays that we commonly designate by that rich but inadequate term. There are elements of comedy, romance, history and farce in Shakespeare’s great. . .well, tragedies. We will try to do justice to the stunning diversity within and between each of the following plays: Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Othello and—just for laughs—Coriolanus which you may see as a current and timely movie. Lecture, discussion, short essays and shorter performance (if and as you like it).