POLITICS AND PLAY

Shakespeare was not only a prolific poet and dramatist, he was also a historian of sorts; keenly aware of the politics of his own day and the monarchy’s turbulent past. His history plays, often overlooked in favor of his more gripping comedies and tragedies, provide a window into some of the most pressing concerns of Elizabethan England: What are the characteristics of a good ruler? What makes a tyrant? How should political succession be determined? When is rebellion justified? Furthermore, the history plays, lacking the concrete textual conventions that define the comedies and tragedies, prompt readers to consider how history operates as genre, the function of the play as such, and the complex textual history of Shakespeare’s work. This course investigates one of Shakespeare’s greatest story arcs the Henriad, covering 17 years of English history (1398-1415) and three kings (Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V), which will allow us to examine these issues within a tight regnal narrative of upheavals, interpersonal tensions, and precarious peacetimes.

As a W credit course, we will also be using the four plays of the Henriad as the foundation for practicing writing skills important not only to literary studies, but more broadly to the analytical and critical thinking required of you in your other classes at UW. Students will complete several reading responses, 3 short papers (1000-1500 words), and a final portfolio project (1000 words). Additionally students should expect to actively participate in class activities, including lectures, in-class writing, group work, and discussions.

Required Course Texts: We will be using the Folger Shakespeare Library editions of the following plays
• Richard II: ISBN 978-0743484916
• Henry IV, Part 1: ISBN 978-0743485043
• Henry IV, Part 2: ISBN 978-0743485050
• Henry V: ISBN 978-0743484879

Texts: