In this course we will be considering some of the plays Shakespeare wrote during the first half of his career. Already they are masterpieces, mainly comedies and histories. The plays we will be reading include The Comedy of Errors, Richard III, Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry IV Part 1, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, and Hamlet. Maybe Measure for Measure too, depending on our pace. Work will include 3 short tests, 2 short papers, participation in a class presentation, and postings to our discussion site.
Required Texts:
The Norton Shakespeare, ed. by Stephen Greenblatt, et al. (New York: W.W. Norton, 1997) (ISBN 0-393-97087-6)
McDonald, Russ. The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare, 2nd ed. (Boston: St. Martins, 2001) (ISBN0-312-24880-6)
Optional:
E.M.W. Tillyard. The Elizabethan World Picture. (New York: Vintage, 1959) (ISBN 0-394-70162-3