What explains the spectacular success of Shakespeare? His influence has permeated every aspect of cultural life. Even people who have not read a single play by Shakespeare describe a football goal (if scored by Lionel Messi) as 'Shakespearean', or a powerful woman as a 'Lady Macbeth'. Why has Shakespeare been endlessly performed, adapted, rewritten and quoted in every age and in every culture in the world? Does he have anything to say to us today? This series of lectures will attempt to find an answer. Shakespeare wrote in an age of radical change, which laid the foundation for many of the features that we now associate with modernity. His drama marks the beginning of the global entertainment industry. It reflects an age in transition - which might be why it resonates so deeply with later periods. We will be looking at a wide range of his work, and at the way Shakespeare explored themes such as individualism, gender relations, power politics, empire, humour, and love. The plays we will discuss include As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Othello, Richard III, Henry IV Part I, and The Tempest. The question at the heart of this course is why Shakespeare is able to speak to his times as well as to ours.
To gain credit regular attendance is mandatory. More than two unexcused absences disqualify students from gaining credit.
In addition to gaining credit points for attendance, MA students will be able to take an exam and gain marks for the course. The course is part of MA Module 3 (Eng. Lit. I: 1500-1780).
The recommended edition of the plays is the paperback version of The Norton Shakespeare, ed. Stephen Greenblatt et al., 3rd. edition (New York: Norton, 2016), available at Librophoros.
On successful completion of the course, students will have acquired familiarity with Shakespeare's main plays. They will have gained an insight into the way Shakespeare's work engages with his own age, but also resonates with contemporary concerns.
- Enseignant·e: Indira Ghose