Background and Rationale
 

The main objectives of the course are to:
• provide students with the necessary background for an effective understanding of Shakespeare’s plays, across the genres of comedy, history, tragedy and romance.
• offer a description of the Elizabethan theatre and its role in society
• offer an introduction to the historical and literary background of Shakespeare’s time,
• Investigate the traditions and genre expectations of Elizabethan drama and
• provide a detailed study of three plays: As You Like It, Othello and The Tempest.
• introduce the relevant theoretical concepts through which to view the plays

Learning Outcomes

After completion of the course students are expected to be able to:
• Analyse Shakespeare’s plays in terms of form and language, character and genre.
• Understand Shakespeare’s use of language and styles
• Understand and incorporate elements of the historical and social aspects of the period into an interpretation of the plays.
• Understand Shakespeare’s dramaturgy
• Write analytical essays on topics drawn from the plays.
• Analyse, assess and apply secondary critical sources on the subjects and plays studied.
• Understand the basics of theoretical concerns associated with a contemporary understanding of Shakespeare’s plays