WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

NATIONAL AND KAPODISTRIAN UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS

SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY

FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

SPRING SEMESTER 2024

6^th SEMESTER COURSE: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

SECTION 1 (A-Kαρ)

INSTRUCTOR: Associate Professor Vassiliki Markidou

Week-by-week sessions: Mondays, 9-12 am, Amphitheatre 425

Office hour: Wednesdays, 12:00-13:00, Room 903

Course Description

The course examines a selection of Shakespearean plays -drawing on various Shakespearean genres (i.e. comedy, tragedy, history play and romance)- within their contemporary historical, social and theatrical context. Apart from identifying the various Shakespearean sources as well as the main early modern staging techniques, the students will be able to trace the social, political, philosophical and religious issues raised by the Shakespearean plays. In addition, they will gain an understanding of the ways in which contemporary critical theories have influenced the readings of Shakespearean drama in relation to such crucial issues as those of national and religious minorities, gender identities, and the reinforcement or subversion of power relations. The class will be conducted in the form of lecture-cum-discussion. Reading the weekly allocated material in advance is expected and student participation is strongly recommended.

Course objectives

• to distinguish between Shakespearean genres
• to be familiarized with the main techniques of early modern drama
• to be exposed to the historical, social, political, cultural and religious context of Shakespearean drama
• to become alert to the political role of drama
• to become acquainted with the theatrical conventions and their reinforcing and subversive potential
• to appreciate the crucial role that language plays in the construction of subjectivity

Course requirements

Mid-term: 50%

Final exam: 50%

Extra credit opportunity: write a short review of a podcast on one of the allocated Shakespearean texts (after consulting your instructor): 1 extra mark granted on condition that you pass the exams.

Course schedule and required (primary) texts

Week 1: Introduction to the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras

Week 2: Introduction to the main techniques of early modern theatre

Week 3: The Comedy of Errors: comedy, 'Self' and 'Other'

Week 4: The Comedy of Errors: national, religious and gendered identities

Week 5: Hamlet: tragedy, violence and revenge     

Week 6: Hamlet: language and power

Week 7: Hamlet: gender and psychoanalysis

Week 8: Richard II: history play, reinforcement and subversion of monarchical power

Week 9:  Richard II: law and justice

Week 10: Richard II: repentance and atonement

Week 11: The Tempest: romance, authority, reality and illusion

Week 12: The Tempest: ownership, transformation and identity

Week 13: The Tempest: nationalism and colonialism

List of Suggested Readings (on reserve in the library)

Alexander, Catherine M. S., ed. The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare’s Last Plays. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Bevington, David. How to Read a Shakespeare Play. Malden, MA.: Blackwell, 2006.

De Grazia, Margreta and Stanley Wells, eds. The New Cambridge Shakespeare. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Hattaway, Michael, ed. A Companion to English Renaissance and Culture. Malden: Blackwell, 2003. Print.

Hattaway, Michael. Renaissance and Reformations: An Introduction to Early Modern Literature. Malden: Blackwell, 2005. Print.

Kinney, Arthur, ed. A Companion to Renaissance Drama. Oxford: Blackwell, 2002. Print.

McDonald, Russ, ed. Shakespeare: An Anthology of Criticism and Theory 1945-2000. Malden, MA.: Blackwell, 2004.

Onions, C. T. A Shakespeare Glossary. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1986.

Smith, Emma. Shakespeare’s Comedies. Malden, MA.: Blackwell, 2004.

Smith, Emma. Shakespeare’s Histories. Malden, MA.: Blackwell, 2004.

Smith, Emma. Shakespeare’s Tragedies. Malden, MA.: Blackwell, 2004.

WWW Resources

Free-access specialist journal  Early Modern Literary Studies (https://extra.shu.ac.uk/emls/journal/index.php/emls)