Class Syllabus

Sept. 5 Introductions and an Introduction
Sept. 12 Hamlet: the texts: read Jenkins’s introduction on the text and find Q1 (1603), Q2 (1604/5), and F either in facsimiles in the library or electronically. You needn’t read them all, but scroll (page) thru them and see if you can spot differences that seem interesting and consequential to you. Companion, chaps. 14, 24, 23, 28
Sept. 19 Hamlet and revenge; look at Kyd’s Spanish Tragedy, also read Romans 12. Companion, chap. 5
Sept. 26 Hamlet and politics; Companion, chaps. 7 and 8
Oct. 3 Hamlet and family values; Companion, chap. 6
Oct. 10 Othello, the texts: read Honigmann’s section on the texts of Othello, and again find facsimile’s of Q1(1622) and F and explore them.
Oct. 17 Othello and race
Oct. 24 Othello and the nature of evil
Oct. 31 King Lear: the texts: read Foakes’s section on the texts and explore Q1 (1608)  and F
Nov. 7 King Lear and history; see if you can find the anonymous True Chronicle History of King Leir
Nov. 14 King Lear and poverty; find the 1572 Poor Law.
Nov. 21 NO CLASS
Nov. 28 Macbeth and kingship; read King James’s Basilikon Doran
Dec. 5 Macbeth and Mrs. Macbeth
 

* For each class you must write a single paragraph on some issue that seems to you important; these should be turned in to me in hard copy by Tuesday at 5 and put up on the list-serv.

There will also be two papers assigned (more on this anon).