May be repeated when topics vary or with the permission of the instructor. An in-depth study of the plays of Shakespeare with emphasis on the great tragedies. Plays are read closely and critically analyzed. Students are encouraged to develop interpretations with an eye both to theatrical effectiveness and to constructing and portraying meaning. They also learn the stagecraft, theatre, literary theory, language forms and imagery of Shakespeare s time.
Students discuss and analyze every play and respond to it in writing.
An intensive study of a major literary figure, period theme or genre. The Twentieth Century, The Novel, Romanticism. May be repeated when topics vary. An exploration of the diversity of American literature. Students address the artistic, political and social concerns of writers who perceive themselves or are perceived to be ethnic writers in the United States and the ways these writers have challenged Americans toward a broader vision of literature and culture.