Renaissance Drama

This subject introduces students to a variety of Renaissance dramatic genres (history plays, romances, comedies of humours, domestic tragedies, satire, travel plays and tragedy), and in so doing, examines issues pertaining to the occult, religion, foreignness, politics and the early modern household. It focuses on plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries not only in terms of aesthetics but of the commercial exigencies of the early modern theatrical marketplace. It develops a historically informed conception of the London stage by treating plays as marketable commodities and part of a repertory of offerings used to compete with other companies and attract playgoer patronage. Shakespeare is treated as an outstanding playwright but also as a shareholder in his own company, with a vested interest in its commercial success.

• 1Develop a detailed knowledge and understanding of the way that competitive commercial impulses affected the production of drama in the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods
• 2Understand and be able to articulate the relationship between diverse forms of Shakespearean and nonShakespearean drama and the social, historical and cultural contexts that produced them
• 3Acquire critical and analytical skills and methods in the analysis of eary modern dramatic genres and performances
• 4Be equipped to act as critically informed participants with understanding ofsignificant developments in Shakespearean criticism over the past four centuries
• 5Perform critical analysis, using appropriate frameworks including repertory studies, to situate a theatrical work in its intellectual and historical context.