Literature 364 - Urban Shakespeare

Institution:

Bard College

Subject:

Description:

Shakespeare wrote in the early years of the 17th century, in early modern London, when the streets were crowded with newcomers in a population that had doubled in less than a hundred years. Country folk wanted to buy the inherited titles of noblemen (the king let them: he needed their money). Aristocrats, laughing at brandnew "nobles" wearing fur, were often in seriousdebt for their own tastes. There was jostling, excitement, and luxury; social changes challenged who modern Londoners thought they were. In some of his plays, Shakespeare is a very urban dramatist, reflecting the vital life of the city of London. Students in this seminar read Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, Measure for Measure, Hamlet, and The Tempest, along with relevant texts, to explore how this burgeoning capital of Europe registered in urban terms the issues of ethnicity, gender, identity, empire, sexuality, and class difference.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.bard.edu

Phone Number:

(845) 758-6822

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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