This seminar is designed for students who have studied Shakespeare at the college level and wish to broaden and deepen their understanding by considering the various ways the plays have been interpreted. In recent years deconstructive, historical, psychoanalytic, marxist, and feminist positions have served as vantage points from which to see the plays in new light. We will read six plays, each accompanied by an essay proposing a particular theoretical position and at least two critical commentaries on the plays themselves. Students are required to attend and participate regularly, present a position statement in class, and submit two prepared papers. Graduate students will meet for an extra hour to discuss additional readings.
