Shakespeare's plays operate inside a strict moral economy, what we would now call poetic justice: the just are rewarded and the unjust suffer. But even as his plots adhere to this framework, his characters are more unruly, and we should also ask why he wrote resolutions that can feel unsatisfying. Does everyone really need to die or get married? To explore the balance between justice and mercy, representation and reality, providential certainty and moral nihilism, we will read and write about four plays, each of which features a trial scene or something very like one: The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, Measure for Measure, and King Lear. As an FYS, this course is also an opportunity for students to develop confidence and skills in college-level writing in the humanities. A special emphasis will be placed on developing analyses and arguments, drafting and revising essays, and on the methodologies of literary scholarship. |