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CS92PROD
Shakespearean Revolutions
ENGL 248
Fall 2019
Section: 01  
Crosslisting: CHUM 248

Shakespeare's works emerged during a period of revolutionary social, political, religious, economic, and cultural change, including the Protestant Reformation, the rise of print culture, the transition from feudalism to mercantile capitalism, early colonialism, global trade, and the emergence of the first, purpose-built, commercial playhouses. Innovations in dramatic form and genre, which Shakespeare helped craft, sought in varying ways to make sense of these momentous shifts for diverse theater publics. Revivals and adaptations of his works on stage and screen during times of revolutionary change have rendered the Shakespearean canon a site of subsequent social and cultural contestation. This class considers the "revolutionary" dimension of four Shakespeare plays both in their own time and place, and in later theatrical and filmic productions and adaptations. We will trace first-, second-, and third-wave feminist reimaginings of "The Taming of the Shrew"; Second World War- and Vietnam War-era renderings of "Henry V"; civil rights and anti-apartheid era restagings of "Othello"; and attempts to decolonize "The Tempest."
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA ENGL
Course Format: SeminarGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (ENGL)(ENGL-Literature)
Past Enrollment Probability: 50% - 74%

Last Updated on MAR-28-2024
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