ESH280
Renaissance Drama
Level 5 (30 credits)
Renaissance Drama offers an in-depth look at arguably the most exciting and innovative period of English drama. Studying a range of plays from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, we will investigate the preoccupations of early modern dramatists as they wrote about their city and country and about native citizens and exotic strangers; and as they developed the language and technical resources of the theatre. We will consider performance spaces from the outdoor amphitheatres like Shakespeare's Globe, to intimate indoor theatres, the royal court, and even the private home. You will read texts that engage with the explosion of commercial theatre, with geopolitical issues, with the civic life of London, and with questions of race, gender, and social class.
Preparing for this Module and Approximate Costs
There is no required advance preparation for this module, but you might wish to look at an excellent guide: Peter Womack, English Renaissance Drama (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006).
Specific editions of primary texts up to the value of approximately £40 (Note that these costs can often be reduced by purchasing items second-hand or borrowing them from the Library).
Why take Renaissance Drama
?
- Find out what was being written for, and performed on, the Renaissance stage that was NOT by Shakespeare!
- Consider a range of performance spaces, from the outdoor amphitheatres like Shakespeare's Globe, to intimate indoor theatres, the royal court, and even the private home.
- Read texts that engage with the explosion of commercial theatre, with geopolitical issues, with the civic life of London, and with questions of race, gender, and social class
| Learning Context |
Lecture + Workshop + Seminar |
| Semester |
Two |
| Assessment |
- Written Assignment 1 (2000 words), 35%
- Written Assignment 2 (3000 words), 55%
- Participation, 10%
|
| Mode of reassessment |
Standard |
| Contact |
|
There is some content covered on the programme that you may find challenging and sensitive. We do not issue content notes for individual texts (written, performance, visual, sonic etc.), but please do contact your module tutor and/or convenor and/or adviser if you have concerns or problems relating any of the content, themes or discussions.
