Shakespeare's History Plays

Shakespeare's history plays may be less accessible for contemporary readers than the famous tragedies or comedies, but they are hardly less fascinating. After all, they cast a look at one of the most conflict-ridden periods in English history (the Wars of the Roses) and simultaneously reflect on the Tudor period in which they came into existence. In this course, we shall look at the plays of the so-called Lancaster-Tetralogy (Richard II, Henry IV, Parts I and II, Henry V) and the York-Tetralogy (Henry V, Parts I-III and Richard III) in order to explore the peculiar tension between history and its dramatic representation, which surfaces in these plays. Our discussions shall focus in particular on the complex relation between political ideas and social experience as represented in the plays. Topics to be addressed will include the -Tudor Myth-, the concepts of -the King's two Bodies-, -the great chain of being- or -the divine right of kings- as well as the issue of social order and the myth of the Wheel of Fortune. Performances or film versions of the plays will be included in the discussion where available and applicable. The plays we are going to discuss in some detail are: • Richard II • Henry IV, Part 1 • Henry V • Henry VI, Part 3 • Richard III Students will have to get copies of and read ALL these plays COMPLETELY. Students should get their own copies of and MUST read completely: • Richard II • Henry IV, Part 1 • Henry V • Henry VI, Part 3 • Richard III It is highly advisable to get a copy of a critical edition of the plays (e.g. from the Arden Shakespeare series), because such an edition will include explanations that will help you understand the text. I will make sure that the library will also hold one copy of each text for the reserved shelf to this course, but you MUST BRING THE TEXT INTO CLASS, as well - otherwise you are unable to participate in the discussions. Seminar für Anglistik Beachten Sie, dass Sie diesen Kurs nach den Prüfungsordnungen ab 2011 nicht besuchen dürfen, wenn Sie die für dieses Modulelement laut Fachspezifischen Bestimmungen und Modulhandbuch notwendigen Voraussetzungen ZU BEGINN DES SOMMERSEMESTERS noch nicht erfüllen. (Bitte lassen Sie in diesem Fall anderen Studierenden, die die Voraussetzungen besitzen, den Vortritt. Danke!) In folgenden Studiengängen MÜSSEN die jeweils genannten Voraussetzungen VOR Beginn des Sommersemesters vorhanden sein, um im Kurs Punkte erwerben zu können: Lehramt alt BK und GY: Abschluss der Zwischenprüfung 2 LP / 3 LP Studienleistung: regular, active in-class participation; reading and preparation of texts; expert presentation plus summary on study questions - deadline: session where presentation is due 3 LP Prüfungsleistung: academic term paper of c. 4000 words, to be submitted by 21 August 2016 the latest; the topic for the paper must have been discussed with your course instructor by 30 June 2016 the latest. 5 LP: see 2 LP PLUS essay of c. 2500 words elaborating on the topic covered in the expert session - deadline: 24 July 2016 7 LP: see 2 LP plus academic term paper of c. 4000 words, to be submitted by 21 August 2016 the latest; the topic for the paper must have been discussed with your course instructor by 30 June 2016 the latest. Universität Siegen SoSe 2016 Univ.-Prof. Dr. Müller Anja