Shakespeare's Comedies

Course Description

This course is intended as an introduction to the analysis of drama. We will discuss Shakespeare's comedies The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, and The Taming of the Shrew. The emphasis will be on plot, characterization techniques, style, dialogue and monologue and the use of imagery. Further discussions will focus on the presentation of gender roles, the problems of identity as well as of appearance and reality. There will also be some background information about the elements and the development of drama, about the structure of comedy as well as about Shakespeare and his time.
Please note that only those students can be admitted to this course who have successfully attended "Introduction to the Study of Literature" and can present the Schein for this introduction in the first session of our course.

Requirements for a Leistungsschein:

Regular attendance and participation in discussions, an oral presentation and a term paper. Attendance at the first session is obligatory.

Required reading:

Copies of the plays will be available at the university bookshop UNIVERSITAS. Participants are requested to start reading soon and have prepared The Taming of the Shrew by the beginning of the term.