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Shakespeare’s Wars of the Roses
Course Description
During the 15th century the House of Lancaster (red rose) and the House of York (white rose) engaged in a drawn-out struggle for the crown of England. This critical and significant episode in English history became known as the Wars of the Roses; it ended in 1485 when Henry Tudor defeated Richard III ("son of York"). It is a generally accepted view that William Shakespeare in his history plays reconstructed the Tudor myth, i.e. that he made an attempt to legitimise a dynasty of which his own sovereign, Queen Elizabeth I, was a representative.
This seminar will study in detail two history plays, Richard III (1592-1593) and Richard II (1594-1595), as landmarks in Shakespeare’s development as a dramatist, but it will also consider the role of these kings in the real-life context of mediaeval English history. Last, but not least – it is the aim of this course to explore the recent popularity of these two plays both on the stage and on the big screen.
Required reading:
William Shakespeare (2003). Richard III. Ed. Andrew Gurr. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (= New Cambridge Shakespeare Series). William Shakespeare (1999). Richard II. Ed. Janis Lull. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (= New Cambridge Shakespeare Series).
Prerequisites:
Requirements for Credit:
regular attendance, - oral presentation,
- term paper.
Registration:
To register, please send an e-mail to Prof. Huber before 31 March, stating their name, semester standing and subjects.
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War of the Roses