Shakespeare, Hamilton, Hip-Hop, and the Language of Performance

Catalog description

In this course we will study a small number of Shakespeare plays, not as self-contained textual artifacts, but as scripts for theatrical (or more recently cinematic) performances. We will watch and analyze scenes as we explore the relationship between text and performance. How is a text’s language and imagery interpreted and embodied through voice and performance? We will focus in equal measure on the classic and the contemporary: from Shakespeare’s mastery of traditional rhetorical devices to the dexterity of contemporary verse, such as in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton and the performative offerings of hip-hop. We will also discuss the differences between early modern staging practices and modern performance approaches. This Shakespeare and Performance class offers students the opportunity to explore the complex interaction between language and voice as a deep connection is made between ideas and emotions during the performance of a dramatic text. This course is cross listed with HUMN 213.