Renaissance Drama in Context

Catalog description

This course will investigate the popular, commercial theater of the English Renaissance by looking at its literary productions-the plays themselves-and by looking at the cultural and historical forces that give rise to and are in turn shaped by the early modern stage. To develop an understanding of the material conditions of theater in the period, we'll read about the careers of player and playwright and the economy that sustains them; the phenomena of acting troupes, companies, sharers, and patronage; and the architecture of theatre buildings and their place in the urban landscape, among other sets of conditions. We'll also consider historical currents such as the secularization of culture the rise of empire venture capitalism, and the scientific revolution. Plays will range from comedy to tragedy, history to satire, suggesting the vigorous diversity of drama and dramatists in the "Age of Shakespeare."