HIST 388: Topics in European History

HIST 388-002: History and Shakespeare’s Histories
(Spring 2013)

10:30 AM to 11:45 AM MW

Section Information for Spring 2013

This is a team-taught course taught by Prof. Mack Holt from History and Prof. Devon Hodges from English. It can be taken for either History or English credit, so please make sure you register with the proper CRN (10938 is for History credit). The course will focus on the period of the fifteenth century in England ca. 1399-1485, and specifically on the history plays Shakespeare wrote that are set in that period during the Hundred Years’ War and the War of the Roses: Richard II and Richard III, as well as Henry IV parts 1 and 2 and Henry V.

The course will examine the following questions: Was Shakespeare a Tudor propagandist? Was there a coherent Tudor worldview for him to transmit? Did he view history as providential in design? Do Shakespeare’s plays offer moral lessons in the manner of earlier mystery play, or do they have a Machiavellian view of power? Do they offer a critique or a defense of absolutist monarchy? How different is narrative history from dramatized history? What happens when fictional characters are mixed in with historical ones? How does the production and reception of these plays in different historical contexts change their meaning—and why? How do Shakespeare’s history plays—considered as texts and performances—connect the past of fifteenth and sixteenth century England to the present? In an attempt to answers these questions we will read a selection of Shakespeare’s history plays, historical accounts of late medieval English history, see selected scenes drawn from films, attend the performance of Henry V at the Folger Theatre, and visit the Folger Shakespeare Library. Grading will be based on quizzes, some short essays, and a mid-term and final exam.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Study of historical topics or periods of special interest. Notes: Topics announced in advance. May be repeated for credit when topic is different. Offered by History & Art History. May be repeated within the term.
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

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