The History Plays of Shakespeare's Second Tetralogy

Peter Medine
FRIDAYS 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
July 20, 27, August 3, 10, 17
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The History Plays of Shakespeare's Second Tetralogy

Summer 2018
Sold Out
FRIDAYS
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
July 20, 27, August 3, 10, 17

Location: 

Main Campus

Tuition: 

$145

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Shakespeare's history plays have never been more relevant. In reading Richard II; Henry IV, Part One; Henry IV, Part Two; and Henry V, this seminar will encounter some of the enduring political questions: the transference of power from one reign—or administration—to the next;  the connection between public and private morality; and the problematics of removing a legitimate but perhaps unfit king—or head of state. But the plays also include great theatre: the tragedy of Richard II, the ruthlessly ambitious but finally remorseful Henry IV, the comedy of the remarkable Falstaff, and the deeply nuanced character of the heroic Henry V. Focusing on the plays' theatricality as well as politics, we shall continuously grapple with a theme of universal importance: the drama of politics and the politics of drama. It is a theme as compelling today as it was in 1600. 

Required Reading: 

Any well-edited and annotated edition of the plays will suffice. The instructor will use The Riverside Shakespeare, ed. G.B. Evans (1989). The four plays average approximately 3,200 lines and should require three to five hours of reading per week.

Meet Your Professor

Professor Emeritus
Department of English

PETER E. MEDINE is Professor Emeritus at the University of Arizona, where he served in the English Department from 1969 to 2014. He has written, edited, or coedited seven books in Early Modern English studies. His most recent coedited book is Visionary Milton: Essays in Prophecy and Violence (2010). He is the recipient of several Humanities Seminars Superior Teaching Awards and the College of Humanities Award for Outreach Service.  

  • Ted and Shirley Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award

Location

Poetry Center
Dorothy Rubel Room
1508 E Helen
Tucson, AZ 85721
United States
Located on the SE corner of Helen Street and Vine Avenue, one block north of Speedway and three blocks west of Campbell Ave.

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