Shakespeare’s Tragedies

Overview

Course No. 2752
Get a close examination of the great Shakespearean tragedies in this insightful and interesting course taught by an expert Shakespeare scholar.

This 24-lecture course explores Shakespeare’s six mature tragedies – Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, and Coriolanus – written between 1600-1608. Award-winning professor Arthur F. Kinney guides you through:

• The psychological and moral struggles of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes
• Competing social pressures that shape each protagonist’s fate
• The language and dramatic techniques that make these plays timeless
• How to develop deeper insights with each reading or performance

Video Lectures

1. Introduction to Shakespearean Tragedy
   Understanding the essence of Shakespeare’s tragic vision.
2. Hamlet: The Melancholy Prince
   Analyzing Hamlet’s existential crisis and delayed revenge.
3. Hamlet: Madness and Method
   The complex psychology behind Hamlet’s antic disposition.
4. Othello: The Green-Eyed Monster
   Iago’s manipulation and the destruction of trust.
5. Othello: Race and Otherness
   Contextualizing Othello’s position as a Moor in Venice.
6. King Lear: The Fractured Kingdom
   Familial betrayal and the unraveling of a monarch.
7. King Lear: Nature and Nihilism
   Storm scenes and the play’s profound philosophical questions.
8. Macbeth: Ambition’s Price
   The psychological descent of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
9. Macbeth: Supernatural Elements
   Witches, prophecies, and the disruption of nature.
10. Antony and Cleopatra: Love vs. Empire
    The clash between personal passion and political duty.
11. Antony and Cleopatra: East Meets West
    Cultural contrasts between Rome and Egypt.
12. Coriolanus: The Hero’s Flaw
    Pride, class conflict, and military virtue turned vice.
13. Comparative Analysis
    Themes and techniques across the tragedies.