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

