ENG 107 History & Drama
Introduction to Dramatic Literature
An introduction to drama itself, with conversations about the long standing tradition of reading texts aloud, whether poetry, novels, or drama. We will review and pose reasonable and helpful questions of any drama, as well as special ones appropriate for historical drama. Using Pirandello's Henry IV as a paradoxical warning about the dangers of historical fictions, we will look at the varieties of ways American and European dramatists use history, with special emphasis on playwrights' manipulation and education of audiences and the “truth” created by merging fact with fiction. A cautious, careful reader who delights in discovering truth and identifying lies in fiction: an admirable course goal. Texts include Shakespeare and Ionesco's plays about Macbeth, and Shaw and Brecht's approaches to the Joan of Arc story. This course is offered first half, fall semester.
Credits: 1/2
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