Theatre and Society in the Age of Shakespeare OpenCourseWare: A Free Undergraduate English Renaissance Drama Class by MIT

Published Feb 14, 2009

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Study William Shakespeare within the context of his time in 'English Renaissance Drama: Theater and Society in the Age of Shakespeare', an OpenCourseWare offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This free online course explores drama as a key component of the English Renaissance. Those seeking a bachelor's degree in English, Theater or Creative Writing can find useful information throughout this course.

English Renaissance Drama: Theatre and Society in the Age of Shakespeare: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Undergraduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes No

English Renaissance Drama: Theatre and Society in the Age of Shakespeare: Course Description

The English Renaissance yielded many great works of theatrical literature, and this OpenCourseWare surveys the effects of these works on society during this period. In addition to those of Shakespeare, works of other celebrated 16th-century playwrights, such as Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, John Webster and John Ford serve as the foundation for this course. This OpenCourseWare takes these works and analyzes key cultural concepts within their text, including gender, class and economic issues. Students also examine literary concepts, such as allegory, aesthetics and theatricality. Professor Shankar Raman leads students through these concepts, reinforcing them with a variety of writing assignments.

A comprehensive reading list is provided along with instructions for several essays. Individuals interested in this OpenCourseWare can find more information on the 'English Renaissance Drama' course home page.

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