Id: 041619 Credits Min: 3 Credits Max: 3

Description

Renaissance culture loved clowning, fools, and folly - not just as entertainment, but as a powerful tool of social awareness and critique. This course explores the development of comedy in the Renaissance, particularly its explosion on the English stage during the reign of Elizabeth I. Taking account of the range and inventiveness of scripted comedy in England, as well as its often sharp social and political commentary and critique, we study how playwrights deployed their clowns, tricksters, fools, knaves, and especially their cross-dressed heroines to entertain their popular and courtly audiences, while negotiating a volatile and politically dangerous time.

Prerequisites

Pre-Req: ENGL 1020 College Writing II.

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