In this S/DG, we will spend two sessions per play, exploring and discussing seven of Shakespeares popular tragedies. For the first week of the pair, we will read and discuss the play. All of these plays address very discussable topics issues including gender, power, morality and family relationships. The plays are in chronological order, so we can also see how Shakespeare's craft develops from 1595 to 1606. During that time, Spain and England are at war, Queen Elisabeth dies, King James ascends to the throne, and the Gunpowder Plot is discovered. The history is reflected in the plays.
In the second week, we will watch a selected movie version of that play, focusing on the screen attributes. The films were produced between the years of 1985 (a highly acclaimed Japanese version of King Lear) and 2021 (a riveting Macbeth staring Denzel Washington). each of the films has a 4+ star rating. Needless to say, the plays are superb.
