Renaissance Drama

This course surveys the flourishing of dramatic literature in the Renaissance. It frames drama’s development in terms of stage practices and stylistic innovations, and it tracks plays’ engagement with the period’s cultural, political, economic, and religious upheavals. Readings cover a range of dramatic genres, such as revenge tragedy, city comedy, and domestic tragedy. The course may survey the work of English writers, such as Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, Thomas Kyd, and Margaret Cavendish. It may incorporate work by their continental interlocutors, including Lope de Vega, Lodovico Ariosto, and Molière. Please see the department website and CUNYfirst for details. (Students will receive credit for either ENG 4150 or CMP 4150. These courses may substitute for each other with the F-replacement option.)