Shakespeare’s Villains (10 credit points)

Pre-requisites for enrolment

No prior knowledge required. Reading of the set texts is essential.

Content of Course

1. Introduction to the medieval stage villain, using extracts provided from Miracle and Morality plays such as Sir David Lindsay’s The Satire of the Three Estates (c.1540).

2. Richard III (1593): the hero whose history determines he has ‘to be a villain’. A comparison between Olivier’s and Pacino’s search for a comic yet villainous monster.

3. Falstaff in Henry IV part 1 (1597): is Shakespeare’s ‘fat knight’ really the villain here, or is it young Hal?

4. Machiavellian evil in Hamlet (1600): Claudius and his minions.

5. Black and white? The tragedy of Iago in Othello (1602).

6. Gendering evil in Macbeth (1606): husband and wife adopt different aspects of wickedness.

Teaching method(s)

Combination of lecture and group discussion. Reading of the set texts is essential.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand and analyse the texts on the course;

• Explain the ideas underlying Shakespeare’s portrayal of evil;

• Discuss the complexities of motivation in Shakespeare’s characters.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

• Greenblatt, Stephen (ed.) 1997 The Norton Shakespeare. New York: W. W. Norton or individual editions of each play in the Arden, Oxford, or Cambridge series.

Recommended:

• Spivack, Bernard. 1958 Shakespeare and the Allegory of Evil. New York: Columbia University Press.

• Foakes, R.A.2003 Shakespeare and Violence. Cambridge: C U P.

Class Handouts

Handouts will be provided.

Assessments

10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide.

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.