Shakespeare: Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies
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For almost 400 years, Shakespeare’s work has been the standard against which all writers have been judged. This course acknowledges that understanding Shakespeare can be difficult because his plays were written 400 years ago.
This difficulty can be overcome by understanding Shakespeare’s "wavelengths"—those conventions of speech and action by which Shakespeare constructed his plays and communicated their powerful effects.
Texts covered include Henry IV, Coriolanus, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Henry VI, Richard III, Hamlet, Antony and Cleopatra, Cymbeline, The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, and Henry VIII, as well as various sonnets.
 Write a Review of Shakespeare: Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies
LOLAlex, February 17, 2006
Reviewer: LOLAlex
Shakespeare comes alive
General Content - Having heard Peter Saccio once before on his lecture series "Shakespeare: The Word and the Action", I was a bit hesitant coming to this title. After all, I was less than impressed with that work, though I found his theses to be pretty solid. However, I needn't have worried. Prof. Saccio comes through on this series of lectures and delivers excellent results.
A combination of Shakespearean primer and in-depth analysis, these lectures provide both an excellent summary of the plays covered and examine them with a keen scholarly eye. For those who are not that familiar with some of the plays Prof. Saccio examines with this lecture series, it is not difficult to get caught up. By beginning with a keen summary of every play, even the unusual works are very easy to catch up with. His description of major acts and actions in each play brings the listener quickly up-to-date and provides a clear idea of the major characters who populate the scenes. Even if you have never seen, let's say, Troilus and Cressida, Prof. Saccio's quick skimming of the text will allow you to understand everything you need to know.
However, the summaries are only a portion of the final product. Prof. Saccio also critically examines the texts and carefully goes through the events that make the plays what they are today. With thorough, well-thought-out, and very interesting theses, this lecture series brings a new understand of The Bard and everything he accomplishes in his own subtle way. As well, Prof. Saccio's experience in the theater provides several interesting examples of how the scenes will play, providing new insights into plays that are often merely read. Overall, this series is truly a treat for anyone who enjoys Shakespeare.
Audio Content - I listened to The Teaching Company's 18-cassette version of William Shakespeare: Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies by Prof. Peter Saccio and I came away very happy with the audio. Having taken Prof. Saccio to task for the audio in another series, I was very happy with it in this selection. By speaking the selections himself, instead of bringing in other actors, it made the readings flow into the lectures more easily, making them an organic portion of the whole. As well, Prof. Saccio's reading is much more even in this series, with only a few empty spaces between thoughts. And his booming, evocative voice really shines here, giving each lecture a dignity all its own. It is a very enjoyable listen.
- Published:
2002
- Number Of Lectures:
36
- Lecture Time:
30 Min.
- University:
Dartmouth College
- LearnOutLoud.com Product ID:
S002704
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Audio CD |
18 Discs |
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Cassette |
18 Tapes |
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DVD |
6 Discs |
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Video Cassette |
9 Tapes |
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Literature
Drama
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