Restoration & Eighteenth-Century Drama

Abstract:

This course will introduce the student to the range of drama written and performed in England and Continental Europe between roughly 1660 and 1800. The student will explore the major plays, players, and playhouses from this era in conjunction with a thorough and in-depth historical contextualization. The course will focus on Restoration and eighteenth-century drama from various nationalistic perspectives, investigating the various genres that were prevalent during that time period. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: provide an introduction to and brief overview of both the Restoration and the eighteenth-century in terms of their history, politics, and culture and especially their drama; identify and describe the major movements and developments in the theatre of this era (including, for example, heroic drama, pathetic drama, Restoration comedy, sentimental comedy, political satire, and opera); compare and contrast the British drama from these eras to that of both Germany and France and especially in the context of the work of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Friedrich Schiller, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Pierre de Marivaux, and Voltaire. (English Literature 412)

Subject:

Humanities

Grade Level:

Post-secondary

Collection:

Saylor Foundation