Course Title: Shakespeare’s Comic and Tragic Modes:
The Merry Wives of Windsor, Troilus and Cressida
Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens
Shakespeare’s Comic and Tragic Modes (Aliante Library)
Time: Spring 2025. Tue. 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. (Feb. 04 – Apr. 15; Spr. Break Mar. 17-23.)
Location: Aliante Library, 2400 Deer Springs Way, N. Las Vegas, NV 89084.
Email: ajdrake@ajdrake.com | Web: https://www.ajdrake.com/shakespeare
Instructor: Alfred J. Drake, Ph.D.
Recommended Texts (*These editions can often be bought used at lower cost. Consider also Folger paperbacks.)
Shakespeare. The Merry Wives of Windsor. Arden Shakespeare, Third Series, 1999. ISBN-13: 978-1904271123.
Shakespeare. Troilus and Cressida. Arden Shakespeare, Third Series, 2015. ISBN-13: 978-1472584748.
Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet. Arden Shakespeare, Third Series, 2012. ISBN-13: 978-1903436912.
Shakespeare. Timon of Athens. Arden Shakespeare, Third Series, 2008. ISBN-13: 978-1903436974.
Or, you may prefer the Norton genre set: Greenblatt, Stephen et al., eds. The Norton Shakespeare. 4-vol. bundle. 3rd edition. New York: W. W. Norton, 2015. ISBN-13: 978-0393265460. (Used editions are sometimes available for $60-$70 online. New, the set costs about $120. Folger paperbacks are also excellent.)
We will examine two of Shakespeare’s comedies and two tragedies. The Merry Wives of Windsor and Troilus and Cressida both explore the power of community to check the desires and shape the destinies of individuals. John Falstaff attempts to seduce Windsor’s virtuous Mistress Ford, with hilarious results, while Troilus and Cressida’s protagonistspay the bitter price of a fabled war that sours their love. Romeo and Juliet’s young heroesare crushed by their ancestors’ hatefulness and folly, while in Timon of Athens, Timon’s noble, if deluded, experiment in fostering community through the power of money leaves him to end his days in bitterness against all humanity.
Materials Specific to This Class
Merry Wives of Windsor – Questions | Commentary
Troilus and Cressida – Questions | Commentary
Romeo and Juliet – Questions | Commentary
Timon of Athens – Questions | Commentary
Introduction to Shakespeare’s Life & Times (Drake)
Intro. to Shakespeare’s Language & Art, Pt. 1 (Drake)
Intro. to Shakespeare’s Language & Art, Pt. 2 (Drake)
*Note: We will watch film segments, which may contain material that some viewers find distressing.
Schedule (Subject to change)
Week 1 Feb. 04 Course introduction.
Week 2 Feb. 11 The Merry Wives of Windsor, Acts 1-2.
Week 3 Feb. 18 The Merry Wives of Windsor, Acts 3-5.
Week 4 Feb. 25 Troilus and Cressida, Act 1.
Week 5 Mar. 04 Troilus and Cressida, Acts 2-3.
Week 6 Mar. 11 Troilus and Cressida, Acts 4-5.
Week — Mar. 18 Spring Break—No classes all week.
Week 7 Mar. 25 Romeo and Juliet, Acts 1-2.
Week 8 Apr. 01 Romeo and Juliet, Acts 3-5.
Week 9 Apr. 08 Timon of Athens, Acts 1-2.
Week 10 Apr. 15 Timon of Athens, Acts 3-5; course retrospective.