The interpretation of history mattered to Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Not only did the legitimacy of the Elizabethan regime under which they lived depend on a very particular reading of history, but retelling stories about the political past was a recognized way of talking obliquely about the political present. We will look closely at two of Shakespeare's plays, Richard II and Henry V, asking what interpretation they make of history, and what they have to say about the ways in which history is shaped by interpretation, not only in retrospect but at the very time when it is being made.
Course Dates
Course details
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Key Features
Aims of the course:
- To introduce students to critical study of two of Shakespeare's most important history plays, Richard II and Henry V, in both of which the interpretation of historical events is a central concern.
- To show students how these dramas have played a role in the interpretation of English history, both in Shakespeare's day and in our own.
- To enable students to assess the merits of some established critical views of the plays, and to engage critically with modern productions (including readily available film versions)
Course content overview:
Students will learn how these plays, rather than merely recounting a particular version of history, themselves explore how important historical events come to be differently and often tendentiously interpreted, both at the time when they occur and in retrospect
Attention will be given to the ways in which a play's interpretation of history could prove disquieting to the authorities of the day, and hence dangerous to those who staged it.
In weeks 1-3 the text is Richard II, with special emphasis on its significance and reception in Shakespeare's own time. in weeks 4-5 the course will turn to Henry V, revisiting questions from weeks 1-3 but also moving on to consider the interpretation of a Shakespearean history play (and of history itself as received through Shakespeare) in modern times, especially on film, from World War II on.
This course will refer to the following editions:
- Shakespeare, William. Richard II. Cambridge University Press, 2003. (paperback or Kindle edition)
- Shakespeare, william. Henry V. Cambridge University Press, 2005. (paperback or Kindle edition)
Welcome week (Week 0)
Purpose:
- personal introductions
- introducing the course
- useful reading
- personal objectives
Learning outcomes:
By studying this week, the students should have:
- become familiar with navigating around the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and from VLE to links and back
- test your ability to access files and the web conferencing software and sort out any problems with the help of the Technology Enhanced Learning team
- learn how to look for, assess and reference internet resources
- contribute to a discussion forum to introduce yourself to other students and discuss why you are interested in the course and what you hope to get out of your studies
Week 1: Richard II and the politics of English history (Richard II, Act One)
Purpose:
Students will be introduced to the official version of English history promoted by the Tudor dynasty, and will begin to consider why and in what version Shakespeare’s Richard II and its sequels set out to retell that familiar history to their original Elizabethan audiences.
Learning outcomes:
By studying this week, the students should have:
- understood why the period of English history from the reign of Richard II onwards was so important to the Tudor dynasty and so interesting to Elizabethan audiences
- grasped how the opening act of Shakespeare’s Richard II alludes to key events in this history
- discussed what interpretation the play puts on those events, and how the principal characters in the play interpret their own roles as historical actors
Week 2: Richard II and the Renaissance monarch (Richard II, Acts Two and Three)
Purpose:
Students will be introduced to the diversity of political thinking in Elizabethan England, and will see how a range of distinct political views are appealed to by characters in Shakespeare’s Richard II. They will consider how the play engages with a specific political issue which was important to its original audience and yet perilous to discuss, namely the nature and limits of a monarch’s authority.
Learning outcomes:
By studying this week, the students should have:
- encountered the range of contrasting ideas current in Shakespeare’s time concerning the basis of a monarch’s authority and the possible grounds for resisting it
- considered why a history play might have been an apt vehicle for exploring such ideas
- discussed with what dramatic function and what political aims some of these ideas are expressed by characters in Shakespeare’s Richard II
Week 3: Richard II as political dynamite — royal anger and state censorship (Richard II, Acts Four and Five)
Purpose:
Students will learn how Shakespeare’s Richard II proved politically controversial and even dangerous in its own time, both on stage and in print. They will be introduced to the nature of Elizabethan censorship and propaganda, and to the delicate relationship between the professional acting companies and the monarchy.
Learning outcomes:
By studying this week, the students should have:
- learned about the involvement of Shakespeare’s play and acting company in a significant Elizabethan political crisis, the Essex rebellion, and seen how political censorship affected the text of the play as printed in the earliest editions
- considered the relation of Shakespeare’s acting company with state power and propaganda
- explored and debated the politics of the play itself, especially its closing acts, in light of these events and considerations
Week 4: Henry V, nationalist propaganda, subversive critique, or something in between?
Purpose:
Students will apply what they have learned in weeks 1 – 3 to another important Shakespearean history play, Henry V, focusing on some scenes which illustrate the complexity of its interpretation of history and the attendant difficulties it presents to criticism. They will encounter, and debate the merits of, some seminal critical views of the play.
Learning outcomes:
By studying this week the students should have:
- applied the learning content of weeks 1 – 3 to a second English history play, Henry V
- understood and assessed some important critical views of the play
- discussed the play’s exploration of the theme of the interpretation of history
Week 5: Henry V on film, Shakespearean history still open to interpretation
Purpose:
Students will be introduced to the modern production history of Shakespeare’s Henry V, with especial attention to film versions (which they will be encouraged to watch). Discussion will focus on (1) how different productions adapt the play to convey a particular interpretation of history, and (2) how modern productions cope with the difficulty that modern audiences are unlikely to have the relevant historical background knowledge assumed by the playwright.
Learning outcomes:
By studying this week the students should have:
- learned about, and encountered at first hand, some significant modern productions of Shakespeare’s play
- considered how particular productions interpret the historical events represented by the play, and how they adapt Shakespeare’s text to that end
- discussed the difficulties of staging Shakespeare’s history plays for modern audiences
Week 6: what next?
- assessment of student learning
- assessment of student satisfaction
- encouragement of further study
This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.
Our short courses are designed especially for adult learners who want to advance their personal or professional development. They are taught by tutors who are expert in both their subjects and in teaching students of all ages and experiences.
Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language to get the maximum benefit from the course.
Each week of an online course is roughly equivalent to 2-3 hours of classroom time. On top of this, participants should expect to spend roughly 2-3 hours of self-study time, for example, reading materials, although this will vary from person to person.
While they have a specific start and end date and will follow a weekly schedule (for example, week 1 will cover topic A, week 2 will cover topic B), our tutor-led online courses are designed to be flexible and as such would normally not require participants to be online for a specific day of the week or time of the day (although some tutors may try to schedule times where participants can be online together for web seminars, which will be recorded so that those who are unable to be online at certain times are able to access material).
Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the VLE so that they can be accessed at any time throughout the duration of the course and interaction with your tutor and fellow participants will take place through a variety of different ways which will allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning (using discussion boards etc).
Fees
The course fee includes access to the course on our VLE, personal feedback on your work from an expert tutor, a certificate of participation (if you complete work and take part in discussions), and access to the class resources for two years after your course finishes.
Concessions
For more information, please see our concessions information page.
Alison Fordham Bursary
University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education is proud to offer the Alison Fordham bursary, which is awarded to students who wish to study on one of our short online courses via our VLE, reducing the fee paid by 50%. The bursary is limited to a single award for each set of online courses.
Application criteria:
- applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study
- applicants who can demonstrate financial need
For more information, please see our bursaries information page.
A certificate of participation and a digital credential will be awarded to those who contribute constructively to weekly discussions, exercises and assignments for the duration of the course.
