Theatre History & Literature II

Theatre History and Literature is a four course sequence that examines works of dramatic literature in their historical context. Theatre History and Literature II focuses on the development of theatre from the 16th through 19th centuries. This class is Writing Intensive. Learning They will also apply research to creative practice.

This dramaturgy class taught me how to analyze dramatic literature within its historical and cultural context, especially theatre from the 16th through the 19th centuries, while also pushing me to explore new types of theatre and dramatic styles that I had not studied before. I learned to look beyond plot and character and instead closely analyze texts for structure, language, themes, and symbolism, considering how ideas about power, monarchy, family, and social order shape both the writing of plays and their performance. Because the course was writing intensive, I strengthened my ability to develop clear, well-supported arguments through close reading and research. Overall, the class showed me that dramaturgy is not just about reading plays, but about critically analyzing texts and using historical knowledge to better understand how theatre reflects and challenges the world it comes from.