ENGL 4831 - British Genres, Circles, and Movements
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 44163,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Timothy Francisco
Email: tfrancisco@ysu.edu
Course Description
Our genre focus will be Revenge Tragedy a unique movement of 17th century drama that serves as commentary on corrupt court culture and the longing for justice. While Shakespeare's Hamlet is the best known example, he's drawing on a sensationalist tradition that emerges as a result of state mediated channels for justice. The genre revels in gore, violence, and the presence of the supernatural and we'll make sense of all of this in the context of the development of the modern state.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | Thomas Middleton, The Revenger's Tragedy and Women Beware Women, Christopher Marlowe, The Jew of Malta, Thomas Kyd, The Spanish Tragedy, Webster, the Duchess of Malfi, Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus and Hamlet |
Thomas Middleton, The Revenger's Tragedy and Women Beware Women, Christopher Marlowe, The Jew of Malta, Thomas Kyd, The Spanish Tragedy, Ford, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, Webster, the Duchess of Malfi, Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus and Hamlet
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Introduction to the course | ||
| 8/31 | Seneca, Thyestes | Revenge, Roman Death and Classical influences | |
| 9/7 | Bacon, Of Revenge and Montaigne, 'Anger' and Aristotle selections from poetics | Early modern ideas of justice and revisions of classical tragedy | Prepare two of the discussion questions for class (BB) |
| 9/14 | Kyd, The Spanish Tragedy | Setting the gory standard | |
| 9/21 | Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus | Ovid and Revising Rome | See Rome in the English world (slides) |
| 9/28 | Marlowe, The Jew of Malta | Tragedy and The Other | |
| 10/5 | Middleton, Women Beware Women | Gender, class, and the tragic court | |
| 10/12 | NO CLASS | Midterm project | |
| 10/19 | Shakespeare, Hamlet (cont) | Psyching revenge | |
| 10/26 | Shakespeare, Hamlet | Adaptation as critical practice | Clips (BB) |
| 11/2 | Ford, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore | Love, Money and the economy of tragedy | |
| 11/9 | Webster, the Duchess of Malfi | Disguise as stage practice and theme | |
| 11/16 | Film, The Duchess of Malfi | Filming performance: staging and stagecraft | Film (link in BB) |
| 11/23 | Middleton, The revenger's Tragedy | Black Humor and state satire | |
| 11/30 | Film: Promising Young Woman | Contemporary takes on revenge cycle | |
| 12/7 | Wrap up and final project | Reflections and contemporary resonances |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.