Informazioni sul corso

Ancient Rome was a source of fascination in the early modern period and eighteenth century and, as now, many authors drew inspiration from historical figures and events of the Roman Republic and Empire. Not only did Roman history provide abundant subject matter for the exploration of themes such as ambition, hubris, and revolt, but it also offered historical models for understanding the present. While Ancient Rome was present in many textual genres, it was strongly associated with drama and, in particular, tragedies, many of which were concerned with leaders such as Julius Caesar and Marc Antony and the events of the late Republic and early Empire. In this course, we will study three tragedies set in Ancient Rome: William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (1599), Philip Massinger’s The Roman Actor (1629), and Joseph Addison’s Cato (1713). In studying these plays, we will engage with themes such as power, loyalty, and the revolt against tyranny, analyse the roles of theatre and tragedy in exploring these ideas, and examine the different literary approaches taken by these three important dramatists. Over the course of this seminar, participants will gain greater insight into early modern and eighteenth-century drama and will continue to develop their skills of textual analysis and academic writing.