Honors
English II: "Getting into the Act"
A remarkable thing happened when Charles II was restored to the throne
in 1660. He not only reopened the theaters which were closed under Puritan
rule, but he also passed an edict that from then on only women would
play female roles on the London stage. (Previous to the Restoration
period, boys played female parts.) This course will consider the important
ramifications of having women on the stage: Did it encourage the emergence
of female playwrights? Did it affect the kinds of plays being written
by male playwrights? Did it result in sexual exploitation on and off
the stage? Did it have an impact on gender roles in the Society at large?
We will study the work of little-known but important early women playwrights
such as the first professional woman writer--Aphra Behn. We will read
the "she-tragedies" of Nicholas Rowe who centered entire plays
around his female characters. We will explore the position of the "older
woman" in plays by famous male playwrights like Congreve, Goldsmith,
and Sheridan and watch together a wonderful BBC production of the hilarious
"She Stoops to Conquer." We will also explore a number of
different genres present on the London stage at this time, such as sentimental
comedy; comedy of manners; ballad operas; farce; and common-man tragedy.
There will be a good deal of lively discussion as well as thoughtful
analysis in 4-6 essays of varying lengths. Individual conferences and
group workshops will provide constructive feedback to help hone your
critical reading and writing skills.