MENMD1DRA: Introduction to English Drama

This is a mandatory Level 4 module for Combined Honours and Single Honours students.

Credits:  20 credits  (10 ECTS credits)
Course Director: Dr Astrid Stilma

In this course we will consider plays as literary texts and scripts for performance.

The module presents a range of dramatic texts and their contexts, from the classical inheritance to the present day. Medieval miracle plays, Renaissance drama, eighteenth-century sentimental comedy, realist and non-realist theatre, the moral and social concerns explored in late nineteenth-century plays, and a range of twentieth-century drama all feature in this introductory module.

Assessment:

The module is assessed by a combination of coursework essays (together counting for 40% of the total mark) and a closed-book examination paper (60%). Illustrative Texts:

The texts listed below indicate the range of literature that is typically covered on this module. Please note, however, that this list is illustrative only. The reading list for each given year will be made available on Blackboard for students registered on the module.

  • Everyman and Medieval Miracle Plays
  • William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing

  • Christopher Marlowe, Dr Faustus

  • Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The Rivals

  • George Bernard Shaw, Mrs Warren's Profession

  • Shelagh Delaney, A Taste of Honey

  • Harold Pinter, The Birthday Party

  • Tony Kushner, Homebody / Kabul