English 663 -- Shakespeare and Contemporary Theory Since the early 1980's, Shakespearean drama has been an important site for critics interested in feminist, psychoanalytic, materialist and new historical approaches to literature. This course has three goals: to expose students to the complexity of Shakespearen uses of character, metaphor, structure, and ideology; to demonstrate a variety of contemporary critical engagements with Shakespeare and the early modern period, including those focussed on subjectivity, history, politics, gender, sexuality, race, and empire; and to examine the possibilities and limitations of various critical theories and methods in light of each student's critical practice.