Ever since Kenneth Branagh’s ground-breaking adaptations of Henry V in 1989 and Much Ado About Nothing in 1993, there has been a constant flow of ambitious film versions of Shakespeare’s works, which have impressively succeeded in breathing new life into the old texts.
From the wide range of contemporary adaptations of Shakespeare this seminar will focus on the cinematic transformations of four very different plays: the two mature comedies Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing, the gory revenge tragedy Titus Andronicus and Richard II, the first history play in the Lancaster tetralogy. Apart from in-depth analyses of these four plays we will investigate the challenges and pitfalls of filming Shakespearean drama and different cinematic approaches to stage plays in general.
Other areas of interest will include the construction of gender roles, the staging of violence, and the representation of otherness and subversion.
Students who wish to attend must have read Titus Andronicus for the first session and be able to pass a quiz on this play.