ENGL 324 is an introduction to the study of the plays of William Shakespeare and focuses on the histories and tragedies. Critical analysis of the works helps the student to comprehend the plays and to appreciate the achievement of the most important author in the literary tradition of the English- speaking world. The course will help you study the plays as literary texts and as live theatre. To critically analyse the plays we will use a variety of media: the printed texts of the plays, CDs of performances, the study guide with historical and critical commentary and DVD performances of two plays. The seven plays are: Richard II, Henry IV, Part One, Hamlet, King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, Macbeth, and Othello.