(no subject)

[a-t-rain.livejournal.com]

'Nother intro post...

Hi, I'm Nora, a.k.a. After the Rain and Fretful Porpentine, and I'm a grad student at a Large State University in the U.S. (which will probably not remain very anonymous after I've made a few more posts, but let's pretend, OK?) I'm writing my dissertation on English commoners and communities in the history plays (using a rather expansive definition of "history plays" -- I think Merry Wives is going to end up in there, along with Arden of Feversham and The Shoemaker's Holiday, but I've hit most of the conventional ones too).

I'm also getting ready to teach Edward II to undergrads for the very first time, so any advice on how not to shock them over-much is most welcome.

Comments

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Hmm...Edward really isn't all *that* shocking, except for that little bit at the end involving hot pokers...

Honestly, depending on what level of undergrad you're looking at (if it's the 'He crazy!' crowd or not), you might just be able to teach it in a fairly straightforward way. They did have gay people in the sixteenth century. Sort of. Or possibly even just looking at it alongside a play about a 'good' king (by the play's standards, i.e. Henry V) and pointing out the contrasts.

Just throwing ideas about.

[mirabehn.livejournal.com]

Of course if you didn't want to avoid shocking your undergrads, you could always show them the Derek Jarman film. Hehehe. ;-)