This course will explore the later plays of William Shakespeare. We will begin by discussing three tragedies (Macbeth, Coriolanus, and Othello), and end with two late romances (Cymbeline and The Tempest). Some changes to these readings may occur as we get closer to the course. Through these plays, we will learn more about Shakespeare’s later styles and themes, the particular pressures of Jacobean England, and the ways in which Shakespeare envisioned the collisions between past and future, old and new, and among cultures. Students will improve upon their close reading skills through class readings, section discussions, and two thesis-driven essay assignments.