Shakespeare's tragedies, Hamlet and King Lear, are perhaps his two greatest plays. One dramatizes the urgent, agonised questioning of youth, the other a terrifying slide into powerlessness and despair that attends an aging, autocratic king. In both plays the young and the old are drawn into fatal conflict with each other: “Crabbed Age and Youth cannot live together.” The young Prince Hamlet finds himself adrift amid the plott...
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In this in-college literature course we’ll be reading these two dramatic depictions of increasing isolation and growing awareness, written at the very height of Shakespeare's powers. We will discover how Shakespeare’s language developed to encompass two such different but powerfully emotional worlds. We’ll read the whole of each play but we’ll focus on selected passages, looking in detail at Shakespeare’s wonderful use of imagery and metaphor.
What will we cover?
We’ll compare Shakespeare’s treatment of tragedy in other plays, think about the chronology of Shakespeare’s writing and reflect on some of the contemporary ideas that influenced his art.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
-Recognise patterns in Shakespearean drama
-Feel comfortable with often complex Shakespearean verse -Focus on key points when discussing a literary work -Express your opinion clearly.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
No previous knowledge or experience of literature is necessary. However, students will, ideally, need the following skills and attributes: -An enthusiasm for reading and discussing a range of texts in large and small groups. -A willingness and ability to do some reading and preparation outside the class. You will be expected to read part of the selected text for each session. -An interest in, and ability to listen to, the responses of other students to the work discussed
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Julian Birkett is a teacher and writer specialising in modern literature. He previously worked in the Arts department at the BBC as a producer of series such as The Late Show, Modern Poets in their Own Words, The Victorians and The Culture Show. He has taught in London and at the University of Mumbai.He aims to create a friendly but thoughtful atmosphere in his City Lit classes and to provide a stimulating variety of activities from tutor input to discussion to group work and video clips.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/crabb-d-age-and-youth-hamlet-and-king-lear286905Crabb'd Age and Youth: Hamlet and King Learhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/demystifying-poetry-hlt354-1080.jpg179179GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Drama22851177118711891228511771187<p>Shakespeare's tragedies, <em>Hamlet</em> and <em>King Lear</em>, are perhaps his two greatest plays. One dramatizes the urgent, agonised questioning of youth, the other a terrifying slide into powerlessness and despair that attends an aging, autocratic king. In both plays the young and the old are drawn into fatal conflict with each other: “Crabbed Age and Youth cannot live together.” The young Prince Hamlet finds himself adrift amid the plotting and hypocrisy of the older generation in the royal court of Elsinore. The old King Lear is outwitted and finally discarded by his own children. Both these tragic heroes are forced into a journey which leads them to question the very purpose of existence itself. That anguish is realised in perhaps the most powerful dramatic poetry that Shakespeare ever wrote.</p><p> </p>002744777Crabb'd Age and Youth: Hamlet and King Lear179179https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/demystifying-poetry-hlt354-1080.jpgInStockDaytimeMonKeeley StreetAvailable courses5-10 weeksWeekday2026-05-11T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allMay 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHLT154179179Crabb'd Age and Youth: Hamlet and King Lear143116179Julian Birkettcrabb-d-age-and-youth-hamlet-and-king-lear/hlt154-2526<p>Shakespeare's tragedies, <em>Hamlet</em> and <em>King Lear</em>, are perhaps his two greatest plays. One dramatizes the urgent, agonised questioning of youth, the other a terrifying slide into powerlessness and despair that attends an aging, autocratic king. In both plays the young and the old are drawn into fatal conflict with each other: “Crabbed Age and Youth cannot live together.” The young Prince Hamlet finds himself adrift amid the plotting and hypocrisy of the older generation in the royal court of Elsinore. The old King Lear is outwitted and finally discarded by his own children. Both these tragic heroes are forced into a journey which leads them to question the very purpose of existence itself. That anguish is realised in perhaps the most powerful dramatic poetry that Shakespeare ever wrote.</p><p> </p>0000-Available|2026-05-11 00:00:00<p>In this in-college literature course we’ll be reading these two dramatic depictions of increasing isolation and growing awareness, written at the very height of Shakespeare's powers. We will discover how Shakespeare’s language developed to encompass two such different but powerfully emotional worlds. We’ll read the whole of each play but we’ll focus on selected passages, looking in detail at Shakespeare’s wonderful use of imagery and metaphor. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Shakespeare's tragedies, <em>Hamlet</em> and <em>King Lear</em>, are perhaps his two greatest plays. One dramatizes the urgent, agonised questioning of youth, the other a terrifying slide into powerlessness and despair that attends an aging, autocratic king. In both plays the young and the old are drawn into fatal conflict with each other: “Crabbed Age and Youth cannot live together.” The young Prince Hamlet finds himself adrift amid the plotting and hypocrisy of the older generation in the royal court of Elsinore. The old King Lear is outwitted and finally discarded by his own children. Both these tragic heroes are forced into a journey which leads them to question the very purpose of existence itself. That anguish is realised in perhaps the most powerful dramatic poetry that Shakespeare ever wrote.</p><p> </p><p>We’ll compare Shakespeare’s treatment of tragedy in other plays, think about the chronology of Shakespeare’s writing and reflect on some of the contemporary ideas that influenced his art.</p><p> </p><p>-Recognise patterns in Shakespearean drama</p><p>-Feel comfortable with often complex Shakespearean verse<br/>-Focus on key points when discussing a literary work<br/>-Express your opinion clearly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>No previous knowledge or experience of literature is necessary. However, students will, ideally, need the following skills and attributes: <br/>-An enthusiasm for reading and discussing a range of texts in large and small groups.<br/>-A willingness and ability to do some reading and preparation outside the class. You will be expected to read part of the selected text for each session.<br/>-An interest in, and ability to listen to, the responses of other students to the work discussed</p><p><a>In each session there will be a brief introduction by the tutor followed by an informal but focused discussion of the text,. Video clips from productions of the plays will be shown and background reading provided. </a></p><p>Please buy or borrow the following: </p><p><em>Hamlet</em> Penguin Classics & <em>King Lear</em> Penguin Classics</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Look for other Drama text courses in our Literature programme under History, Culture and Humanities/Literature/Drama at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureDramavirtual143179116HLT154NONEMon11/05/26 - 22/06/2610:30 - 12:3010:3012:306 sessions (over 7 weeks)65-10 weeksDaytimeWeekdayKSKeeley StreetJulian BirkettBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-05-11T00:00:00+00:00May 2026Culture, history & humanities179179Crabb'd Age and Youth: Hamlet and King Learcrabb-d-age-and-youth-hamlet-and-king-lear/hlt154-2526<p>Shakespeare's tragedies, <em>Hamlet</em> and <em>King Lear</em>, are perhaps his two greatest plays. One dramatizes the urgent, agonised questioning of youth, the other a terrifying slide into powerlessness and despair that attends an aging, autocratic king. In both plays the young and the old are drawn into fatal conflict with each other: “Crabbed Age and Youth cannot live together.” The young Prince Hamlet finds himself adrift amid the plotting and hypocrisy of the older generation in the royal court of Elsinore. The old King Lear is outwitted and finally discarded by his own children. Both these tragic heroes are forced into a journey which leads them to question the very purpose of existence itself. That anguish is realised in perhaps the most powerful dramatic poetry that Shakespeare ever wrote.</p><p> </p>0000-Available|2026-05-11 00:00:00<p>In this in-college literature course we’ll be reading these two dramatic depictions of increasing isolation and growing awareness, written at the very height of Shakespeare's powers. We will discover how Shakespeare’s language developed to encompass two such different but powerfully emotional worlds. We’ll read the whole of each play but we’ll focus on selected passages, looking in detail at Shakespeare’s wonderful use of imagery and metaphor. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Shakespeare's tragedies, <em>Hamlet</em> and <em>King Lear</em>, are perhaps his two greatest plays. One dramatizes the urgent, agonised questioning of youth, the other a terrifying slide into powerlessness and despair that attends an aging, autocratic king. In both plays the young and the old are drawn into fatal conflict with each other: “Crabbed Age and Youth cannot live together.” The young Prince Hamlet finds himself adrift amid the plotting and hypocrisy of the older generation in the royal court of Elsinore. The old King Lear is outwitted and finally discarded by his own children. Both these tragic heroes are forced into a journey which leads them to question the very purpose of existence itself. That anguish is realised in perhaps the most powerful dramatic poetry that Shakespeare ever wrote.</p><p> </p><p>We’ll compare Shakespeare’s treatment of tragedy in other plays, think about the chronology of Shakespeare’s writing and reflect on some of the contemporary ideas that influenced his art.</p><p> </p><p>-Recognise patterns in Shakespearean drama</p><p>-Feel comfortable with often complex Shakespearean verse<br/>-Focus on key points when discussing a literary work<br/>-Express your opinion clearly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>No previous knowledge or experience of literature is necessary. However, students will, ideally, need the following skills and attributes: <br/>-An enthusiasm for reading and discussing a range of texts in large and small groups.<br/>-A willingness and ability to do some reading and preparation outside the class. You will be expected to read part of the selected text for each session.<br/>-An interest in, and ability to listen to, the responses of other students to the work discussed</p><p><a>In each session there will be a brief introduction by the tutor followed by an informal but focused discussion of the text,. Video clips from productions of the plays will be shown and background reading provided. </a></p><p>Please buy or borrow the following: </p><p><em>Hamlet</em> Penguin Classics &amp; <em>King Lear</em> Penguin Classics</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Look for other Drama text courses in our Literature programme under History, Culture and Humanities/Literature/Drama at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureDramaconfigurable
11891187Dramahttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/literature/drama-plays-and-players1/2/285/1177/1187/11891/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Drama
