Come and explore three pioneering tragedies of the early English Renaissance commercial stage (1585-1592): The Spanish Tragedy (1586), Arden of Faversham (1588-92), and Tamburlaine Part I (1587). These plays were to become the models setting the standard and blueprint for three influential sub-genres: Revenge Tragedy, Domestic Tragedy, and Heroic Tragedy. We’ll look at their dramatic inventiveness, creativity in handling
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This in-college course examines how three early Renaissance English tragedies reached widespread popularity. We’ll explore how Thomas Kyd drew from recent contemporary historical events to establish a wide-ranging and versatile form of political tragedy: Revenge Tragedy.
Shifting focus to Marlowe’s Tamburlaine, we’ll discover the blend of savage comic humour, heroic over-reaching, and sublime verse that would be a signature style of this deeply transgressive and ambitious author.
Lastly, we’ll engage with a domestic crime story that was already notorious in historical accounts before its representation on stage: the story of the murder of Thomas Arden of Faversham, put to death by a conspiracy of murderers involving his wife, Alice, her lover Thomas Mosby and a network of felons.
What will we cover?
Discover the early plays that set the tone and calibre for the most unrivalled period of English creativity in literature.We will cover some important concepts of dramatic literature, including intertextuality, source adaptation, metatheatre, genre hybridity: tragedy, comedy, and chronicle, macabre humour, and public performance. Beginning with excerpts from mid-Tudor literature: the poetry of the ‘fall of princes’ in The Mirror for Magistrates, the tragicomic Cambyses (c.1584), by Thomas Preston, Norton and Sackville’s ‘division of kingdom’ early chronicle play Gorboduc (1561-1562), the Tudor Interlude of Horestes (1567) and Heywood’s translation of Seneca’s Thyestes, (1560), we discover how an English understanding of tragedy was influenced from popular plays and poetry rather than ancient Greek models. Contrary to orthodox views, Thomas Kyd surpassed the limited tonalities of Senecan drama, drama made for private readings at court, inner temples, and academic circles, for a robust, responsive popular drama that utilised with forceful experimentation the potential of the mechanism of the new commercial English theatre. Christopher Marlowe loosened blank verse to allow for the scope of sublime rhetoric, and the grand aspirations of Tamburlaine. Tamburlaine’s threat to moral order, violent atrocities, and triumphant career are all questioned. National and local concerns will be debated in what would become the first recognisable domestic tragedy, Arden of Faversham.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Appreciate the challenges and rewards of three tragedies • Explore how sources, Tudor theatre, and contemporary history were used in the tragedies • Understand how three writers have used different types of tragedy to depict individual and collective experience in the Renaissance • Identify a range of dramatic techniques used to represent society, customs, and politics.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Some experience of the study of dramatic literature would be useful. Learners will need to have an enthusiasm for the drama, an open-mindedness towards different approaches to interpretation, and a willingness to listen to the views of others.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
There will be a mixture of tutor presentation and small-group and whole-class discussion. We will study key passages from each text in class and you will need to read the plays in their entirety. You will need to read the texts, passages and extracts, using the guided reading support materials sent to you by the tutor to advance understanding. Key extracts will be provided in advance of the class.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Please borrow or buy: Thomas Kyd, The Spanish Tragedy, (eds.) Clare Calvo and Jesus Tronch, Arden Bloomsbury, ISBN 978-1-904271-60-4 Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine Parts One and Two, (ed.) Anthony B. Dawson, New Mermaids Bloomsbury, ISBN 978-0-713668-14-8 Anonymous, Arden of Faversham, (ed.) Catherine Richardson, Arden Bloomsbury, ISBN 978-1-4742-8929-0 Further extracts will be provided by the tutor.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Look for other fiction courses in the Literature programme on our website at www.citylit.ac.uk/courses under Culture, History and Humanities.
Alexander has taught advanced Literature and English Language for over twenty-five years. A Former Head of English, Alexander currently teaches Literature courses to adults at The Questors Theatre, Ealing, and to students at a 6th Form College in Kensington. He has been writing a book on the critical reception of JG Ballard, worked at three top ten 6th Form Colleges, and trained A level teachers how to teach ‘Critical Discourse Analysis’. He holds an MA distinction in Shakespeare Studies, a PGCE, a first in English Literature BA (hons.), and a DipEngl in English Language. An FRSA, he brings a passionate commitment to life-long learning, to making connections between disciplines, and to creating supportive and engaging learning environments.
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.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/the-birth-of-english-tragedy1440316The Birth of English Tragedyhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/t/h/the-birth-english-tragedy-hlt294-square.jpg279279GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Drama22851177118711891228511771187<p>Come and explore three pioneering tragedies of the early English Renaissance commercial stage (1585-1592): The Spanish Tragedy (1586), Arden of Faversham (1588-92), and Tamburlaine Part I (1587). These plays were to become the models setting the standard and blueprint for three influential sub-genres: Revenge Tragedy, Domestic Tragedy, and Heroic Tragedy. We’ll look at their dramatic inventiveness, creativity in handling sources, and why they enthralled contemporary audiences.</p>003047206The Birth of English Tragedy279279https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/t/h/the-birth-english-tragedy-hlt294-square_2.jpgInStockDaytimeMonKeeley StreetAvailable courses5-10 weeksWeekday2026-09-21T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allSep 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHLT369279279The Birth of English Tragedy223181279Alexander Fairbairn-Dixonthe-birth-of-english-tragedy/hlt369-2627<p>Come and explore three pioneering tragedies of the early English Renaissance commercial stage (1585-1592): The Spanish Tragedy (1586), Arden of Faversham (1588-92), and Tamburlaine Part I (1587). These plays were to become the models setting the standard and blueprint for three influential sub-genres: Revenge Tragedy, Domestic Tragedy, and Heroic Tragedy. We’ll look at their dramatic inventiveness, creativity in handling sources, and why they enthralled contemporary audiences.</p>0000-Available|2026-09-21 00:00:00<p>This in-college course examines how three early Renaissance English tragedies reached widespread popularity. We’ll explore how Thomas Kyd drew from recent contemporary historical events to establish a wide-ranging and versatile form of political tragedy: Revenge Tragedy.</p><p>Shifting focus to Marlowe’s Tamburlaine, we’ll discover the blend of savage comic humour, heroic over-reaching, and sublime verse that would be a signature style of this deeply transgressive and ambitious author.</p><p>Lastly, we’ll engage with a domestic crime story that was already notorious in historical accounts before its representation on stage: the story of the murder of Thomas Arden of Faversham, put to death by a conspiracy of murderers involving his wife, Alice, her lover Thomas Mosby and a network of felons.</p><p>Come and explore three pioneering tragedies of the early English Renaissance commercial stage (1585-1592): The Spanish Tragedy (1586), Arden of Faversham (1588-92), and Tamburlaine Part I (1587). These plays were to become the models setting the standard and blueprint for three influential sub-genres: Revenge Tragedy, Domestic Tragedy, and Heroic Tragedy. We’ll look at their dramatic inventiveness, creativity in handling sources, and why they enthralled contemporary audiences.</p><p>Discover the early plays that set the tone and calibre for the most unrivalled period of English creativity in literature.We will cover some important concepts of dramatic literature, including intertextuality, source adaptation, metatheatre, genre hybridity: tragedy, comedy, and chronicle, macabre humour, and public performance.<br>Beginning with excerpts from mid-Tudor literature: the poetry of the ‘fall of princes’ in The Mirror for Magistrates, the tragicomic Cambyses (c.1584), by Thomas Preston, Norton and Sackville’s ‘division of kingdom’ early chronicle play Gorboduc (1561-1562), the Tudor Interlude of Horestes (1567) and Heywood’s translation of Seneca’s Thyestes, (1560), we discover how an English understanding of tragedy was influenced from popular plays and poetry rather than ancient Greek models. Contrary to orthodox views, Thomas Kyd surpassed the limited tonalities of Senecan drama, drama made for private readings at court, inner temples, and academic circles, for a robust, responsive popular drama that utilised with forceful experimentation the potential of the mechanism of the new commercial English theatre.<br>Christopher Marlowe loosened blank verse to allow for the scope of sublime rhetoric, and the grand aspirations of Tamburlaine. Tamburlaine’s threat to moral order, violent atrocities, and triumphant career are all questioned.<br>National and local concerns will be debated in what would become the first recognisable domestic tragedy, Arden of Faversham.</p><p>• Appreciate the challenges and rewards of three tragedies<br>• Explore how sources, Tudor theatre, and contemporary history were used in the tragedies<br>• Understand how three writers have used different types of tragedy to depict individual and collective experience in the Renaissance<br>• Identify a range of dramatic techniques used to represent society, customs, and politics.</p><p>Some experience of the study of dramatic literature would be useful.<br>Learners will need to have an enthusiasm for the drama, an open-mindedness towards different approaches to interpretation, and a willingness to listen to the views of others.</p><p>There will be a mixture of tutor presentation and small-group and whole-class discussion. We will study key passages from each text in class and you will need to read the plays in their entirety.<br>You will need to read the texts, passages and extracts, using the guided reading support materials sent to you by the tutor to advance understanding. Key extracts will be provided in advance of the class.</p><p>Please borrow or buy:<br>Thomas Kyd, The Spanish Tragedy, (eds.) Clare Calvo and Jesus Tronch, Arden Bloomsbury, ISBN 978-1-904271-60-4<br>Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine Parts One and Two, (ed.) Anthony B. Dawson, New Mermaids Bloomsbury, ISBN 978-0-713668-14-8<br>Anonymous, Arden of Faversham, (ed.) Catherine Richardson, Arden Bloomsbury, ISBN 978-1-4742-8929-0<br>Further extracts will be provided by the tutor.</p><p>Look for other fiction courses in the Literature programme on our website at www.citylit.ac.uk/courses under Culture, History and Humanities.</p>LiteratureDramavirtual223279181HLT369NONEMon21/09/26 - 30/11/2615:00 - 17:0015:0017:0010 sessions (over 11 weeks)105-10 weeksWeekdayKSKeeley StreetAlexander Fairbairn-DixonBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-09-21T00:00:00+00:00DaytimeSep 2026Culture, history & humanities279279The Birth of English Tragedythe-birth-of-english-tragedy/hlt369-2627<p>Come and explore three pioneering tragedies of the early English Renaissance commercial stage (1585-1592): The Spanish Tragedy (1586), Arden of Faversham (1588-92), and Tamburlaine Part I (1587). These plays were to become the models setting the standard and blueprint for three influential sub-genres: Revenge Tragedy, Domestic Tragedy, and Heroic Tragedy. We’ll look at their dramatic inventiveness, creativity in handling sources, and why they enthralled contemporary audiences.</p>0000-Available|2026-09-21 00:00:00<p>This in-college course examines how three early Renaissance English tragedies reached widespread popularity. We’ll explore how Thomas Kyd drew from recent contemporary historical events to establish a wide-ranging and versatile form of political tragedy: Revenge Tragedy.</p><p>Shifting focus to Marlowe’s Tamburlaine, we’ll discover the blend of savage comic humour, heroic over-reaching, and sublime verse that would be a signature style of this deeply transgressive and ambitious author.</p><p>Lastly, we’ll engage with a domestic crime story that was already notorious in historical accounts before its representation on stage: the story of the murder of Thomas Arden of Faversham, put to death by a conspiracy of murderers involving his wife, Alice, her lover Thomas Mosby and a network of felons.</p><p>Come and explore three pioneering tragedies of the early English Renaissance commercial stage (1585-1592): The Spanish Tragedy (1586), Arden of Faversham (1588-92), and Tamburlaine Part I (1587). These plays were to become the models setting the standard and blueprint for three influential sub-genres: Revenge Tragedy, Domestic Tragedy, and Heroic Tragedy. We’ll look at their dramatic inventiveness, creativity in handling sources, and why they enthralled contemporary audiences.</p><p>Discover the early plays that set the tone and calibre for the most unrivalled period of English creativity in literature.We will cover some important concepts of dramatic literature, including intertextuality, source adaptation, metatheatre, genre hybridity: tragedy, comedy, and chronicle, macabre humour, and public performance.<br>Beginning with excerpts from mid-Tudor literature: the poetry of the ‘fall of princes’ in The Mirror for Magistrates, the tragicomic Cambyses (c.1584), by Thomas Preston, Norton and Sackville’s ‘division of kingdom’ early chronicle play Gorboduc (1561-1562), the Tudor Interlude of Horestes (1567) and Heywood’s translation of Seneca’s Thyestes, (1560), we discover how an English understanding of tragedy was influenced from popular plays and poetry rather than ancient Greek models. Contrary to orthodox views, Thomas Kyd surpassed the limited tonalities of Senecan drama, drama made for private readings at court, inner temples, and academic circles, for a robust, responsive popular drama that utilised with forceful experimentation the potential of the mechanism of the new commercial English theatre.<br>Christopher Marlowe loosened blank verse to allow for the scope of sublime rhetoric, and the grand aspirations of Tamburlaine. Tamburlaine’s threat to moral order, violent atrocities, and triumphant career are all questioned.<br>National and local concerns will be debated in what would become the first recognisable domestic tragedy, Arden of Faversham.</p><p>• Appreciate the challenges and rewards of three tragedies<br>• Explore how sources, Tudor theatre, and contemporary history were used in the tragedies<br>• Understand how three writers have used different types of tragedy to depict individual and collective experience in the Renaissance<br>• Identify a range of dramatic techniques used to represent society, customs, and politics.</p><p>Some experience of the study of dramatic literature would be useful.<br>Learners will need to have an enthusiasm for the drama, an open-mindedness towards different approaches to interpretation, and a willingness to listen to the views of others.</p><p>There will be a mixture of tutor presentation and small-group and whole-class discussion. We will study key passages from each text in class and you will need to read the plays in their entirety.<br>You will need to read the texts, passages and extracts, using the guided reading support materials sent to you by the tutor to advance understanding. Key extracts will be provided in advance of the class.</p><p>Please borrow or buy:<br>Thomas Kyd, The Spanish Tragedy, (eds.) Clare Calvo and Jesus Tronch, Arden Bloomsbury, ISBN 978-1-904271-60-4<br>Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine Parts One and Two, (ed.) Anthony B. Dawson, New Mermaids Bloomsbury, ISBN 978-0-713668-14-8<br>Anonymous, Arden of Faversham, (ed.) Catherine Richardson, Arden Bloomsbury, ISBN 978-1-4742-8929-0<br>Further extracts will be provided by the tutor.</p><p>Look for other fiction courses in the Literature programme on our website at www.citylit.ac.uk/courses under Culture, History and Humanities.</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
