This course affords an opportunity for seminar members to read Shakespeare's tragedies in dialogue with the extraordinarily rich tradition of criticism on the tragedies. Each seminar meeting will focus on a specific tragedy, opening up four areas of discussion. 1) The first topic concerns the structure and larger architecture of each play, considering such topics as generic experimentation, imitation and invention, and elements of plot construction oriented to thematic, rhetorical, or theatrical effect. 2) The second identifies and interrogates major issues that have arisen in the critical conversation, whether interpretive, textual, contextual, or performative. 3) The third focus of discussion will be close reading, experimenting with various rhetorical, linguistic, or critical approaches to a selected scene or episode. 4) Finally, looking to the present and future, we consider new directions and emerging (or unimagined) topics, asking what might constitute productive routes for fresh research. The course should be of interest to all those planning graduate research in Shakespeare and early modern literature, to potential teachers, and to those interested in Shakespeare’s exceptional literary achievement.