What is tragedy? How does it work? How has it changed over time? This course traces the history of tragedy from antiquity to the present day. Students read plays such as Sophocles, Oedipus the King; Miller, Death of a Salesman; and Soyinka, Death and the King’s Horseman, as well as selections from secondary sources such as Steiner, The Death of Tragedy, and Nuttall, Why Does Tragedy Give Pleasure? Students may also read short stories and watch films.