Department of English

This course offers an introduction to some of Shakespeare’s most enduring and popular works. Students of all levels of experience are welcome. We will read approximately one play each week, exploring comedies, tragedies, and romances including such plays as Much Ado about Nothing, Hamlet, and The Tempest. Our coursework will cultivate critical skills in reading and writing about language, literary form, and historical context. We will also focus on the particular problems of performing Shakespeare’s plays, and will explore our own adaptive responses in a performance assignment. At the end of our class, we will discuss research methods and share research results while developing original research papers. Additional requirements include participation in class discussion and a presentation.