An introduction to Shakespeare that combines literary study with theatrical analysis to understand both Shakespeare’s continuing popularity and his greatness.
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This centre's achievements
2017
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This centre has featured on Emagister for 8 years
Subjects
Shakespeare
IT
Performance
Course programme
Shakespeare wrote for a popular audience and was immensely successful. Shakespeare is also rightly regarded as one of the greatest playwrights the world has known. This course will try to understand both Shakespeare’s popularity and his greatness by starting from a simple premise: that the fullest appreciation of Shakespeare can be achieved only when literary study is combined with analysis of the plays as theatre. Hence, as we delve into the dimensions that make Shakespeare’s plays so extraordinary--from the astonishing power of their language to their uncanny capacity to illuminate so much of human life--we will also explore them in performance from Shakespeare’s own theatre to the modern screen. At the same time, actors will occasionally join our effort and demonstrate ways of bringing the text alive as living theatre. Plays to be studied will include Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, King Lear, and The Winter's Tale. Image courtesy Castle Rock Entertainment/The Kobal Collection Before your course starts, try the new edX Demo where you can explore the fun, interactive learning environment and virtual labs. Learn more. Is there a required textbook? The texts of all six plays will be required. Free, electronic versions can be found on numerous sites on the internet, including the following, which offers pdf downloads: http://www.folgerdigitaltexts.org/download.html. However, free, internet editions do not provide glosses or notes that explain difficult words and phrases. We strongly recommend that participants purchase texts (paper or electronic) that provide important aids to reading.
Additional information
Yu Jin Ko Yu Jin Ko is Professor of English at Wellesley College, where he has taught since 1995. His teaching and scholarly interests have centered on Shakespeare, especially Shakespeare in performance. A particular goal that has driven both his teaching and scholarship has been fostering collaboration between academia and the theatre.