This course is an introduction to the study and interpretation of Shakespeare’s works in literary, theatrical, and historical contexts.

We will consider Shakespeare’s commentary on contemporary society and ask how his works resonate with modern viewers and readers. What does Shakespeare help us reconsider? Shakespeare embraces the complexity and interaction between a wide range of topics, including: gender, race, sexuality, religion, nationality, and class; friendship and family; the philosophical and political concept of “the State”; performance and theatre history; literary and rhetorical concepts like metaphor, address, character, and genre; and the history of the book. Through the semester, we will ponder Shakespeare’s questions on these issues to think (and rethink) how they play out in our world. To do this, we will read widely across Shakespeare’s body of work, covering each of the dramatic genres—comedy, tragedy, history, and romance—in which he wrote, and invite comparisons between the text and various staging adaptations. Our goal will be to come away with a greater appreciation of Shakespeare, both on the page and on the stage, and a critical perspective of Shakespeare’s relevance to the modern consumer.