This undergraduate course is designed to introduce students to the multiple dimensions of Shakespearean drama that continue to inspire readers, audiences and theater practitioners, even to the present day. To do so, we will alternate class sessions between close readings of the texts and their potential for live and recorded performance. As points of illustration and reference, we will take maximum advantage of the rich collection of videos to be found in Asquith in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library; whenever possible, these will be available online. The works under consideration this semester should be read in the following order:
Hamlet
Macbeth
King Richard III
Julius Caesar
Othello
The Merchant of Venice
King Lear
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Sonnets
Romeo and Juliet
Office hours: by appointment via ZOOM; contact enochb@umich.edu
This course satisfies the following CURRENT English major/minor requirement: Pre-1642
This course satisfies the following NEW English major/minor requirements: Time: Medieval/Early Modern
Course Requirements:
midterm and final project (further information to be discussed in class)
Class attendance for all sessions is a requirement for this course