CORE 002 SC - Shakespeare Then and Now

We will study Shakespeare’s plays by pushing against the common wisdom that they are inaccessible and obsolete. We will read closely to add historical perspective to themes introduced in Core, and imagine how his dramas might come to life in our time. We will consider how these old plays script ideas and questions that we live with today, such as Twelfth Night’s festive yet skeptical presentation of gender and love, Henry V’s exploration of the strange and bloody pull of nationalism, Othello’s treatment of race relations and rhetorical power, Macbeth’s raw account of political terror and psychological trauma, and Lear’s astonishing, anguished vision of relentless cruelty, abjection, and suffering. (The exact reading list will vary each year.) Secondary readings will be drawn from literary criticism, history, psychology, and philosophy.

Course Credit: 1.0
Offered: Every spring

Please refer to the course schedule on the Scripps Portal for current course offerings and details.