This elective is an exploration of Shakespeare's plays as cultural phenomena, focusing on critical reading of the texts and the relationship between text and performance in popular film adaptations. It will accommodate both students new to Shakespeare and those with prior interest and background. Weekly seminar meetings will involve close reading of plays from all four Shakespearean genres (comedies, tragedies, histories, and romances), as well as viewing and discussion of film versions by directors such as Orson Welles, Kenneth Branagh, Peter Greenaway, and Akira Kurosawa.
Prerequisites
Literature and Composition (LITC-200) or College Writing II (LITC-105).