"The course of true love never did run smooth," wrote William Shakespeare in his play A Midsummer Night's Dream. Certainly this was the case for his most famous lovers, Romeo and Juliet, but it also holds true for many of Shakespeare's other characters, too. Love-- true and otherwise-- is one of the poet's most tackled themes, in both his poetry and plays alike. This class will introduce first years and sophomores to the work of Shakespeare with a focus on how romantic love functions in his plots. Guided by literary criticism in feminist, queer, and trans studies, we will engage with selected Shakespearean sonnets, comedies, and tragedies. As we read, we will consider such topics as the depiction and treatment of women; the gendered language of desire; the relationship dynamics of Bard's most infamous power couples; and more. Please note: while we will do some in-class textual comparisons to No Fear Shakespeare and modern film adaptations of the plays, students are expected to read the assigned texts in their original Early Modern English form.
- Instructor of record: Mary Alcaro
Instruction Mode: In Person