ENGL1181W

Four hundred years ago, Williams Shakespeare entertained, shocked, amused, and informed London audiences in a round wooden theater on the south bank of the Thames. Today, his plays are among the most read, performed, and adapted around the globe, in numerous languages, on stage, page, and screen. Why do so many people still seek out Shakespeare’s writing? How do his works continue to influence literature and culture? Through intensive study of representative plays and poems, you will become familiar with Shakespeare’s dramatic and literary techniques. You will learn about the social, historical, and cultural forces that influenced his writing. And you will build your own arguments as to Shakespeare’s meaning for audiences today.