Understanding Shakespeare

Get to Grips with the Language, Themes and Influence of One of the World's Greatest Writers

What you'll learn

Discover what made Shakespeare one of the greatest writers in world literature

Understand Shakespeare's language

Find out about the themes of his plays and poetry

Engage with modern and historical criticism of Shakespeare's work

See Shakespeare in his historical and literary contexts

Enjoy some of the most beautiful literature ever written

Quote Shakespeare

Use the set discussion questions and resources to formulate your own reponse to the texts

Learn about Shakespeare's tragedies, comedies, romances, historical playsl classical plays, problem plays and his long poems and sonnets

Should you choose, you can engage with other students and the instructor at the monthly book club

Excel at English Literature tests and essays on Shakespeare

Discover great resources for studying the work of Shakespeare

Requirements

You should be fluent in English

Description

After the success of my bestselling English Literature and World Lterature courses, many students messaged me with questions about Shakespeare, a towering figure in world literaure. Maybe you love Shakespeare or maybe you have been forced to read his work to pass an exam or you just can't make headway with the language. Peace, gentle friend! This course is for you.We will look at Shakespeare's life; language and the historical and literat context of his works. We will then look at his plays and poetry. For each text we will look at its sources, background and publication then a synopsis, an analysis of its themes and a commenary on key passages, then look at key productions you may be able to access. The videos end with a series of questions for you to reflect on your perceptions of the play/poem.Texts Covered:· Hamlet· Othello· King Lear· Macbeth· Romeo and Juliet· Love’s Labour’s Lost· Much Ado About Nothing· Twelfth Night· As You Like It· A Midsummer Night’s Dream· Pericles· The Winter’s Tale· Cymbeline· The Tempest· Julius Caesar· Antony and Cleopatra· Titus Andronicus· Coriolanus· Henry IV Parts I and II· Henry V· Richard III· Henry VIII· All’s Well That Ends Well· Measure for Measure· Troilus and Cressida· The Sonnets· Venus and Adonis· The Rape of LucreceAs a graduate of the prestigious Queen;s University of Belfast with both an honours degree and Master's in Rnglish, and as the teacher of the best selling English Literature course on Udemy, I am delighted to be your guide through this adventure of treachery and intrigue, enchanted forests, the Roman forum, shipwrecks, mystical islands and the English court where we will meet kings, jesters, fairies, soldiers, star-cross'd lovers and a guy with a donkey's head.Don't stop to ask 'to be, or not to be'. Enroll today with no risk due to Udemy's 30 day money back guarantee.Prithee, join us anon and thou shalt know the Bard.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction

Section 2: About Shakespeare

Lecture 2 Shakespeare's Life

Lecture 3 Shakespeare's Life and Times in Context

Lecture 4 A Day at the Theatre: Life in Tudor England

Lecture 5 The Theatre in Shakespeare's Day

Lecture 6 The Language of Shakespeare

Lecture 7 Literary Context of Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry

Lecture 8 Shakespeare's Works

Lecture 9 Resources

Section 3: Tragedies

Lecture 10 The Genre of Tragedy

Lecture 11 Hamlet

Lecture 12 Othello

Lecture 13 King Lear

Lecture 14 Macbeth

Lecture 15 Romeo and Juliet

Lecture 16 Resources

Section 4: Comedies

Lecture 17 Shakespeare's Comedies

Lecture 18 Love's Labour's Lost

Lecture 19 Much Ado About Nothing

Lecture 20 Twelfth Night

Lecture 21 As You Like It

Lecture 22 A Midsummer Night's Dream

Lecture 23 Resources

Section 5: Romances

Lecture 24 What is a Romance?

Lecture 25 Pericles

Lecture 26 The Winter's Tale

Lecture 27 Cymbeline

Lecture 28 The Tempest

Lecture 29 Resources

Section 6: Classical or 'Roman' Plays

Lecture 30 Shakespeare and the Classical World

Lecture 31 Julius Caesar

Lecture 32 Antony and Cleopatra

Lecture 33 Titus Andronicus

Lecture 34 Coriolanus

Lecture 35 Resources

Section 7: Historical Plays

Lecture 36 The English History Plays

Lecture 37 Henry IV Parts I and II

Lecture 38 Henry V

Lecture 39 Richard III

Lecture 40 Henry VIII

Lecture 41 Resources

Section 8: The Problem Plays

Lecture 42 So, what is the problem with the Problem Plays?

Lecture 43 All's Well That Ends Well

Lecture 44 Measure for Measure

Lecture 45 Troilus and Cressida

Lecture 46 Resources

Section 9: Shakespeare's Sonnets

Lecture 47 Shakespeare's Sonnets

Lecture 48 A Selection of Sonnets

Lecture 49 Resources

Section 10: Long or Narrative Poems

Lecture 50 The Long Poems

Lecture 51 Venus and Adonis

Lecture 52 The Rape of Lucrece

Lecture 53 Resources

Section 11: Shakespeare for Today

Lecture 54 Staging Shakeapeare in the 21st Century

Lecture 55 Reading Shakespeare in the 21st Century

Lecture 56 Shakespeare Quotes Quiz

Section 12: Conclusion

Lecture 57 Conclusion

Anyone who needs to read Shakespeare for academic programmes,People who love Shakespeare,People who are terrified to read Shakespeare,Anybody who would like to have the language of Shakespeare made more accessible,Anyone who wants to underatand the themes of Shakespeare's work in their historical and literary context