ENG 121-01 - Introduction to Shakespeare

4 credits (Fall)

This course introduces students to the works of William Shakespeare and to the discipline of literary studies which those works have shaped. We will read Shakespeare’s lyric and narrative poetry as well as plays, aiming to develop habits of close reading and interpretation. Students will investigate the contexts that shaped Shakespeare’s works, trace their legacies of performance and adaptation, and weigh interpretive approaches. Together, we will contend with how centuries of audiences have approached the question “Why Shakespeare?” and consider some hypotheses of our own.

Prerequisite: None.
Instructor: Eklund