This course introduces students to Shakespeare’s plays and poems that are set in ancient Greece and Rome. We will study Shakespeare’s society and its beliefs about antiquity. Shakespeare’s historical fiction will be compared to the historical events of ancient Greece and Rome when appropriate. The plays will be studied for plot, characterization, diction, and setting. We will also examine some of the better presentations of these plays in recent decades.
Course Objectives
Students will read these plays and poems closely and will

• come to better understand Shakespeare’s use of language. An important part of this appreciation will be identifying rhetorical devices.
• learn how ancient Greece and Rome were understood in Shakespeare’s England as foundational to Shakespeare’s own society. This includes parallels or disagreements in ethical or other ideals.
• discuss the use of history for fiction, which is relevant for movies and books that are produced today.

Relevant historical events or figures from ancient Greece and Rome will be introduced as they pertain to the plays.
Texts
Plays: Pericles, Prince of Tyre; Troilus and Cressida; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Titus Andronicus; Anthony and Cleopatra; Julius Caesar; Cariolanus
Narrative poems: Orpheus with His Lute Made Trees;selections from Venus and Adonis
Grades 10-12
Course Description - Thursdays, 10:30 EDT
$775