Shakespeare and Social Justice
Week 8 | Tu, W, Th | Hultquist 201A | Ages 14 and up
Social justice themes run throughout Shakespeare's work. We place faith in legal and religious texts to envision equity, but they — we — often fall short of these ideals. Shakespeare's plays show us gaps in our efforts, especially in places where we aren't always looking. We'll consider two plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Merchant of Venice, examining connections between social and legal authority in the economy, the law, marriage, and love, and how these institutions shape the social worlds of the plays, including the fairy world. Class emphasizes discussion.
Students should bring their own copies of the two plays: The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Any edition will be fine.
Class Times
Dr. Kristen L. Olson
B.A., Colby College; A.L.M. Harvard Univeristy; M.A. and Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University. 20+ years English professor teaching the enthusiastic and the reluctant, alike. Recipient of teaching awards from Penn State and Case Western Reserve; author of multiple publications on 16th- and 17th-century poetry. Occasional dramaturg for Shakespearean theatre. I've also taught future nannies how to help children find music and play in poetry.
