Teacher: David Sloan
(Read more about his biography here)
Dates for 4-week course:
Nov 11 to Dec 13, 2024 (with one week break for Thanksgiving)
Times for Live Sessions: Monday through Thursday, Starting at 9:30am MT (which is 11:30am ET and 8:30am PT). Each live session lasts between 50 and 80 minutes.
Course Description
Four hundred years after his death, the genius of William Shakespeare has never burned brighter. Every month, on every continent, at least one of his plays is performed in high schools, community theaters, or on professional stages. In this course, we will examine the ground-breaking role of perhaps his greatest character—Hamlet—and why Hamlet has been called “the first modern individual.” We will consider some of the agonizing questions Hamlet must grapple with that still perplex us today:
- How do we deal with our own self-doubt, negativity, “inner demons?”
- How do we choose between outer obligations and the call of our own conscience?
- How do we stay true to ourselves in the face of betrayal and corruption?
- Who determines the boundary between sanity and madness?
- What is the appeal—and the ultimate cost—of revenge?
As an “antidote” to the tragic consequences of Hamlet, we will also read Shakespeare’s final play, The Tempest, with its primary themes of redemption, transformation and love.
Students who enjoy acting will have an opportunity to participate in daily dramatic readings of selected scenes. They will write several short compositions addressing some of the key questions informing the plays; they will also have the option of creating a final artistic project, responding to some theme or aspect of the course work of special interest to the students.
Course Materials:
Folger edition of Hamlet. ISBN-13: 9781451669411
Folger edition of The Tempest. ISBN-13: 978-0743482837
