Course Description:

Students will read and discuss two of Shakespeare’s comedies, such as, but not limited to, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Taming of the Shrew, and Much Ado about Nothing. This discussion will be supplemented by peer-reviewed literary criticism, recorded performances, and excerpts from other Shakespearean plays and poetry to create a well-rounded understanding and appreciation for Shakespeare’s comedy. We will explore universal themes, comic elements, and common Shakespeare-isms that will help students develop a set of tools to use when studying Shakespeare in their English classes. This class is great for high school students of any level but might be especially helpful for students interested in AP English Literature and Composition, as Shakespeare is enormously influential in that course.