Explore Shakespeare’s stagecraft through three of his most well-known plays: Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice and Macbeth. Study fascinating theatrical and social contexts that shaped Shakespeare’s plays. On this course, you’ll explore the language, themes, and contexts of three of Shakespeare’s most widely studied and frequently performed plays.

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You’ll consider the different performance choices they offer and learn about the theatrical practices that influenced Shakespeare’s stagecraft.

This course will complement curriculums across the globe while offering students the chance to delve deeper into areas that schools often don’t have time to cover, such as performance, dramaturgy, and context.

The course can be taken remotely by an entire class, offering students the option to learn together during the disruption of their studies due to COVID-19.

What topics will you cover?

- Shakespeare’s stagecraft

- Early modern performance conditions and Shakespeare’s plays

- Language and how it creates meaning

- Historical and literary context of the plays

- The afterlives of Shakespeare’s plays

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

- Explore the language and themes of Shakespeare’s plays

- Identify early modern performance practices and how they contributed to Shakespeare’s stagecraft

- Explain the plays’ social and historical context

- Compare different performance choices

The Merchant of Venice

Enroll in course

MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Course Auditing

FutureLearn

King's College London

Gemma Miller