Over the course of the semester we have studied three of Shakespeare’s pieces, his sonnets, and his history, working to interpret the texts and put the pieces into historical context. At the beginning of the semester we studied the history of Shakespeare, his background and upbringing, setting the stage, so to speak, for getting to know the Bard. We then studied a few of his sonnets, looking for similar themes and learning how to read them. We then moved on to reading Richard III, Julius Caesar, and The Tempest. For each of these texts we analyzed the importance of magic or supernatural occurrences, the antagonists to determine their intentions, and the interpersonal relationships between characters.
We were also given the opportunity to see each of these pieces performed. Though I did not watch an entire dramatized version for each of the three texts, I did take the time to watch a scene or two. In doing this I was able to see the different meanings of the texts as interpreted by the directors and experience the plays in a different light. For my final paper for this class I watched The Tempest (2010), directed by Julie Taymor and wrote an analysis of the written and dramatized version. Though there were few differences in the script, Taymor produced a film so different from what I imagined! This helped me to see how all of Shakespeare’s plays can be interpreted and reenacted differently. I loved this course! I thoroughly enjoyed the time we devoted to the plays and the in-depth class discussions. Overall, I feel I have a better understanding of how to analyze Shakespeare’s plays thanks to the input from my peers and instructor.