Actually Enjoying Shakespeare

Description

Subjects: Language Arts, Social Studies, Electives

Grades: 9-12 (ages 14-18)

Teacher: Melissa Brown

Course Length: 1 semester

Meets: Time TBD based on family availability.
Fall 2026: Sept. 5th – Dec. 15th, 2026
**Meeting time subject to change if all participants agree on a better time for them.**

Description:

Shakespeare isn’t inherently boring or incomprehensible; students are often just introduced to him in a way that makes him feel that way. He belongs to anyone who enjoys comedy, conflict, romance, spectacle, wordplay, suspense, or human beings behaving badly. In this course, we will remove the blinding shine of reverence to reveal a real writer creating work for real audiences. We will survey Shakespeare’s plays and poetry alongside the biographical evidence and history of the moment that produced them. Students will leave with a more grounded understanding of who Shakespeare was, how his theatre worked, why his writing has remained alive, and the context needed to laugh at the funny parts. 

Key Topics:

• Critical thinking and reading
• Theatre appreciation
• Engaging historical analysis

Additional Info:

• Teacher Bio: click here to find the bio for Melissa Brown