How to Read and Understand Shakespeare

by Marc C. Conner

Streaming video, 2013

Status

Available

Call number

822.33

Collections

Publication

Great Courses (2013), 12 hours, 24 lectures, 236 pages

Description

For over 400 years, Shakespeare's plays have enthralled, moved, and enriched each new generation of readers and theatergoers. This lecture series builds the skills that allow you to reach your own understanding of the plays, to deeply comprehend Shakespeare's transcendent poetic language, the spellbinding world of his great characters and stories, and his revelatory reflections on human experience. The tools you learn are yours for years of enjoyment of these monumental treasures of our culture.

User reviews

LibraryThing member trile1000
Comprehensive audiobook about a broad range of business skills, namely strategy, operations, finance, accounting, organizational behavior, and marketing. Both fundamentals and nuances are covered by knowledgeable and engaging lecturers. There is so much content and lessons to be learned that will
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help people grow. Highly recommend this book for those who want to get a wide breadth of the business world and want to sharpen their business skills.
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LibraryThing member datrappert
My daughter, who is home schooled, watched and enjoyed this 24-lecture course very much. Conor is one of the most fluent lecturers I have seen on a Teaching Company course. Perhaps this isn't surprising since he not only teaches Shakespeare but also acts in plays. His selection of plays is good and
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the amount of coverage dedicated to each is about right. Conor uses a set of "tools" to show how to understand Shakespeare's plays. These are a bit contrived--I'm not sure I'd call them tools--they are more like concepts that can be applied across the plays to see similarities and differences, and to especially see how tragedies and comedies share much in common. The presentation is not overdone. The extended quotes from the plays are presented on screen so the language is easy to follow. There are various still photos of scenes from Shakespeare as well, some of which may be familiar from other sources. There are no actual filmed scenes from the plays, but with Conor's skill, he doesn't need them. Highly recommended.
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Language

Original language

English

Physical description

236 p.; 7.5 inches

Local notes

[1] Approaching Shakespeare: the scene begins [2] Shakespeare's theater and stagecraft [3] Midsummer Night's Dream: comic tools [4] Midsummer Night's Dream: comic structure [5] Romeo and Juliet: words, words, words [6] Romeo and Juliet: the tools of tragedy [7] Appearance versus reality in Twelfth Night [8] Twelfth Night: more comic tools [9] Richard II: history and kingship [10] Politics as theater in Henry IV, Part 1 [11] Henry IV, Part 2: contrast and complexity [12] Drama of ideas in Henry V [13] Macbeth: "foul and fair" [14] Tragic woman in Macbeth [15] Staging Hamlet [16] Religious drama of Hamlet [17] Women of Hamlet [18] Merchant of Venice: comedy or tragedy? [19] Arc of character in the Merchant of Venice [20] Measure for Measure: is this comedy? [21] Measure for Measure: overcoming tragedy [22] Tools of romance in The Tempest [23] Tempest: Shakespeare's farewell to art [24] Tools for a lifetime of Shakespeare

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