Some of us may have come to Shakespeare just recently. Still, it’s never too late to look at what is so special about him, by embarking on a wonderful journey from Stratford-upon-Avon to London to explore this man and his times. Shakespeare was born in just the right place at the right time; Elizabethan England. We look at his early life in Stratford and London, how he ‘became’ Shakespeare, and his global influence.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face / Online

SUGGESTED READING

• On Shakespeare, John Bell, Allen & Unwin, 2011
• Shakespeare, Peter Ackroyd
• 1599, James Shapiro, Faber and Faber, 2005
• 1606, James Shapiro, Faber and Faber, 2015
• Contested Will, James Shapiro, Faber and Faber 2010

COURSE OUTLINE

• Times of great change; Who wrote Shakespeare?; Stratford-upon-Avon
• Shakespeare Birthplace Trust; Shakespeare’s school; Memorial Theatre
• Shakespeare in America; Bardology & the journey through the Cotswolds
• Early London Theatres; Anne Hathaway’s Cottage; Elizabethan identities
• Spanish Armada; The journey towards London; Becoming Shakespeare

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Have a greater appreciation of have a greater understanding of Shakespeare’s life, work and travels