Mar 18

Shakespeare's Grand Tour

Dustin Gish, Ph.D.

As far as we know, Shakespeare never traveled to Italy. But the culture of Italy clearly fascinated him. The dramatic action for one-third of his plays takes place within an Italian setting, either ancient or contemporary.

Five plays, all tragedies, are set in the ancient Roman world, from the time of the early Republic (Coriolanus) down through the late republican and imperial eras (Julius Caesar, Antony & Cleopatra, Cymbeline, Titus Andronicus). Many of Shakespeare's most beloved plays are also set in an Italian context: Romeo & Juliet and Two Gentlemen (Verona), Much Ado About Nothing and The Winter's Tale (Sicily), Othello the Moor and The Merchant (Venice), and The Taming of the Shrew (Padua). And of course, Shakespeare’s final masterpiece, The Tempest, is set on the shores of an unknown island, somewhere in the Mediterranean off the coast of Italy.

Shakespeare's fascination with Italy inspired much of his work as a playwright. His Italian settings are so crucial to his plots that the locations themselves have become characters in their own right. In this 6-week course, we ourselves take inspiration from Shakespeare – as we follow him on his Grand Tour of Italy through his plays.

Tuesdays | 6 weeks | March 18 - April 22
March 18 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
March 25 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
April 01 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
April 08 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
April 15 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
April 22 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

$220 | In person and simulcast


Semester

$220.00

Class Tuition

55 in stock

Price is per student. Class tuition is non-refundable.