Shakespeare and the 20^th and 21^st Centuries

English 2080   •   Cornell University   •   Spring 2020   •   MWF 12:20-1:10   •   S. Davis

What can we learn about Shakespeare's plays from their reception by late modernity? What can we learn about modern cultures from the way they use these texts and the Shakespeare mystique? We will study five plays and their adaptations in film and theater and explore the uses made of Shakespeare in education, advertising, and public culture and by the Shakespeare industry itself. For spring 2020: Titus Andronicus, King Lear, Merchant of Venice, The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing, with live or filmed performances directed by Sam Blake, Akira Kurosawa, Grigori Kozintsev, Josie Rourke, Julie Taymor, and Fred Wilcox. This course may be used as one of the three pre-1800 courses required of English majors. introductory information       •       syllabus       •       scholia      •       prizes!       •       credits