Shakespeare and Education – (M.A.)

Contents

You can pursue the programme through a range of pathways. Each module is available through four routes:

* A two-week summer school
* Three long weekends
* One day a week throughout a semester (ten days)
* Distance learning option

Please note: with the exception of distance learning, not all modules are available through all pathways every year. The schedule of delivery allows access to all modules through a range of pathways over any three-year period.

Core modules
* Shakespeare's Theatre -
The three components of this core module are: close reading of text to discover the theatrical function and distinctive qualities of Shakespeare's language; a study of Elizabethan and early Jacobean stages and staging; and the historical context, including Shakespeare's medieval inheritance. These are complemented with research and study skills.
* Shakespeare and Education -
This compulsory module provides an opportunity to explore the history, philosophy and pedagogy of teaching Shakespeare. Students will participate in an intensive six-day course which includes three days with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), looking at practical teaching methods, and three days at the Shakespeare Institute. You will consider the different elements of Shakespeare's work that are taught, and the methods and resources used to teach them. You will have the chance to prepare practical teaching activities and assess learning outcomes.

Optional modules
Students choose two optional modules from a list that includes:

* Shakespeare's Legacy -
This module will consider the adaptation and appropriation of Shakespeare’s plays from 1660 to the present day. You will explore the changes and developments in theatrical practice and the shifts in cultural attitudes towards Shakespeare and his work that will inform an understanding of trends in performance and presentation.
* The Text of Shakespeare -
A critical awareness of the textual foundations of Shakespeare’s plays will be developed in this module. Topics covered include: the relationship between a modern edition of a ply and the earliest printed texts, the treatment of the text in the theatre (including censorship, revision and adaptation) and Shakespeare as a collaborator.
* Acting and Directing Shakespeare -
This module will consider trends of acting and directing Shakespeare from the Restoration to the present day, exploring the primary evidence provided by the Stratford archives to undertake studies of individual actors and directors from the eighteenth century onwards, including Ellen Terry, Laurence Olivier, Peter Brook and Sam Mendes.
* Shakespeare’s Women -
This module will focus on the presence and absence of women’s roles in Shakespeare’s plays, focusing on text, performance, and context, which will lead to consideration of the critical and theoretical responses the roles have generated.
* Shakespeare’s Craftsmanship -
This module focuses on the construction of Shakespeare’s plays. It considers the manipulation of course material and genre, the structuring of the dramatic narrative and the use of language for dramatic function and effect.

Type of Course: Taught, distance learning, continuing professional development

Duration: 1 year full-time, up to 6 years part-time