This term Shakespeare (21L.009) approaches some of the playwright’s most enduring works through close reading of the text(s) and through their vibrant and varied afterlife in performance and on film, including scenes from productions from across the world in the MIT Global Shakespeares Video and Performance Archive. In addition to several papers, work for the subject will include class discussion, notes on each play, and short student presentations. Focuses on the reading of six to eight of Shakespeare’s plays, as well as their adaptation for stage and/or film. Selected texts cover the range of genres in which Shakespeare wrote (i.e., history, comedy, tragedy, and romance). Special emphasis in some terms on performances and adaptations of Shakespearean drama around the world. Plays studied vary term to term, and have recently included A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and The Tempest. We may also attend one or more theatrical performances, depending on what is available in the Boston area during the semester.