Shakespeare’s Roman Plays: From Republic to Dictatorship (Zoom)
Winter (14+ hours) | Registration opens 11/24/2025 12:00 AM EST
In Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare presents a series of events that illustrate how the Roman Republic collapsed and the Roman Empire emerged in its place. Based on Roman histories, the plays delve into the alliances, plots, and betrayals that shape the public and private lives of the flawed main characters.
In this course, we will examine how Shakespeare adapts his sources, develops his major characters, and crafts his plots to represent the rise and fall of governments. We will also analyze how the plays reflect the cultural context of the Early Modern Period and how they apply to our own times. Teaching methods for the course will include guided discussion, close readings of key passages, and PowerPoint presentations.
This course will combine lecture with class discussions.
Required Books:
Antony and Cleopatra - William Shakespeare, ed. by John Wilders (ISBN-13: 978-1904271017)
Julius Caesar - William Shakespeare, ed. by David Daniell (ISBN-13: 978-1903436219)
Marilyn Roberts
Marilyn Roberts is Professor Emeritus of English at Waynesburg University. During her graduate studies at Columbia University and Newcastle University, she specialized in the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Besides having taught Shakespeare at the college level for over thirty years as well as in several Osher courses, she has published articles about Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and other authors.