Literature
Reading Shakespeare: a director’s perspective – Macbeth and Coriolanus
A beginner-level literature course exploring Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Coriolanus through close reading and a director’s approach to performance.
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Upcoming classes
1 class
About this course
The course examines scenes from Macbeth and Coriolanus, comparing their treatment of brutality, power and influential female characters. It considers each play’s structure, Shakespeare’s verse and language, and the challenges of transferring the scripts to performance. Teaching combines tutor-led mini-lectures with small- and large-group discussion, detailed scene reading and optional reading aloud. Filmed performance extracts may be used to explore how directors interpret the texts.
What you'll learn
- Discuss Macbeth and Coriolanus in an informed way
- Identify significant themes and explain how performance choices might illuminate them
- Recognise key features of Shakespeare’s verse and analyse how language contributes to character and setting
Is this course right for you?
The course is intended for beginners with an interest in reading, considering and discussing Shakespeare’s plays. No previous knowledge is required. Participation includes group discussion and detailed text work, with reading aloud available to those who wish to take part.
- Suitable for learners without previous knowledge of the plays
- Requires assigned reading between classes
- Reading aloud is optional
Before you go
- Participants need to buy or borrow copies of Macbeth and Coriolanus in any edition.
- Assigned reading is required each week; individual research is available for those who wish to do it.