Shakespeare is best known for his plays but many a suitor still turns to his sonnets when trying to win over a beloved. Scholars still argue about the arrangement of his 154 sonnet sequence as well as their autobiographical significance. Who is the young man the speaker addresses? Who is the dark lady? Did Shakespeare invent them? This class will review how England adopted the European sonnet form. We will then study carefully 20 sonnets selected from across the story Shakespeare tells.
ZOOM LINK: Available on website to paid and registered members
CLASS LIMIT: 95
INSTRUCTOR: Helen Whall, After finishing her Ph.D. at Yale University, Helen joined the faculty at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. There she taught Shakespeare and the Renaissance as well as modern drama. Since retiring in 2017, Helen has offered several courses for WISE.
REQUIRED BOOK: Any edition of Shakespeare’s complete sonnets (can be found available online).
FOR THE FIRST CLASS: Read Sonnets 3, 12, 17 and 18