HNRS 2130G — Shakespeare on Film
How do Shakespeare's plays continue to speak to us through the medium of film? Written in a time of rapid social change,Shakespeare's plays invited audiences to think critically about the relationship between the self and others and to question conventions. Performances of Shakespeare have long been used to call out social injustice, from western anti-Semitism prior to World War II (The Merchant of Venice), to civil rights-era white supremacy in the US and apartheid in South African (Othello),and authoritarianism in the Arab Spring (Richard III). This course focuses on post-1980 Hollywood film versions of Shakespeare's plays and a few prior landmark adaptations around the world, examining how they use Shakespeare as a medium for debate and even a catalyst for social change.