Shakespeare Appreciation
| Leader/Coordinator: | Kathie A |
Aims and Objectives of the group:
From each text
• we consider the social and political context of the play
• study the eloquence and beauty of the poetic language
• consider the characters, their motivations, their values, beliefs and importance to the play
• consider themes within the play (eg mercy/revenge, love/hate, prejudices/racism, values/loyalty)
• consider the timelessness of Shakespeare and how we still empathise/care about these issues today.
Any expertise needed:
An enthusiasm for Shakespeare’s work. An interest in social and political history. A willingness to analyse each text in depth over a number of meetings and contribute to group discussion.
Equipment needed (rough costs if any):
Each member buys their own copy of the text.
A television and DVD/video player as we study different film productions of each play. We buy DVDs, borrow from other members or utilise the U3A Resources Centre.
Maximum number permitted in the group:
6 so that we can comfortably fit into a member’s living room and watch a DVD.
Location, day and time of meetings:
Leader’s home, 3rd Tuesday of each month (unless seeing a production), Totternhoe, 10.00am – 12.00 midday.
A brief description of a typical meeting:
We agree on each new play by group discussion. A member often volunteers to make notes on the play’s historical context and/or various acts/scenes which are then scanned to members and discussed at the next meeting. We usually watch at least one production of the play on DVD and read much of the play ourselves which allows us to further appreciate Shakespeare's use of language and techniques; we also look at other plays and playwrights of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. We usually spend about four months on each play. Our meeting is an open forum and all members' opinions and ideas are welcomed.
Last updated April 2022