Step onto the Elizabethan stage and explore four of Shakespeare’s plays that reflect on acting and performance. You’ll examine how characters present themselves and hide their true thoughts, bringing depth and complexity to the drama. You’ll also learn how theatre worked in Shakespeare’s time and how his plays connected with audiences from all walks of life.

Discover how Shakespeare brought English history to life. Focusing on Henry IV, Part 1, you’ll explore how he blends fact and fiction, seriousness and humour, to create rich and engaging drama. This module shows how stories from the past can still speak to modern audiences through themes of leadership, conflict, and identity.

Explore Shakespeare’s comedies through The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. You’ll learn how these plays follow and challenge the conventions of romantic comedy, raising deeper questions about justice, love, and morality. Expect humour, but also thought-provoking moments that complicate simple ideas of right and wrong.

Examine Shakespeare’s tragic genius through characters like Macbeth. You’ll explore what drives these figures and consider ideas such as the “tragic flaw.” This module also introduces how Shakespeare’s plays come to life in performance, helping you connect what you read on the page with what you see on stage or screen.