Shakespeare monument in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford, C17 2/10

This image: Sicinius, CC BY-SA 4.0 via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monument-ht6.jpg

‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’ This  simple question introduces possibly  the most beloved poem in the English language, but the 154 sonnets to which it belongs raise a host of far more complex ones.   When were they written? Why did Shakespeare publish them in 1609, and could it have been without his consent?  Who is the dedicatee, Mr W H?  Who decided on which order they should be placed, and do they tell a story?   And most intriguing of all, who are the young man, the rival poet, and the ‘woman colour’d ill’ who are the players in this story?

We are unlikely ever to know the answers, but following the trail of these mysteries has always been compelling and has even led some scholars, actors and celebrities to conclude that William Shakespeare of Stratford wrote neither these poems nor the incomparable dramas for which he is famous.   The history of these dissenters – Marlovians, Baconians, Oxfordians – would make a course in itself…

However, being ‘short and sweet’ like the sonnet format itself, this course gives us time to explore what we know about Shakespeare in the context of Elizabethan and Jacobean ideas about art and love, and to track the progress of the sonnets through the centuries to our current obsession with memoir, identity and gender.   Most important of all we will look more closely at some of the most beautiful, enigmatic and shocking of these great poems.

NB This course is delivered by Judith Hedley for Wright History (see here for an introduction to Judith).

There will be more space for questions and reactions than in most of our courses. Sessions will be recorded as usual, but catch-up recordings may include the discussion sections (unless there is any objection). As ever, recordings are only available to those who have registered.

Registration and access practicalities will be as for all Wright History courses. Joanna will be on hand throughout each session to deal with the practicalities of zoom and “room” management.

RJW F2412 Online course (via Zoom)

A 4-hour short course, delivered via 2 x 2-hour sessions on consecutive Thursdays (Thursday 11 & Thursday 18 April)

£36 (individual registration); £65 (for two people sharing one screen).