In the era of #BlackLivesMatter and #MeTo, how do we engage with classical texts that are traditionally associated with colonial and patriarchal practices? Through the lenses of critical race and gender theories, this intensive seminar examines cinematic representations of Shakespeare’s plays, with a focus on strategies to “decolonize” the canon.   

     This seminar will equip you with pedagogical strategies and critical tools to de-colonize Shakespeare’s plays. Taking an intersectional approach, we will examine theories of race, gender, sexuality, and disability, that are most relevant to our contemporary cultural life, and apply these theories to Shakespearean films.

      In particular, we will focus on racialized bodies, performance of gender and sexuality, disability narratives, feminist interventions, religious fault lines, class struggle, and intersectional identities. Collectively we will reflect on our embodied vulnerability.