Shakespeare studies is a complementary minor for many programs. There’s a reason Shakespeare’s poems and plays have endured the test of time. His colorful characters give us a glimpse into specific and universal human experiences.

Why Shakespeare studies at Sewanee?

The minor in Shakespeare studies is an interdisciplinary approach to Shakespeare in performance. It is based on these convictions: a) Shakespeare, as an exemplary literary and historical figure, merits intensive study; b) the literary, historical, and philosophical study of Shakespeare’s text informs and enriches the production of his plays and c) the discipline and experience of performing his plays illuminates the academic study of his work.

A Sampling of Courses

Experience, Expression, and Exchange in Western Culture: Texts and Contexts of Early Modern World
Humanities

This course examines significant focal points of the era that draw together and intersect literature, the arts, philosophy, and politics. Among the course's central topics are the recovery and dissemination of classical learning, the advent of printing, the roots of religious strife, encounters in and beyond the Americas, the emergence of experimental science, and the development of the secular state.

HUMN 105
Shakespeare and the Actor
Theatre

Intensive rehearsal of selected monologues and scenes. Exercises in this course help students develop vocal and physical expressiveness and skill in speaking heightened language.

THTR 232
Medieval Drama and its Legacy
English

A study of the drama of late medieval and early modern England. The course will include selections from liturgical drama, the mystery cycles, morality plays and non-cycle drama, folk plays and farces.

ENGL 350
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Shakespeare Studies

Programs of Study & Related Programs

Requirements for the Minor in Shakespeare Studies

Requirements for the Major in English | Website

Requirements for the Certificate in Creative Writing | Website

Contact

Pamela R. Macfie
Professor of English and Chair of Shakespeare Studies

pmacfie@sewanee.edu

Gailor Hall 113, Ext. 1138

Medieval Colloquium
Throw down the intellectual gauntlet

The Sewanee Medieval Colloquium is a conference for ideas. Medieval scholars across various disciplines converse with each other on a theme, hear lectures, share papers, bring challenging new perspectives to the field. Surrounded by bluffs and forest coves, Sewanee’s neo-Gothic campus offers a beautiful and intimate setting for academic conversation about the past and the future.

Hither!
European Studies
Ancient Greece & Rome or the Middle Ages & the Renaissance

European Studies is a full semester of study abroad and offers the unique experience of studying in a variety of locations in Europe. Students choose between two academic options: ancient Greece & Rome or Western Europe in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

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Tennessee Williams Center
Legacy of the South's favorite playwright

The Tennessee Williams Center provides unique, state-of-the-art facilities for the students and faculty. Created with funds from the estate of Tennessee Williams himself, the center houses a fully equipped 175-seat theatre, a 60-seat studio theatre, a drafting and design studio, a dance studio, costume and scenery studios, and dressing rooms.

On with the show!