HUM: Lesson - William Shakespeare

A statue of a large, open book in front of a building. Title: Midsommer Night's Dreame written by William Shakespeare.William Shakespeare

Greek dramatists perfected the art of presenting humor to their audience. Unfortunately, this art was mostly lost in the Dark Ages. The Renaissance brought drama and comedy, among many other arts, back to life. William Shakespeare returned to the ancient sources for many of the plots of his comedies. Like his tragedies, which are also borrowed from other sources, Shakespeare's comedic works are exemplars of linguistic genius. The turn of a phrase or the unique diction conjures the timelessness of the human experience. One of his most popular plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream, is an example of Shakespeare reaching back to his predecessors.

Reading Assignment: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Reading Shakespeare can be a very enjoyable experience, but it can also prove quite difficult. To help with the process, we are providing a plan, as follows:

Embedded and Video Versions

Read the embedded version of A Midsummer Night's Dream here:

Watch a performance by Rice University's Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts.

Please note: the video does include captions, but they will not always be accurate. It can be very difficult to properly transcribe all of the nuances of a play by Shakespeare. If you are having trouble following along with the dialogue in the play, try using the text of the play as a guide.

Practice Activity

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