Shakespeare: The Word and the Action
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For almost 400 years, Shakespeare’s work has been the standard against which all writers have been judged. This course acknowledges that understanding Shakespeare can be difficult because his plays were written 400 years ago.
This difficulty can be overcome by understanding Shakespeare’s "wavelengths"—those conventions of speech and action by which Shakespeare constructed his plays and communicated their powerful effects.
Texts covered include Henry IV, Coriolanus, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Henry VI, Richard III, Hamlet, Antony and Cleopatra, Cymbeline, The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, and Henry VIII, as well as various sonnets.
 Write a Review of Shakespeare: The Word and the Action
 
LOLAlex, February 17, 2006
Reviewer: LOLAlex
Title: This Professor Needs to Join Toastmasters
General Content - In Shakespeare: The Word and the Action, Prof. Peter Saccio digs deep into Shakespeare's collection of plays and pulls out a few gems that you may not expect. Prof. Saccio, who was the lecturer in two previous Shakespeare courses by The Teaching Company, has broadened his base here and lectures on some plays that are sometimes forgotten.
By lecturing on such titles as Henry VII, Coriolanus, and Antony and Cleopatra, he is moving out from the usual standbys and providing views of some occasionally forgotten works. With a list that includes Henry VIII and Cymbeline, this is not a course for the high school sophomore. It is designed for those who have already read Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, and Othello plenty of times and want to stretch out.
However, that is not to say that he is entirely ignoring the standard works; Part I of the course contains many of the more commonly known plays, as well as the sonnets. However, this course is at its best when it stretches out from the well-known plays and opens up new areas of study.
Audio-Specific Content - I listened to The Teaching Company's 8 cassette version of Shakespeare: The Word and the Action and came away less than impressed with the presentation. Though this lecture series has a lot of interesting things to say, this is a case where the audio detracts from the quality of the course as a whole.
Prof. Saccio's lectures are often held up by extended Uhhh's and Ummm's that make him sound like he doesn't know what he is talking about. As well, he has long, unfilled gaps in the lecture that often made me think there was something wrong with the tape. It sounds as though he is trying to read through his notes to figure out where he left off. This may be okay when you actually see the professor and you know that he is still there, but it is more than a little distracting when you are only listening to him speak.
Overall, this is a good course that is often hurt by the audio. It is worth a listen for Shakespeare scholars and students who want to expand their knowledge of the Bard. However, you should start with another lecture series if you only want an introductory course.
- Published:
2002
- Number Of Lectures:
16
- Lecture Time:
45 Min.
- University:
Dartmouth College
- LearnOutLoud.com Product ID:
S002703
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Audio CD |
8 Discs |
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8 Tapes |
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DVD |
4 Discs |
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Video Cassette |
6 Tapes |
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