IN PERSON: Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” is set on a remote island. Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan having occult powers, lives there with his daughter Miranda, the spirit Ariel, and the native Caliban. When he conjures a storm bringing members of his former court to the island, we are whirled into a maelstrom where themes of power, betrayal, civilization, illusion, family, and forgiveness are explored. Its portrayal of Prospero as an avatar of Shakespeare provides a complex portrait of a man embedded in his artful practices who seeks to shape the lives of those around him, much as a playwright might do. We will examine these ideas in a close reading of the play. Students will also consider the effects of colonial power that situate Prospero’s island as less a “brave new world” than as a metaphor for the damage visited on native peoples and the power of art itself. Class sessions will consist of lecture and discussion. No previous experience with Shakespeare is necessary, and all are welcome. | Lecture + Q&A.
Max enrollment: 20.
Location: Judea Reform Congregation, 1933 W. Cornwallis Rd, Durham NC 27705
