Shakespeare Seminar (Spring 2027)
Suggested Grade Level: 8th-12th Grade
Course Format: Online, Asynchronous with Instructor Feedback
Course Website Opens: December 20, 2026
Course Dates: January 3, 2027 – May 28, 2027
This one-semester seminar provides an in-depth study of the life, works, and enduring influence of William Shakespeare. Students will explore the development of early modern English theater, including staging practices, audience expectations, and the structure of Renaissance playhouses, gaining an understanding of how Shakespeare’s works were originally performed and received.
A key focus of the course is Shakespeare’s language. Students will learn to read and analyze early modern English with increasing fluency, including an introduction to iambic pentameter, rhetorical patterns, and major literary devices such as metaphor, dramatic irony, foreshadowing, and soliloquy. Through close reading and guided discussion, students will develop the ability to interpret complex dramatic texts with attention to both form and meaning.
We will be reading and analyzing three major plays: Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Macbeth. Each work will be studied for its thematic development, character construction, and historical significance, with emphasis on how meaning is shaped through performance as well as text. Course activities include short analytical writing assignments, discussion responses, and close-reading exercises. The semester culminates in a formal literary analysis essay.
By the end of the course, students will have gained both a foundational appreciation for Shakespeare’s contributions to English literature and the tools necessary to engage deeply with dramatic texts.
Students will receive an invitation to join the course on Google Classroom and must have access to an email address connected to a Google account in order to participate. A copy of the syllabus will be emailed to both student and parent in advance. The course website and initial materials will become available on December 20th, allowing families time to familiarize themselves with the course before instruction officially begins on January 3rd.
Each Sunday, students will receive access to 3-4 prerecorded instructional lectures along with all assignments for the upcoming week. Weekly coursework may include reading assignments, short writing responses, discussion questions, quizzes, and one paper at the end of the semester.
Course Materials and Assignments
We will be utilizing the “No Fear Shakespeare” versions of these three plays, all available on Amazon at a low cost. Parents are responsible for ensuring their students have a copy of all three plays.
All assignments, quizzes, and tests will be submitted through Google Classroom.
To provide flexibility for homeschooling families while encouraging responsibility and time-management skills, students are given a two-week completion window for all assignments, quizzes, and tests. This structure allows students to work at an individualized pace while becoming accustomed to the expectations of dual-enrollment and college-style coursework.
Instructor Support and Feedback
Students receive individualized grading and feedback on all assignments and assessments, including personalized suggestions for improvement. Questions may be submitted directly through Google Classroom, and video conferences may be arranged when additional guidance, instruction, or feedback is needed.
Transcript Recommendation
This course is appropriate for 8th-12th grade students. Families may wish to record this course on a high school transcript as:
Shakespeare Seminar
Suggested Grade Level: 8th-12th Grade
Course Format: Online, Asynchronous with Instructor Feedback
Course Website Opens: December 20, 2026
Course Dates: January 3, 2027 – May 28, 2027
This one-semester seminar provides an in-depth study of the life, works, and enduring influence of William Shakespeare. Students will explore the development of early modern English theater, including staging practices, audience expectations, and the structure of Renaissance playhouses, gaining an understanding of how Shakespeare’s works were originally performed and received.
A key focus of the course is Shakespeare’s language. Students will learn to read and analyze early modern English with increasing fluency, including an introduction to iambic pentameter, rhetorical patterns, and major literary devices such as metaphor, dramatic irony, foreshadowing, and soliloquy. Through close reading and guided discussion, students will develop the ability to interpret complex dramatic texts with attention to both form and meaning.
We will be reading and analyzing three major plays: Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Macbeth. Each work will be studied for its thematic development, character construction, and historical significance, with emphasis on how meaning is shaped through performance as well as text. Course activities include short analytical writing assignments, discussion responses, and close-reading exercises. The semester culminates in a formal literary analysis essay.
By the end of the course, students will have gained both a foundational appreciation for Shakespeare’s contributions to English literature and the tools necessary to engage deeply with dramatic texts.
Students will receive an invitation to join the course on Google Classroom and must have access to an email address connected to a Google account in order to participate. A copy of the syllabus will be emailed to both student and parent in advance. The course website and initial materials will become available on December 20th, allowing families time to familiarize themselves with the course before instruction officially begins on January 3rd.
Each Sunday, students will receive access to 3-4 prerecorded instructional lectures along with all assignments for the upcoming week. Weekly coursework may include reading assignments, short writing responses, discussion questions, quizzes, and one paper at the end of the semester.
Course Materials and Assignments
We will be utilizing the “No Fear Shakespeare” versions of these three plays, all available on Amazon at a low cost. Parents are responsible for ensuring their students have a copy of all three plays.
All assignments, quizzes, and tests will be submitted through Google Classroom.
To provide flexibility for homeschooling families while encouraging responsibility and time-management skills, students are given a two-week completion window for all assignments, quizzes, and tests. This structure allows students to work at an individualized pace while becoming accustomed to the expectations of dual-enrollment and college-style coursework.
Instructor Support and Feedback
Students receive individualized grading and feedback on all assignments and assessments, including personalized suggestions for improvement. Questions may be submitted directly through Google Classroom, and video conferences may be arranged when additional guidance, instruction, or feedback is needed.
Transcript Recommendation
This course is appropriate for 8th-12th grade students. Families may wish to record this course on a high school transcript as:
Shakespeare Seminar