Course Description

For over four centuries, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has moved audiences to tears, lamenting the deaths of young lovers whose fate was sealed with their first kiss. Victims of passion, enmity, and miscalculation, Romeo and Juliet is synonymous with great love and beautiful language. Composers from Tchaikovsky through Prokofiev and later Bernstein have immortalized the couple in music and ballet. However, the play has its critics too. It has been attacked over the years as overly violent and too dependent upon coincidence rather than character development. Marcus examines the play’s plot structure, characters, and language. She highlights the play’s humor (yes, it has its moments), motifs, and improbabilities. She also discusses the play’s performance and film history, looking at several of the most famous productions that featured notables like Ellen Terry, Edwin Booth, John Gielgud, Claire Danes, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Marcus’ lecture is accompanied by a colorful PowerPoint.