Shakespeare, like most playwrights, never intended for his works to be read and studied as words on a page but rather to be watched as performances on a stage. However, by emphasizing performance over the written word, one can easily lose sight of the carefully constructed subtexts, historical and literary references and allusions, and narrative twists. In this class, we will consider Shakespeare's plays as both literary texts and as scripts meant for live performance. In addition to reading film adaptations and performing scenes as critical interpretations, we will see two free live productions at various parks around town (seeing these performances will be integral to the writing assignments and class discussion). Because this is a W-writing course, you should expect to write 10-15 pages of formal writing that has been fully revised at least once. Also, please note that most 200-level English courses are intended for pre-English and non-English majors. Plays: Much Ado About Nothing, Taming of the Shrew, Henry IV Part I, and Richard III.