Shakespeare and the Collective Voices
Mondays, September 8–December 1 (12 weeks) from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Hybrid (online and in the Barn Door Gallery at 33 Hawley)
Suggested donations on a sliding scale of $25–$50 help support our programming!
Discover the joy of Shakespeare in an engaging and welcoming community! Our 2025 program features seminars, guest speakers, and workshops, offering fresh insights into the Bard’s works. Whether you’re a longtime Shakespeare enthusiast or new to his plays, there’s something for everyone! Be part of the conversation—learn, explore, and celebrate Shakespeare with us!
For more details and to register, visit: https://www.communityshakespearene.org/
Fall 2025 Course Description:
Plays under discussion: Timon of Athens (1608), Julius Caesar (1599), and Coriolanus (1608)
Course Description:
This course examines the dynamic role of the “collective” voice in Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens (1608), Julius Caesar (1599), and Coriolanus (1608), focusing on how groups—citizens, conspirators, tribunes, pirates, fishermen, and commoners—challenge, uphold, or complicate systems of power. We will analyze the many forms the collective takes, from the explicitly labeled “All” and “Chorus” to the more nuanced voices of minor characters who represent the pulse of the populace.
Through close readings, we will investigate how Shakespeare uses different narrative perspectives—first, second, and third person—to shape the identities of these groups. What do these voices reveal about public opinion, civic duty, and the fragile relationship between rulers and the ruled? How do the common people’s words and actions expose tensions within political hierarchies, and what role does their language play in constructing or deconstructing authority?
By situating these plays within their historical context and considering their resonance in contemporary society, this course invites students to rethink the significance of collective voices. Are they simply background noise to the tragedies of great men, or do they carry a subversive power of their own? Together, we’ll explore how Shakespeare’s “common” characters speak to the enduring struggles between the governed and those who govern.