Shakespeare Courses

Who is William Shakespeare?

Shakespeare is widely considered one of the greatest English playwrights and poets of all time. His work is read widely in school, performed regularly, and forms the basis of many of our most well-known works today. While much about Shakespeare's life remains a mystery, including a persistent conspiracy theory that he wasn't the writer of his plays at all, Shakespeare's plays remain popular and some of the most recognizable works of all time. Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Othello are not only legends on their own, but have been redone many times and provided inspiration for countless other stories. Shakespeare was born at Stratford upon Avon during the mid-1500s, where he lived, married Anne Hathaway, and had three children (Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet). Little is known about his personal life, although much speculation surrounds it. He wrote the bulk of his plays between 1589 and 1613 and died in 1623. Soon after his death, friends published all but two of his plays in the First Folio.

Learn about Shakespeare

Whether you want to get to know the Bard and the legend or you're more interested in Shakespeare's works, EdX.org has a course for you. Delivered in partnership with leading institutions in the field, you'll learn about Shakespeare, his work, and what life was like in Elizabethan England at the time of his life.

Shakespearean Courses and Certifications

Adelaide X's course, Shakespeare Matters, introduce's the Bard's works through emotions. You'll learn a different centered emotion each week as portrayed by Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, A Winter's Tale, and King Henry V. For a comprehensive look at Shakespeare and his life, Harvard offers an X-series program, Shakespeare's Outsiders. You'll study Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, and Othello in-depth. Harvard also offers a simple look at Shakespeare's life through Elizabethan and Jacobean history. You'll learn what we know about his early life, including family such as John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, his life performing in London, and fixtures in his life, such as the Globe theater and Lord Chamberlain's Men, and his burial place at Holy Trinity Church.

The Bard of Avon

Shakespeare's works, including tragedies like Macbeth, King Lear, and Julius Caesar, and comedies like Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, and As You Like It remain some of the most significant examples of English language literature that we have. His plays are performed regularly still and have been translated into every major living language. Whether you're interested in his life and lost years or rediscovering the complete works, edX.org has courses that enlighten and fascinate. Even after Shakespeare's death, the English poet and playwright continue to hold our fascination. This "upstart crow" not only changed the landscape of literature, but he also remains one of England's most beloved creators.