This year the world celebrates William Shakespeare’s 450th birthday. There will be plenty of meetings,

lectures and festivals… and we want you to be part of them! That is why we are inviting you to…

ShakespeareanShakespearean SessionsSessions

very fortnightly Saturday we will meet in Caballito and discuss some of the Bard’s major texts. In about an hour and a half –from 3 to 4.30 pm, we will analyse his overarching concerns in

the light of specialised and prestigious bibliography that you will be provided with. We will also watch some videos and films in the midst of a pleasant and encouraging atmosphere with warm tea and some delicacies.

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What will we read?

First session on March 15th y mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun”, by William Shakespeare; “Apollo’s Song”, by John Lyly; “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”, by Christopher Marlowe; “The

Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”, by Sir Walter Raleigh: This way, the transitional times of the Renaissance period will be introduced to us. We will start to explore the geographies of rural and urban spaces and acquire an insight into how they affect love. Will the language of love in the 16th century be understood? Are we to discuss such a feeling in the 21st century? Shakespeare, our contemporary, will guide us through such tasks.

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Second session on March 29th s you like it… and how a comedy can interact with its context of production. We will be able to advance further into the treatment of love: can a boy actor

play a naughty young lady who disguises herself as a young man to teach her male lover to love her?  Rosalind can: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players”. Finally, we are to explore whether love is the right medicine to fight off Jaques’ s melancholy.

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Third session on April 12th

amlet: We will try to give a twist to the widely known melancholy that affects the Prince of Denmark. How powerful can the words of a ghost be? Is his famous

“to be or not to be” just a question about suicide? The polysemic quality of the tragedy will be discussed in the light of the ideas of Humanism.

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Fourth session on April 26th ing Richard III: Has the Renaissance invented The Human? Or has it also created monsters? A horse, a horse, an answer for a horse! We will embark upon this

discussion by analysing one of the most evil creatures ever.K

Fifth session on May 10th he Tempest: “Our revels are now ended” and the last stage invites us to witness the rise and fall of Prospero, not only a great magician but also a

humanist prototype. Prospero’s journey will show us its consequences on Europe as well as what we now call developing countries. As you can see, Shakespeare keeps on holding “the mirror up to nature”.

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And if all this seems too much, And if all this seems too much, when there’s awhen there’s aWillWill, ,

there’s a way!!!there’s a way!!!

How will you profit from these sessions?

You’ll acquire a deeper and a broader insight into Shakespeare’s world by means of enriching exchanges of ideas in a welcoming atmosphere;

You’ll count on our guidance to understand the Bard’s concerns in his context... and in ours;

You’ll be given tools and strategies to understand and tackle his sometimes feared language;

You’ll receive a virtual folder with the poems and the plays to be discussed;

You’ll be equipped with critical bibliography;You’ll be offered suggestions to develop your Shakesperean insights in

films; You’ll be given assessment if interested in harbouring your own reading

hypothesis;You’ll get a little present at the end of the course.

What do you need to be part of these sessions?

A good command of English;

Genuine interest –though not necessarily expertise– in literature;

Bravery –to approach such distant texts– coupled with willingness to enjoy Shakespeare and have a wonderful time!

Who will be your tutors? ecilia Lasa is a Teacher of English graduated from IES en Lenguas Vivas “Juan R. Fernández”. She has specialised in literature by means of a two-year postgraduate course –adscripción– at such an institute as well as through a graduate course –adscripción– at Universidad de Buenos

Aires with a research project that consists in an annotated translation of Sir Thomas More, an apocryphal history play partially attributed to William Shakespeare. She is currently writing her dissertation paper for her Master’s Degree in Literatures in Foreign Languages and Comparative Literatures. She is working as a Teacher of Literature in English in secondary schools and ISP “Dr. Joaquín V. González” and ENS en Lenguas Vivas “Sofía E. B. de Spangenberg”. Last term she started to teach English Literature at Universidad de Buenos Aires.

Carina Menán is a Teacher of English graduated from IES en Lenguas Vivas “Juan R. Fernández”. She also holds a degree as a Teacher of Language and Literature from Universidad de Buenos Aires, where she has specialised in literature by means of a two-year

graduate course –adscripción– with a research project on an annotated translation of The Changeling, a Renaissance revenge tragedy by Thomas Middleton. In 2011 she was granted a scholarship to attend the Globe Cultural Seminar in London by the English Speaking Union. This year she is receiving her graduate degree –licenciatura– in Language and Literature. She is working as a Teacher of Literature in English in secondary schools and IES “Cultura Inglesa” in San Martín and Universidad del Museo Social Argentino.

CBoth Carina and Cecilia are currently taking the second and last year of the Specialisation in Reading, Writing and Education at Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales –FLACSO–. Together and individually, they have written and read research papers at national and international conferences both on the Renaissance, in general, and on the Bard's production, in particular. This year they are part of the coordination of “I Jornadas de Literatura Inglesa: a 450  años del Nacimiento de William Shakespeare”, organised by the English Literature Department at Universidad de Buenos Aires.

PaymentEach session costs $ 150. If the five sessions are paid in advance you’ll have a 15% discount. If you and two more friends enroll together, the full amount for the course is $600 each.

ContactFor enrollment –preferably, before March 12th– and further information, contact us at cecilia_ev_lasa@hotmail.com and cmenan@hotmail.com.

May Shakespeare be with you!May Shakespeare be with you!