Sonnets are excellent exercise pieces for actors and in five practical workshops each student will be given a Shakespeare sonnet to bring alive in performance. These are all like little self contained scenes only fourteen lines long during which various ideas and emotions are explored and finally resolved. Sometimes the sonnet is directed to a lover, sometimes it is more like a soliloquy.
They are written in blank verse metre with a defined rhyming scheme, ending in a rhyming couplet which sums up the arguments in the first twelve lines. As ever, Shakespeare’s wordplay is there to help the actors make their choices in performance. These amazing sonnets, full of love and desire, are wonderful to work on and reveal the extraordinary power of poetry to express the truth about human emotions.
Students will be given a sonnet each at the start of the course. However, if they want to come with a choice of t heir own that will be fine. They should come prepared to be playful with the language and be able to speak English with a degree of confidence. We shall start each workshop with a brief physical and vocal warmup, so wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Lap tops should not be brought to class. Students should bring an edition of Shakespeare’s sonnets to every class, including the first one.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes for this course are:
- To understand the sonnet form and structure;
- To explore Shakespeare’s wordplay;
- To perform a sonnet with wit and enjoyment.
Classes
1. Understanding how a sonnet works.
2. Wordplay. How to recognise and relish this.
3. Antithesis.
4. Alliteration and assonance.
5. All sonnets will be performed in class.
Required reading
Shakespeare. Shakespeare's Sonnets. Penguin Classics, 2015 (any edition)
Typical week: Monday to Friday
For each week of study you select a morning (Am) and an afternoon (Pm) course, each course has five sessions, one each day Monday to Friday. The maximum class size is 25 students. Your weekly courses are complemented by a series of two daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to the learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events.
| c.8.00am-9.00am |
Breakfast in College (for residents) |
| 9.00am-10.30am |
Am Course |
| 11.15am-12.30pm |
Plenary Lecture |
| 12.30pm-1.45pm |
Lunch |
| 1.45pm-3.15pm |
Pm Course |
| 4.00pm-5.15pm |
Plenary Lecture |
| c.6.00/6.15pm-7.15/7.30pm |
Dinner in College (for residents) |
| c.7.30pm onwards |
Evening talk/event |
Evaluation and Academic Credit
If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.
Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £65 per essay.
For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit.
Certificate of attendance
A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically within a week of your courses finishing.
