The works of William Shakespeare are foundational for two disciplines that Loyola offers as majors, English and Theatre, and central to the liberal arts tradition that is at the core of the College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate experience.
The Shakespeare Studies Minor will provide Loyola undergraduates with the opportunity to pursue advanced study in an interdisciplinary fashion. Drawing from six academic departments, Shakespeare is one of the primary filters through which we experience the classical and medieval worlds. He provides a crucible in which one can study Renaissance history, philosophy, arts and literature. His work has had had a profound impact on the Western intellectual tradition, wrestled with by figures as wide-ranging as Coleridge, Goethe, Nietzsche, Dickens, Melville, and Freud; and his plays have inspired innumerable appropriations and adaptations, in every conceivable form, from painting to opera, dance, film, and beyond. To encounter Shakespeare is to encounter as far as it possible through a single figure, the breadth and scope of history, art, culture, and philosophy, making his work an ideal focal point for interdisciplinary spirit.
Students who wish to minor in Shakespeare Studies should contact Lee Keenan, the Director of Theatre.
Curriculum
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| ENGL 326 | Shakespeare: Selected Major Plays | 3 |
| THTR 365 | Theatre History and Literature II | 3 |
| THTR 393 | Shakespeare Seminar | 3 |
| 9 |
| Classical Mythology | |
| Classical Mythology - Women/Gender Focus | |
| Classical Tragedy | |
| Classical Tragedy - Women/Gender Focus | |
| World of Classical Rome | |
| Classical Comedy & Satire | |
| World of Classical Greece | |
| Romance Novel in Ancient World | |
| The Age of Caesar | |
| Roman Comedy | |
| Seneca | |
| Aristophanes | |
| Aeschylus | |
| Sophocles | |
| Euripides | |
| British Literature-The Renaissance | |
| Studies in Shakespeare | |
| Studies in The Renaissance | |
| Studies in Drama (when appropriate) | |
| Studies in Philososphy & Literature (if topic is appropriate) | |
| Renaissance | |
| The Reformation | |
| History of Poland | |
| London 1550 - 1715 | |
| Europe in the Age of Catastrophe, 1900-1945 | |
| Acting Theories &Techniques II | |
| Rehearsal & Performance (when appropriate) | |
| Theatre History and Literature I | |
| Total Hours | 18 |
Suggested Sequence of Courses
The below sequence of courses is meant to be used as a suggested path for completing coursework. An individual student’s completion of requirements depends on course offerings in a given term as well as the start term for a major or graduate study. Students should consult their advisor for assistance with course selection.
Note: Suggested sequence supposed to begin first semester sophomore year
Plan of Study Grid
| First Semester |
|---|
| ENGL 326 |
Shakespeare: Selected Major Plays |
3 |
| | Hours | 3 |
| Second Semester |
|---|
| THTR 365 |
Theatre History and Literature II |
3 |
| | Hours | 3 |
| Third Semester |
|---|
|
3 |
| | Hours | 3 |
| Fourth Semester |
|---|
|
3 |
| | Hours | 3 |
| Fifth Semester |
|---|
|
3 |
| | Hours | 3 |
| Sixth Semester |
|---|
| THTR 393 |
Shakespeare Seminar |
3 |
| | Hours | 3 |
| | Total Hours | 18 |
Learning Outcomes
Students completing the Shakespeare Studies Minor will:
- Engage in the practices of interdisciplinary study.
- Acquire substantial knowledge of the works of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries and the culture in which they lived.
- Master skills of research used to produce significant works of scholarship, preparing those who plan on pursuing academic graduate work for further study.
- Acquire skills and knowledge that will provide a foundation for those seeking to pursue a professional career in theatre.
