Join us for a new 10-week course exploring what nature meant to Shakespeare and what his plays can tell us about how we imagine our relationship with the natural world today.

Across the course you’ll explore Shakespeare’s forests, caves, storms and global landscapes, entering a Renaissance world in which nature was at once a source of wonder, a subject of scientific enquiry, a literary tradition and a force capable of great destruction.

We’ll also consider the material world in which Shakespeare’s theatre was created. The first Globe Theatre was constructed largely from English timber at a time when England was experiencing growing concerns about the availability of wood. What can the theatre itself: its materials, its architecture and its relationship to the environment tell us about Shakespeare’s natural worlds?

Over the 10 weeks, we’ll bring these ideas into conversations alongside watching Globe productions to explore how actors, directors and designers have brought Shakespeare’s non-human worlds to life on stage. From the forest in As You Like It to the enchanted island of The Tempest, we’ll ask how Shakespeare imagined humanity’s place in nature, and what those ideas might mean for us today.

No prior knowledge of Shakespeare or his plays is required. The course is designed for anyone interested in Shakespeare, early modern drama and culture, theatre, life studies, and a wider exploration of natural sciences. The only prerequisite is an openness to learn!

What’s included:

• Ten weeks (meeting Wednesday evenings) of interactive learning
• Exploration of a range of Shakespeare plays and poetry
• Access to Globe Player, our video-on-demand platform
• Exclusive Globe tote bag and certificate of course completion

If you have any queries, email [email protected].

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Access

Find information about accessibility at Shakespeare’s Globe, and explore our provisions for Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people.