This course focuses on analyzing certain aspects of select plays and sonnets rather than specific writing skills.  Each lesson examines a few important themes, characters, symbols, and Shakespeare’s use of language in the play or poem in question.  Writing exercises vary from opinion pieces, literary analyses, creative writing (e.g. composing a poem or writing from the perspective of one of the characters in a play or the speaker in one of the sonnets), to reviews of live performances when the student is lucky enough to have the opportunity to see one.  Scene-by-scene plot summaries are provided to aid the student in gaining a deeper understanding of the plays.  This course is written from a secular perspective.