"Unsex Me Here": Teaching Shakespeare Across Race and Gender

Han Taub, Oberlin CollegeFollow

Location

King Building 237

Document Type

Presentation

Start Date

4-27-2018 3:00 PM

End Date

4-27-2018 4:20 PM

Abstract

This paper both examines the history of Shakespeare education and looks forward to the future of Shakespeare in the lives of young people. It argues that the reality of our curriculum in this country is that Shakespeare will always be present, so the question arises - how do we utilize its presence in a way that empowers girls, especially girls of color, in their autonomy, ownership, and self-worth. This paper utilizes the author's experiences running the Oberlin Children's Shakespeare Project as a case study to look at the concrete effects of Shakespeare education along racial and gender lines. By examining the effects of textual violence, image, misogyny, and racism on the students who are enacting them through performance, this paper hopes to provide insight into how to make Shakespeare education, and teaching of classics at large, empowering to girls and students of color.

Keywords:

theater, Shakespeare, education, race, gender, empowerment

Notes

Session V, Panel 16 - Gendered | Culture
Moderator: Shelley Lee, Associate Professor and Chair of Comparative American Studies, Associate Professor of History

Major

Theater; Biology

Advisor(s)

Matthew Wright, Theater
Keith Tarvin, Biology

Project Mentor(s)

Matthew Wright, Theater

April 2018

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Apr 27th, 3:00 PM Apr 27th, 4:20 PM

"Unsex Me Here": Teaching Shakespeare Across Race and Gender

King Building 237

This paper both examines the history of Shakespeare education and looks forward to the future of Shakespeare in the lives of young people. It argues that the reality of our curriculum in this country is that Shakespeare will always be present, so the question arises - how do we utilize its presence in a way that empowers girls, especially girls of color, in their autonomy, ownership, and self-worth. This paper utilizes the author's experiences running the Oberlin Children's Shakespeare Project as a case study to look at the concrete effects of Shakespeare education along racial and gender lines. By examining the effects of textual violence, image, misogyny, and racism on the students who are enacting them through performance, this paper hopes to provide insight into how to make Shakespeare education, and teaching of classics at large, empowering to girls and students of color.