Splash Biography

Star Wars, Simba, Taylor Swift, and 10 Things I Hate About You: Shakespeare in Pop Culture Many pop culture tropes and plot lines were made popular by the Bard himself, who is often considered the greatest writer in English history. He’s made an enormous impact on literary canon and theater, as well as modern television shows and movies. In this class, we’ll discuss Shakespeare plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Taming of the Shrew, and examine modern adaptations that were inspired by or loosely based on them–the Lion King, Star Wars, 10 Things I Hate About You, Succession, and more. We’ll listen to Ophelia by The Lumineers and Love Story by Taylor Swift and discover the analogies. Shakespeare isn't boring: betrayal, ambition, love triangles, and murder aren’t just in Game of Thrones—Shakespeare did it first. This course hopes to capture the brilliance, creativity, and wit of Shakespeare in a manner easily accessible (and fun) to middle schoolers.

Many pop culture tropes and plot lines were made popular by the Bard himself, who is often considered the greatest writer in English history. He’s made an enormous impact on literary canon and theater, as well as modern television shows and movies. In this class, we’ll discuss Shakespeare plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Taming of the Shrew, and examine modern adaptations that were inspired by or loosely based on them–the Lion King, Star Wars, 10 Things I Hate About You, Succession, and more. We’ll listen to Ophelia by The Lumineers and Love Story by Taylor Swift and discover the analogies. Shakespeare isn't boring: betrayal, ambition, love triangles, and murder aren’t just in Game of Thrones—Shakespeare did it first. This course hopes to capture the brilliance, creativity, and wit of Shakespeare in a manner easily accessible (and fun) to middle schoolers.