Very interesting series of lectures from Yale professor, Harold Bloom. I'm not sure how I feel about his interpretation of Othello, but it makes me want to read it again to see if his conclusions are, in fact, substantiated. It also inspired me to read Antony and Cleopatra, the only one of the seven that I have not read at least once! ( )

In this course, Professor Bloom covers (as the title suggests): Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Macbeth, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, and Antony and Cleopatra. He goes play by play in chronological order, devoting the most time (three lectures each) to Hamlet and King Lear.

His analysis focuses mainly on characterization, offering insights especially into the characters of Juliet, Iago, several major and minor characters in King Lear, and (of course) Hamlet. He also occasionally offers historical information about the writing or production of the play when this is helpful in illuminating the material.

He also spends a good deal of time analyzing the plot structure of some of the plays, particularly Hamlet.

The best lectures, I thought, were those on King Lear, which added significantly to my understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of that play, already my favorite of those discussed in this course. ( )