This two-part, Zoom-only course, taught by Russ Leng, will examine how Shakespeare wrote about war through the analysis of two plays: Henry V and Troilus & Cressida. Shakespeare’s Henry V is viewed as a patriotic play about a “great Christian king” leading an outmanned English army to a glorious triumph over France at the Battle of Agincourt (1415). Troilus & Cressida, conversely, is an anti-war play, based on Shakespeare’s take on a portion of the Iliad. Are Shakespeare’s views of war really so different in the two plays? Do the issues raised remain relevant today? Russ has selected written and performed sections of the plays to help answer these questions.

Presented by the Friends of Snow Library. To register or for more information, visit https://friendsofsnowlibrary.org/lifetime-learning-program/.