This course will examine the features and development of Shakespeare's work within a global context, primarily through the medium of cinematic representation, but also with regard to other transcultural media or art forms, be they opera, ballet, graphic novels or video games.  Aside from offering a solid theoretical foundation of Shakespeare's plays with respect to the conventions of Renaissance drama, the course will provide the critical tools necessary to evaluate the artistry and meaning of a particular visual or written text, and to assess its faithfulness to or deviation from Shakespeare's own version.  In the first instance, we will read the dramatic texts closely and situate them within their various social, historical, political and cultural milieus, before critically comparing them with their adapted film/stage/text equivalents.  Excerpts from other influential films will be shown in class, while there will be opportunities for students to showcase their own cinematic techniques and cultural appropriation of Shakespeare's plays in their short film adaptation.