402Z Spring 2026 The Other Side of Love: Reality, Roles and Reversal in Shakespeare’s As You Like It

402Z  The Other Side of Love: Reality, Roles and Reversal in Shakespeare’s As You Like It
Six sessions
Instructor: Charles Chadwick
Tuesdays, 11:50—1:15, Mar. 24—Apr.28
As You Like It, by critical consensus, stands at or near the pinnacle of the comedies of Shakespeare. It is a work that both delights us with its dazzling word play and challenges us intellectually. Shakespeare acknowledges the expected standards of the genre—we end in marriage and celebration—but he hides a new idea below the surface as he fulfils the expectations of the genre. Rosalind, one of his greatest creations, reshapes norms, changes expected roles, reverses expectations, and reshapes her world. We will view a video of a live stage production of the play as we discuss the play in detail.
Charles Chadwick has an MA in Literature and has taught courses on the plays of Shakespeare, O’Neill, and Edward Albee for OLLI since 2014, as well as courses on poetry and contemporary literature. He is retired after a career in organizational ethics and as an executive in government contracting.