415F Spring 2026 Seeing Double in The Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night

415F  Seeing Double in The Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night
Four sessions
Instructor: Susan McCloskey
Mondays, 9:40—11:05, Apr. 20—May 11
Throughout his career, Shakespeare explored issues of identity, showing us how his characters understand themselves and recognize (or fail to recognize) the individuality of others. Sometimes, as in The Comedy of Errors, identity depends on little more than one’s name and place of birth. Later, in Twelfth Night, characters’ ancestry, class, and gender come into play, along with their memories, aspirations, and fears. In both plays, Shakespeare used identical twins to complicate our sense of what makes a person unique and to create the richly comic circumstances that make these plays such fun to read or see. We will explore each play and compare them to discover how Shakespeare’s sense of personal identity deepened over time and how he honed his dramatic and theatrical skills to bring his complex characters to life onstage.
Susan McCloskey received her PhD from Princeton University, was a tenured professor of English Literature at Vassar College, and spent a memorable year as the dramaturg for the Classic Stage Company in New York City.