Literature Courses and Certifications

Microcredential

Shakespeare's Life, Work, and Characters

Explore Shakespeare's life, works, and characters in this 16-week course by Harvard University. Dive into his biography, Elizabethan history, and modern performances of his plays.

• edX
• On-Demand
• $596.00
• 4 courses

Exploring English: Shakespeare

505 reviews

Improve your English language skills by looking at the life and works of William Shakespeare and his enduring popularity.

• FutureLearn
• 6 weeks, 2 hours a week
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course (Audit)

Letteratura latina, dalle origini all'età augustea

8 reviews

Explore the birth and evolution of Latin literature in this 6-week course from the University of Naples Federico II. Delve into its Greek influences and political pressures.

• edX
• 6 weeks, 4-6 hours a week
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course (Audit)

Global Shakespeares: Re-Creating the Merchant of Venice

Learn how performance of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice provides occasions for creative, thoughtful communication across personal, historical, and cultural boundaries on topics including language and theatricality, gender relations, and rel…

• edX
• 8 weeks, 3-4 hours a week
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course (Audit)

Changing Minds: Geographic Discoveries and New Worlds through the Eyes of a Renaissance Jewish Scholar

Explore the Renaissance world through the eyes of Jewish scholar Abraham Farissol in this 5-week course by the University of Pennsylvania. Delve into science, exploration, and trade of the era.

• edX
• 5 weeks, 1-2 hours a week
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course (Audit)

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Classics of Chinese Humanities: Guided Readings

52 ratings at Coursera

An introductory yet trenchant exploration of select Chinese classic texts that cover the domains of classical literature, history, philosophy, and fine arts.

• Coursera
• 10 hours
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course (Audit)

William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet: An Actor's Perspective

Explore Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet through the lens of professional actors in this 5-week course by University of Colorado Boulder. Gain insights into character analysis, text interpretation, and theatrical approaches.

• Coursera
• 10 hours 14 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course (Audit)

William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: Comedy, Conflict, and Community

30 ratings at Coursera

Explore Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' with University of Colorado Boulder's 5-week course. Gain insights from actors, scholars, and theater professionals, and understand the power of Shakespearean comedy.

• Coursera
• 1 day 1 hour 35 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course (Audit)

Goldsmiths University of London;  University of London International Programmes

Introduction to Who Wrote Shakespeare

246 ratings at Coursera

Explore Shakespeare's authorship and enhance your literary analysis skills with this 4-week course from Goldsmiths University of London.

• Coursera
• 20 hours 43 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course (Audit)

University of Iceland

The Medieval Icelandic Sagas

8 ratings at edX

Learn about the Icelandic Sagas, the characteristic literary genre of Medieval Iceland comprising roughly 40 texts.

• edX
• 6 weeks, 2-3 hours a week
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course (Audit)

Dante Alighieri: Science and poetry in The Divine Comedy

Explore Dante's Divine Comedy through a discussion of the sources and references of the poetry and modern science

• edX
• 4 weeks, 8-10 hours a week
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course (Audit)

Electronic Literature

1 review

Interactive Fiction. Chatterbots. Hypertext and kinetic poetry. Explore these avant garde forms and other new media in this exciting class.

• edX
• 4 weeks, 2-4 hours a week
• On-Demand
• Paid Course

Wellesley College

Shakespeare on the Page and in Performance: Tragic Love

1 review

Explore Shakespeare's mature plays of tragic love, Othello and King Lear, and learn what makes them so powerful and enduring.

• edX
• 4 weeks, 4-5 hours a week
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course (Audit)

Wellesley College

Shakespeare on the Page and in Performance: Young Love

1 review

Explore Shakespeare's plays of young love, Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, to learn what makes them so compelling and magical.

• edX
• 3 weeks, 4-5 hours a week
• On-Demand
• Free Online Course (Audit)

The American Renaissance: Classic Literature of the 19th Century

1 review

Explore the writings of famous American authors from Ralph Waldo Emerson and Harriet Beecher Stowe to Mark Twain, and examine the historic role Dartmouth College played in their formation.

• edX
• 4 weeks
• On-Demand
• Paid Course