Cris Busato Smith, Brazil Regional Editor for the MIT Global Shakespeares Video and Performance Archive, is teaching a two-part class called “Shakespeare & Spirituality: The Tragic Hero’s Journey” for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Arizona State University (ASU).
Class description
“This class delves into the intersection of Shakespeare’s tragedies and spirituality. It will focus on how Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear embark on spiritual journeys that mirror the classic archetype of the hero’s journey. We will explore how their struggles with fate, free will, and moral dilemmas lead to spiritual awakenings – or downfalls.”
Class meetings
Wednesdays, February 5 & 12, 2025
1:00 – 2:30 PM
I’m genuinely moved by this beautiful invitation to explore Shakespeare’s timeless tragedies not just as stories of downfall, but as profound spiritual journeys that reflect the human struggle with fate, moral choice, and self-discovery; your work illuminating how Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear each traverse paths that echo the heroic arc — from confrontation with inner darkness to moments of awakening — deeply resonates with my belief that literature and life are mirrors of growth, offering us opportunities to teach, to question, and to imagine new understandings of who we are and who we might become through empathy, courage, and reflective imagination.