Shakespearean Educations

Book excerpt: Shakespearean Educations expands the notion of 'education' beyond the classroom to literary clubs, private salons, public lectures, libraries, primers, and theatrical performance. This collection challenges scholars to consider how different groups in our society have adopted Shakespeare as part of a specifically 'American' education. This book maps the ways in which former slaves, Puritan ministers, university leaders, and working class theatergoers used Shakespeare not only to educate themselves about literature and culture, but also to educate others about their own experience.