Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust A Level Literature visit February 2025

 

“We had an amazing time visiting Stratford-upon-Avon, and I felt so excited the whole time I was there. Being able to immerse myself completely in the world of Shakespeare for a day, tracing the very footsteps of his existence was an incredibly exciting experience. We listened to and participated in an engaging talk about ‘Othello’, which allowed me to consider, from a different perspective, the importance of performance and how the way in which a play is staged can influence how we interpret and approach the text. We viewed several buildings around Stratford, all with particular significance to Shakespeare, including the school he went to, the church he was buried in, and excitingly, his own birthplace. Walking around the birthplace was particularly insightful. Not only did I learn all about the Shakespeare and his plays and his place in the home, but the Tudor architecture and history available to see was an invaluable viewing experience as a history student. I had a really enjoyable day and would love to go back to Stratford again, especially to see a play. Thank you to all who organised the trip, the opportunity for wider curriculum visits is greatly appreciated.”

“It was really interesting seeing the birthplace of Shakespeare as it made me feel more connected to his writing especially the play we are studying. Learning more about Shakespeare, specifically ‘Othello’ gave me more insight on context for my writing and more detailed and analytical ideas for my future essays.

“I was given the opportunity to explore Shakespeare’s birthplace and immerse myself into his history and the history of the text ‘Othello’  (i.e. social context of its creation). The experience was one of a kind and greatly appreciated.”

“When the opportunity to go on this trip arose, I had sprung to it immediately and upon arrival was not disappointed. This was a really inciteful and useful trip which gave me a rather detailed and interesting perspective on the life that Shakespeare had once lived and how his fortune and profession became a reality.”

“The birthplace was really interesting as it gave me an insight into the life of the writer we study and the sheer amount of work he did. The visit and the lecture helped me to better contextualise the play we’re studying.”

“Through this trip I was able to broaden my understanding of Shakespeare’s context and life as well as the lecture successfully explained areas of “Othello” which I hadn’t thought about.”

A truly successful trip!