It's a good course for beginners and you get to know new things.

Superbly researched, explained and presented. Thank you!

A very thorough introduction to the authorship question.

Great course. Would highly recommend it.

Excellent presentation. Well done!

Simply mind opening!

Really intresting

great lectures

Well done

G

This course provided some excellent, detailed material for exploring various aspects of the Shakespeare authorship question. I especially enjoyed the content of the interviews with Mark Rylance, Greg Thompson and William Leahy, partly because, on a mooc there needs to be a human dimension, but mostly because they gave thought-provoking into this issue from their own specialist and knowledgeable perspectives.

I understand why it was not possible to include material on other candidates, and internal evidence from the texts, on this course but I feel that it is difficult to avoid these two key aspects of the debate. It would be great if the University of London provided further courses in these two areas, linked to this one.

It is always good to get to know your fellow participants on the programme, and I enjoyed conversing with a number of individuals on the threads on various aspects of the SAQ. However, it was noticeable that only a small number of participants took part in these discussions. It would be worth thinking through whether there might be a better way of bringing participants together in a way which encourages everyone to exchange views and ideas, rather than just a dedicated few.

Ros Barber managed the course very well, dealing with problems effectively, and presenting the evidence in an engaging and well-conceived way. The only issue I had with the content of the course was the use of quizzes to test the memory,, and the fact that this was mainly on information which tended to be favour a non-Stratfordian perspective. I didn't feel that this was a very effective way for me to test my own critical thinking on the various matters discussed, although I understand that it would be difficult for the small team involved to deal with written material from participants.

This being my first course I'm reluctant to award 5 stars. Perhaps I would have if I had completed others to compare it with. I found it well structured and remained focussed on the central questions, most significant lines of argument and most relevant evidence. Being a somewhat 'controversial' topic it was pleasing to see a preamble that both acknowledged this fact and provided helpful information and suggestions as to how best to approach such a topic, even in a climate of 'internet trolling' and the like. Thanks for all your hard work, Ros Barber in in particular of course.

I greatly enjoyed the course and found it quite informative. Dr. Barber’s open attitude encouraged us to reflect and ask questions of both the evidence and ourselves. Me only bémol is the forum, which at times was very contentious, people with an agenda fir disruption, people who wanred only to push their rather already cemented ideas. For this reason I didn’t participate much in the forums. But still, I am quite pleased with the course.

Gwen

Excellent course. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved Dr. Barber's presentation and especially the discussion interviews. I have been interested in the authorship question for many years and was very happy to see it given such a presentation. I have long thought that the actual facts of the authorship should be taught in schools rather than the assumptions that have built up around the lack of factual evidence.

A Very Detailed Course on this existing question. The content was good, solid, and the quizzes were slightly tricky.

Excellent, thorough introduction to the principle textual, artistic, contemporaneous sources

Lots of detailed info about the evidence for and against.

Awesome course for college students

It started great, but seemed to drag by the midpoint. By the end I had to force myself to finish.

What a great course for anyone who loves the works of Shakespeare. The authorship question is something I’ve always fought with, but never explored. I am a steadfast traditionalist and found anyone questioning this fairly problematic. Having worked, studied and performed the works most of my life, I was finding gaps in my knowledge and this course was able to get me to a point where I felt ready to look at the authorship question seriously. The course is fairly concentrated, but not so much that completing it is impossible.

This course is fantastic. It was like doing a Sherlock Holmes task where every detail was essential. I respect Dr. Ros Barber's work and passion to making this course happen. As Shakespeare is one of my favourite authors, knowing all the backstory that I've always wondered about is very enlightening; thank you. The interview sessions with all of the important guests are extremely educational. I wholeheartedly suggest this course, and once again, thank you.

Para aquellos que quieran profundizar en el universo Shakesperano, la Dra. Barbber Ross les dará interesantes entregas sobre los diversos puntos que rodean a personaje tan misterioso, apoyandose con herramientas y teorias muy actualizadas y analisis de distinguidos autores, respetanto las diversas posiciones, conlleva e invita al buscador sacar sus propias conclusiones, solo resta decirles a quien quiera realizar el presente estudio, Buen Provecho.

I have been interested in the Shakespeare Authorship Question for about a decade - picking up a book here and a book there. This course was invaluable for me to get an overall purview finally. It helped me sort through the information I had gathered and I now have a workable timeline in mind. I also know what I want to know more about! I hope Dr. Barber developes another course, a bump up from this one! I'd pay a lot for a course like that!

I had some previous knowledge of the authorship question, and I feel that the course assumed very little to no previous knowledge. Therefore, the content was very accessible and the pacing appropriate for an introductory course. I enjoyed the interviews and the enthusiastic lectures. I definitely feel more informed about the authorship question and capable to discuss with other interested parties.

It was a very informative and educational program. I think it is a course that can interest anyone interested in English literature and gain different perspectives, and also reflects very well how we can question the information we are psychologically hesitant to question and have accepted from birth, in different ways.