Dr Peter Auger
Lecturer in Early Modern Literature
Department of English Literature
Biographical and contact information for Dr Peter Auger, Lecturer in Early Modern Literature at the University of Birmingham.
How to read a Shakespeare play
Discover how literary devices reveal a character's thoughts and emotions through close reading of plays like Macbeth.
- DateWednesday, 25 February 2026 (13:00 - 15:00) (UK)
Why do Shakespeare's characters use such difficult language? Wouldn't it be better if they expressed their feelings by laughing, crying or running around with their hands in the air?
In this workshop, we'll look at extracts from a Shakespeare play currently set for GCSE. This is likely to include Macbeth, but please contact us in advance at cal.outreach@contacts.bham.ac.uk to request another play that we might also discuss.
We'll see how characters think by using creative language and literary devices. This close reading will allow us to see how Shakespeare creates characters and where tricky speeches belong within the tragedy as a whole.
This event is part of our Masterclasses series and is open to students in Years 10 and 11.