What can great literature teach us about the ethical life? Can the arts teach sympathy or empathy for the unfamiliar? Can stepping into the shoes of a character from dramatic literature help us both deepen our sense of what it means to be human and how to lead a good life (be a morally upstanding citizen)? In what ways can art model ethical performance? This course will explore five of Shakespeare's plays with an emphasis on discovering and analyzing Shakespeare's ethical ideas. We will assess the thinking of philosophers who influenced Shakespeare. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Creativity/Innovation.