This series of videos from Great Performances: Much Ado About Nothing and accompanying support materials ask students to analyze dialogue from Shakespeare and August Wilson in an exploration of gender, race, and patriarchy. By pairing a modified version of Beatrice’s dialogue from Much Ado About Nothing with Ma Rainey’s from August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, students begin to unearth what occurs when gender and race collide. Support materials also include a deep dive into the character of Beatrice and the ways in which Beatrice feels caught in the cycle of patriarchy.

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