Turning to old texts – today Clemente students read ‘Julius Caesar’
April 18, 2018
Katie Kowalski
Port Townsend Leader, Mar 14, 2018
“I hate Shakespeare.”
It’s the line every teacher of the Bard has heard at least once, probably more.
Arendt Speser takes that comment as a personal challenge.
Speser is the academic director of the Jefferson Clemente Course in the Humanities, which offers free college-level courses to low-income adults.
This year, the class he is leading will be introduced to “Julius Caesar” through a public reading the class is presenting at The Boiler Room next week.
“I don’t expect everyone to love 'Caesar' by the end of our sessions, but I do hope to encourage a new enthusiasm for the old Bard,” Speser said.
The student readings take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., April 23 and 25 at The Boiler Room, 711 Water St.
TIMELY
Including a Shakespeare play in the Clemente Course is standard; the play can change from year to year.
“It can vary depending on the course theme and instructor preference,” said Speser.
This year, Speser chose “Julius Caesar” to tie into the Royal National Theatre of London performance of that play, which will be screened at The Rose Theatre April 21 and 29.
“I have no doubt in my mind they picked this play because of what it says to our current political climate.”
“‘Caesar,’” Speser said, taps into issues of power, corruption and the tension between tyranny and democracy. “In a more intimate way (it’s also about), what happens when conspiracy destroys relationships between friends and countrymen.”
One scene that will be acted out is a scene between Brutus and Portia.
That scene, Speser said, “speaks in shockingly contemporary tones about our current anxiety about gender and power.”
KNOWLEDGE IS KEY
Port Townsend’s Lisa Wentworth, who said she loves to learn just for the sake of learning, is one of the students participating in the class.
“If we don’t learn from our history, we are doomed to repeat it,” she said of the importance of turning back to older texts in modern times.
Turning to classic texts is fundamental to the Clemente Course.
“I highly recommend Clemente,” Wentwort said. “Knowledge is key, and it can open up a whole world for you.”
The community is invited to attend the public readings next week.
“Above all, the play speaks to the dangers of empire and the hazards of a blind patriotism,” said Speser. “It asks the fundamental political question: Is what is good for Rome good for Romans, and vice versa? We see a public trying to exert its political will, while also being manipulated by men in power.”
This, Speser added, is a relevant topic for today.
It’s the line every teacher of the Bard has heard at least once, probably more.
Arendt Speser takes that comment as a personal challenge.
Speser is the academic director of the Jefferson Clemente Course in the Humanities, which offers free college-level courses to low-income adults.
This year, the class he is leading will be introduced to “Julius Caesar” through a public reading the class is presenting at The Boiler Room next week.
“I don’t expect everyone to love 'Caesar' by the end of our sessions, but I do hope to encourage a new enthusiasm for the old Bard,” Speser said.
The student readings take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., April 23 and 25 at The Boiler Room, 711 Water St.
TIMELY
Including a Shakespeare play in the Clemente Course is standard; the play can change from year to year.
“It can vary depending on the course theme and instructor preference,” said Speser.
This year, Speser chose “Julius Caesar” to tie into the Royal National Theatre of London performance of that play, which will be screened at The Rose Theatre April 21 and 29.
“I have no doubt in my mind they picked this play because of what it says to our current political climate.”
“‘Caesar,’” Speser said, taps into issues of power, corruption and the tension between tyranny and democracy. “In a more intimate way (it’s also about), what happens when conspiracy destroys relationships between friends and countrymen.”
One scene that will be acted out is a scene between Brutus and Portia.
That scene, Speser said, “speaks in shockingly contemporary tones about our current anxiety about gender and power.”
KNOWLEDGE IS KEY
Port Townsend’s Lisa Wentworth, who said she loves to learn just for the sake of learning, is one of the students participating in the class.
“If we don’t learn from our history, we are doomed to repeat it,” she said of the importance of turning back to older texts in modern times.
Turning to classic texts is fundamental to the Clemente Course.
“I highly recommend Clemente,” Wentwort said. “Knowledge is key, and it can open up a whole world for you.”
The community is invited to attend the public readings next week.
“Above all, the play speaks to the dangers of empire and the hazards of a blind patriotism,” said Speser. “It asks the fundamental political question: Is what is good for Rome good for Romans, and vice versa? We see a public trying to exert its political will, while also being manipulated by men in power.”
This, Speser added, is a relevant topic for today.
You will live as long as your life has meaning. I embarked on this educational journey to satisfy my life’s desire to learn. This opportunity crossed my path at the right moment and is supplying me with the chance to evaluate my ability to perform on the college level with like-minded people within the veteran’s community, where a person can always find support. All of the instructors and staff are helpful! Thank you for this possibility. – George, Coast Guard, Ocean City, NJ The New Jersey Clemente Course Veterans Initiative (CCVI) launched its second cohort on September 25, 2025, welcoming twenty-four veterans from every branch of service. The cohort includes eight women; and while most come from communities across New Jersey, the course has also drawn participants from New York. Part of the wider Clemente Veterans Initiative and operating in partnership with the New Jersey Council for the Humanities and Atlantic Cape Community College , the CCVI brings transformative humanities education to those who have served.
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