If you have the chance to take a class with John Parker, do it! I've taken both lyric poetry and shakespeare with him and he is an absolutely outstanding lecturer. It's kinda cliche but he makes the material come alive and makes you really think about it (something I don't run into that often with the classes I've taken). Additionally, he never makes you feel inferior or stupid--quite the opposite, actually, and I cannot recommend him enough! Prepare to do a lot of reading for any of the shakespeare survey courses, though, as you'll likely be going through 10+ in a semester.

I really enjoyed taking this class with Professor Parker! He's a really friendly guy, lectures really well, responds to emails quickly, and gives really good insights on the plays. I found it hard to pay attention and stay focused in lectures sometimes, but I chalk that up to it being on Zoom far more than anything he was doing wrong. I wish I had him in person instead of online, but such was the reality of 2020, but I highly recommend him for any English class you take!