Less than two weeks before Covid-19 required us all to be physically distanced from each other, my Oxford Shakespeare students traveled to Burruss Correctional — a Georgia State Prison — to discuss Henry V in a combined class. I had been teaching Shakespeare at both Oxford and at Burruss, and on February 28, we all came together.

Our focus for the class? Community: how does the king who famously said “we few, we happy few, we band of brothers” unite people in community? How does he divide them? In that discussion, we found our own community, one built on respect and deep listening.

Here are some of the reflections from all the students who participated (click on each box to enlarge):