SHAKESPEARE ENGL 350 Spring 2018 Class time: esday, ursday 10:15-11:30 Location: e Long Gallery Name of Faculty: Dr. Joanne Janssen Contact details: jjanssen@bakeru.edu Office hours: TBA Course Description Studies Shakespeare s greatest dramas, including the histories, the comedies, and the tragedies. Credit Hour Policy Statement is class meets the federal credit hour policy of: Standard lecture e.g. 1 hour of class with an expected 2 hours of additional student work outside of class each week for approximately 15 weeks for each hour of credit, or a total of 45-75 hours for each credit. General Education Objective is course meets the General Education requirements for: n/a Learning Objectives Listed below are the Learning Objectives for the course: To gain fluency in Shakespeare s language and familiarity with the plots and themes of his plays. To gain knowledge of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century historical movements, figures, and events in order to consider connections between individual texts and their broader cultural contexts. Specifically, to gain knowledge of the practices, genres, and major literary influences on the early modern commercial theatre. To consider the way these texts in particular and literature generally investigates moral/ethical issues and to explore the way the discipline of literature enables us to address those issues. To further develop writing skills by creating sophisticated and insightful arguments that are clear, concise, and supported by strong textual evidence. To become a strong classroom participant by asking thoughtful questions, voicing ideas in small and large group discussions, and listening and responding carefully to others. To become a more sophisticated and confident scholar of English literature, improving upon already acquired research, critical thinking, close reading, and analysis skills.
Further Information about the Course Attending one of Shakespeare s plays during his lifetime would have been nothing like the experience we are used to today; there was no sitting on plush chairs in a hushed and darkened theatre with other people rich enough to afford tickets and educated enough to want to go in the first place. Instead, attending a play would have been much more like attending a football game: crowded and raucous, with all kinds of people and lots to distract viewers from the main event. In this class we will be focusing our attention on that main event, reading Shakespeare s plays closely and critically, emphasizing their structure, language, and genre. At the same time, we will also study how those plays were produced and published, consumed and circulated in early modern England, giving us a better understanding of how Shakespeare s works migrated from the rowdy, bustling playhouses of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century London to the high class, high culture theatres of today. We also will consider the adaptation of Shakespeare s work, noticing how his plays have inspired other writers and been transformed into other works. roughout this process, we will explore why Shakespeare s plays are still so popular and what they might have to say about and to our world. In fact, many of Shakespeare s most ardent fans believe that his works can help us navigate complicated moral issues, as his plays questions of how to live compassionately in a violent, corrupting world are as present and as pressing as they are for us today. Whether you are an English major or simply interested in Shakespeare, this course is will increase your literary knowledge and affirm the way literature can humanize us. Schedule of topics Week 1 (Week of Jan. 8) Introduction to the course, to each other, and to Shakespeare. Reading: Excerpt from e Shakespearean Stage, 1574-1642 by Andrew Gurr. In class: Introduction to Hamlet and performance activity. As part of the Harlaxton-organized weekend trip to London, our class will visit the Globe eatre, the playhouse for which Shakespeare wrote. F Week 2 (Week of Jan. 15) Hamlet, Acts I-II Hamlet, Acts III-IV Hamlet, Act V In addition, listen to Act V (8/9/02, episode 218) from is American Life, www.thislife.org. You will need Real Audio (a free download) to listen to it. e program is one hour long. Week 3 (Week of Jan. 22) Much Ado About Nothing, Acts I-II Much Ado About Nothing, Acts III-IV Week 4 (Week of Jan. 29) Much Ado About Nothing, Act V Richard III, Acts I-II Week 5 (Week of Feb. 5) Paper #1 Due (over Hamlet or Much Ado About Nothing). Richard III, Acts III-IV Week 6 (Week of Feb. 12) Richard III, Act V A Midsummer Night s Dream, Acts I-II
Week 7 (Week of Feb. 19) A Midsummer Night s Dream, Acts III-IV A Midsummer Night s Dream, Act V Week 8 (Week of Feb. 26) W Othello, Acts I-II Paper #2 Due (over Richard III or A Midsummer Night s Dream). Othello, Acts III-IV Saturday, March 3, is a required field trip day to Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare s birthplace. F Week 9 (Week of March 5) Othello, Act V (and discussion of Stratford performance) Measure for Measure, Acts I-II Week 10 (Week of March 12) Measure for Measure, Acts III-IV Measure for Measure, Act V King Lear, Acts I-II Week 11 (Week of March 19) Paper #3 Due (over Othello or Measure for Measure). King Lear, Acts III-IV Week 12 (Week of March 26) King Lear, Act V In class: Watch e Tempest (2011, dir. Des McAnuff) Begin reading Hag-Seed, by Margaret Atwood, pp. 1-64 Week 13 (Week of April 2) In class: Finish watching e Tempest. Continue reading Hag-Seed, pp. 65-128 Draft of Written Portion of Final Performance Project Due. Hag-Seed, pp. 128-192 Week 14 (Week of April 9) Hag-Seed, pp. 192-256 Written Portion of Final Performance Project Due. Hag-Seed, pp. 257-320. Course wrap-up. e Midsummer Night s Dream performance (of the Final Performance Project) will occur during finals week (TBA).
Teaching Methods Key Text(s): William Shakespeare edited by Ann ompson, David Scott Kastan, and Richard Proudfoot Arden Shakespeare Complete Works. Arden Shakespeare, Revised Edition, 2011. ISBN: 978-1408152010. 22.99. Margaret Atwood Hag-Seed Vintage, 2017, ISBN: 9780099594024. 8.99 Note: All textbooks available for purchase on arrival at Harlaxton at the listed prices. Field Trips: is class is strongly encouraged to take advantage of the Exhibition and Tour of Shakespeare s Globe eatre in London during Harlaxton s scheduled London weekend trip from January 11-14. Members of this class also will be required to attend the Stratford Day Trip on March 3. Teaching Methods: is class will be taught using a variety of methods: large-group discussion, small-group discussion, in-class performance activities, etc. Since Shakespeare s works are intended to be experienced in performance, we also will take advantage of opportunities to see plays performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company (Stratford) and at the Globe eatre (London). For plays we are not able to attend, I will share visual clips of scenes from films or dramatic productions, when available. Schedule of Assignments e deadlines for assignments are included in the schedule of topics above. Assessment and Grading Criteria Course Requirements: Participation and Class Activities: 15% Reading Responses: 20% 3 Formal Papers: 40% Final Performance Project: 25% Participation and Class Activities: In order to maximize our learning experience, it is important that this class becomes a vibrant, thoughtful, and respectful community of readers and thinkers. To create this community, your presence and participation is crucial; the classroom dynamic will suffer without you. Please come to class prepared and on time, ready to participate. I recognize and value different personalities, so I will notice more than the frequency and duration of your contributions to the discussion (although a good rule of thumb is to aim to speak up at least once per class period). I will also consider your preparation for class, your willingness to ask difficult questions, your demonstration of critical thinking, and your readiness to respond thoughtfully and considerately to ideas presented by your peers. is portion of your grade will also be influenced by exercises and activities we do in class; if you are not here, you will not be able to receive credit for them. Note: I will generally assume your full engagement. However, if I suspect a pattern of a lack of preparation, I will begin to incorporate quizzes, and those scores will contribute to this portion of your grade.
Reading Responses: roughout the semester you will submit reading responses on Blackboard before class, which is meant to give you practice formulating your ideas about our reading and expressing those ideas clearly and gracefully. (As a bonus, these responses will help you with participation, as you will be well prepared to contribute to our discussion of the text.) You do not have to come in with definite conclusions; in fact, the most productive discussions often start when we share our questions and confusions. I have staggered these responses so that not everyone will write responses for any given class period. Because I would like a chance to read your posts before the class period in which we will discuss them, please note that they are due at midnight on the night before we have class. 3 Formal Papers: One of the joys of reading Shakespeare is that there are so many aspects of his work to consider: we can focus on the stunning language, complex characters, challenging performance decisions, historical context, contemporary connections, and more! To make these rich possibilities available for you to explore in your writing, I have developed an array of paper topic ideas and placed them into four categories: Textual Analysis, Performance, Research, and Contemporary Connections. Whenever a paper is listed as due on the syllabus, you choose which assignment to complete from the list of options. e one catch, however, is that you can only complete one paper in each category. (By the end of the semester, you will have turned in an essay from three of the four categories.) is approach is intended to allow you to pursue your own interests while also encouraging you to explore a range of topics. Final Performance Project: For our final project in this class, we will create a class performance of Act V, Scene 1 of A Midsummer Night s Dream for the Harlaxton community. Each student will have a role in the production itself, either taking on a role of one of the characters or contributing in an important behind-the-scenes way (as director or stage manager, for example, or in assisting with costumes, set, or props). is project will also have a written component, as our class will develop a program to accompany the performance. Students who have a less significant performance role will have a more substantial written assignment, and vice versa. In creating the program, students will generate a performance history of the play, dramaturg s notes, interviews with the actors and director, discussion questions, costume sketches and production photos, and so on. As I evaluate this assignment, I will consider the quality of each person s contribution to the production and program, both when it occurs and through their active participation leading up to the main event. Grading Scale: A = 93-100% A- = 90-92% B+ = 88-89% B = 83-87% B- = 80-82% C+ = 78-79% C = 73-77% C- = 70-72% D+ = 68-69% D = 63-67% D- = 60-62% Attendance Policy Harlaxton College operates a mandatory attendance policy that is binding on all faculty and students. e number of unexcused absences that are allowed before incurring a penalty is related to the number of times a class meets during a week. is means that for courses which meet three times a week students are allowed a maximum of three unexcused absences during the semester without attracting penalty points, for courses meeting twice a week two such absences are permitted and for courses meeting just once a week a single absence is allowed.
Additional unexcused absences will attract a grade penalty of losing three percentage points from the student s final grade. Chronic tardiness also will add up to absences, as will tardiness of more than 10 minutes. Students are responsible for the academic consequences of their failure to attend class. If any assessment (e.g. in-class test, exam, paper, presentation, etc.) is missed, there is no expectation or requirement that a faculty member will accept the work after it is due, provide an extension to a deadline, or offer an alternative assessment opportunity for a student with an unexcused absence. Drop/Add and Withdrawal Policy ere is normally about a 10 day period at the beginning of semester when a student may drop and class and/or add a class. e deadline date is published in the Semester Guidance handbook. Drop/Add forms are available from the library and completed forms should be returned to the same place. Faculty signatures are required for all classes being added. Students may withdraw from a class, with the exception of British Studies, for a longer period of time. Again the deadline date is published in the Semester Guidance handbook. Forms are available from the College Secretary, to whom completed forms should be returned. Forms must be signed by the faculty member of the class being withdrawn from and the Principal. All students must register for, and be continuously enrolled in, 12 credit hours of study to be eligible to study at Harlaxton and remain in the United Kingdom. Disability Policy It is the policy of the University of Evansville (Harlaxton College) to make reasonable accommodations for students with properly documented disabilities. University of Evansville students should contact the Office of Counselling and Health Education to seek help with this. Students from Partner Universities/Colleges should contact their own relevant student support office. For assistance whilst at Harlaxton students should contact the College Secretary whose office is located adjacent to the Principal s office. Written notification to faculty from the College Secretary is required for academic accommodations to be implemented. Honor Code All students at the University of Evansville (Harlaxton College) agree to and are bound by the principles and practice of the honor code: I understand that any work I submit for course credit will imply that I have adhered to this Academic Honor Code: I will neither give nor receive unauthorized aid, nor will I tolerate an environment that condones the use of unauthorized aid. e full Honor Code is available online: https://www.evansville.edu/offices/deanstudents/downloads/honorcode.pdf