School of Liberal Arts and
Sciences
Department of English,
Foreign Languages, and Journalism
Professor:
Dr. Elizabeth L. Sawin Office:
Phone: 271-4274 or 271-4535 Office hrs:
Email: sawin@missouriwestern.edu
Time:
COURSE
OBJECTIVES:
To read and analyze several of Shakespeare’s plays as
literary texts AND as scripts meant to be performed
As literary texts:
To understand Shakespeare’s artistic development (internal structure of plays, methods of characterization, conventions of genre, recurrent themes)
To demonstrate understanding of Shakespeare’s
vocabulary, syntax, and stylistic techniques
(including a study of some
of his sonnets)
To set Shakespeare’s work in the context of the
historical period in which he lived
To learn how Shakespeare transformed the sources he
used
As scripts:
To learn what makes an
action “dramatic”
To identify the tasks
directors face and the skills actors must have
To understand the theatrical setting of Elizabethan plays and the differences in live performances in other venues, videos of stage productions, and film adaptations
To analyze the directorial interpretations of
Shakespeare’s texts embodied by specific performances
REQUIRED
TEXTS:
The
Riverside Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd edition
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Films,
in-class writings, discussions, quizzes and video showings can’t
be “made-up.” Once these activities occur they are lost to you. Likewise, your
contributions are lost to us when you are not here. ONE absence in a four-week summer class is
equivalent to three missed classes during a regular term. One absence is understandable. Two will
affect your grade. With a third absence, your passing of this course is
unlikely.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK:
We
will all attend a live performance of Othello
in
DISABLED
STUDENT POLICY:
If
you have a recognized disability that requires special consideration, please
make an appointment to see me during the first week of classes so that we can
discuss privately how I might help you succeed.
ACADEMIC
HONESTY:
You
are expected to do your own reading and writing in this course. Any student who submits someone else's work
as his or her own will receive no credit (0 points) for that assignment and
will be reported to the Provost’s office according to current university
policy. A second infraction will earn an "F" in the course. Taking
ideas from articles published anywhere without citation or copying work
from other students is NOT acceptable behaviors.
REQUIRED
ASSIGNMENTS:
Paper
#1: 100
points Shakespeare in performance (Othello)
Brief
Essays 100
points
In-class
work/ class participation: 100
points
Maps
and quizzes 100
points
400
points
A B C D
100-90% 89-80% 79-70% 69-60%
N.B. I
reserve the right to make changes in the nature of the work we if need be.
The
percentages for the final grade assignment will, however, stay the same.
REQUIRED
FORMATTING for out-of-class copy:
Identify
yourself in the upper, right-hand corner:
Name
English 341: Shakespeare
Nature of the Assignment
Date
Use
regular white paper. Leave one-inch
margins on all sides. Center the
title.
Number
each page (bottom right) if more than
one is required.
Single-space
within paragraphs.
Double-space
between paragraphs if more than one
page is required.
Use
10-point TIMES NEW ROMAN
WEEK ONE
June
2 Introduction
/ In Search of Shakespeare Part I /
Shakespeare’s Language / Web search of Shakespeare Festivals across the
June 3 READ General
Introduction to The Riverside Shakespeare
(pages 1-8) / In Search of Shakespeare II
Small group exercises on
translating Shakespeare’s language
June 4 READ A
Midsummer Night’s Dream /
Construct a MAP of the play
In-class viewing of the Michael Hoffman film
adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
June 5 Homework on Shakespeare’s Stagecraft and Language. Small group discussions in class.
In
class: Handouts on Theatre and Comedy. Handout: Plots of Shakespearean Comedies
Questions
on Midsummer handed out: the setting of the woods / the function of the last
act.
WEEK TWO
FOR June 9 READ The
Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night construct a
MAP of each play.
READ Twelfth Night and. construct a MAP of the play.
To be
continued …