THE PLAYS OF SHAKESPEARE

Curriculum guideline

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Course
ENGL 3112
Discontinued
No
Course code
ENGL 3112
Descriptive
THE PLAYS OF SHAKESPEARE
Department
English
Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Credits
4.00
Start date
End term
201420
PLAR
No
Semester length
15
Max class size
25
Contact hours
4
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Learning activities

Some or all of the following methods will be used:

 

  1. lecture/discussion;
  2. group work;
  3. peer review;
  4. independent research;
  5. instructor feedback on students’ work;
  6. individual consultation; and
  7. presentation (individual or group).
Course description
In this course, students will read six to seven of Shakespeare's plays, drawn from at least three subgenres (comedy, tragedy, history, romance, or “problem” play). Close textual analysis will be complemented by study of relevant features of the Elizabethan context for Shakespeare’s work. Students may be required to attend and critique a performance of a play.
Course content

All third-year English literature courses share the following features: 

 

  1. Students are presumed to have had first-year level instruction and experience in writing critical essays on literary subjects.
  2. Students are required to read in the course subject area beyond the texts assigned by the instructor.
  3. Students are required to incorporate into their oral and written coursework secondary source materials which may include biographical information, literary criticism or theory, unassigned texts by the author under study, relevant cultural or intellectual history, or other aesthetic works such as music or visual art.

 

Readings and topics vary with each instructor’s presentation of a course, but all course materials are consistent with the objectives and outcomes described in Section M. 

 

Additionally, in English 3112  

  1. Students will read six to seven of Shakespeare’s plays, drawn from at least three sub-genres as traditionally defined (comedy, tragedy, history, romance, or “problem” play);
  2. Students may read or view dramatic work(s) by one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries, or a modern adaptation or re-working of one of his works, for comparison purposes; and
  3. Students may be required to attend and critique a performance of a play.
Learning outcomes

Upon completion of any third-year English literature course, students should be able to

  1. read and analyze literary texts with increased skill and insight;
  2. integrate their understanding of literature into an evolving awareness of relevant cultural and historical contexts and perspectives;
  3. perceive connections among literary texts across genres, historical periods, and/or cultural contexts;
  4. conduct independent research to supplement the course material and integrate this information into course assignments; and
  5. write different kinds of literary analyses, such as thematic, technical, or theoretical.

 

Upon completion of English 3112, students should also have

  1. developed a strong familiarity with Shakespeare as Elizabethan playwright;
  2. understood and expressed in writing some major themes and poetic and/or dramatic techniques of Shakespeare as playwright; and
  3. explored and understood the relationship between the text as literature and as a blueprint for performance.
Means of assessment
  1. A minimum of two academic essays and a final exam worth at least 80% of the course grade (combined total).
  2. A maximum of 20% of the course grade may be based on informal writing (quizzes, short answer tests); oral reports/presentations; participation/preparation grades; and/or other non writing-intensive assignments.
Textbook materials

Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students:

 

Sample reading list:

 

  1. an anthology of Shakespeare’s plays, or stand-alone editions of the individual plays (6-7) assigned by the instructor;
  2. a coursepack, including biographical/historical/textual background materials for the plays, and/or literary criticism.

 

Note:  students may be required to pay to attend one or more performance(s).

Prerequisites

Any TWO university-transfer first-year English courses AND a minimum of 45 credit hours