Dr. L. Adam Mekler
English 418: Shakespeare
Spring 2021
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Office: Holmes Hall 228
Office Phone: (443) 885-4032
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Go To Assigments For:
Any
revisions
to this syllabus will be posted on Canvas class page.
Please check the class page regularly for any
announcements, especially if you have missed class. |
** Corona Class
Update**
Because this class will be meeting on-line, I have
made some modifications to the regular syllabus.
Of primary significance is the availability of an
electronic version of Shakespeare's works.
I have decided to use the free versions of the plays
available from the Folger Shakespeare Library.
You are also welcome to procure a good used copy of
his works for your own bookshelves.
More on this will be discussed "in class."
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Required Texts
- Complete Works of Shakespeare (online)
- Biography of Shakespeare (online)
- Critical Treatment of Shakespeare (online)
Required Technology:
Computer with microphone and camera
Software:
- Microsoft Word (available in Office 365 for Morgan students:
Visit http://portal.office.com
and enter your MSU email to get it. Office 365 may be installed
on personal devices only.)
- All written assignments must be submitted through Canvas
in order to receive credit.
- Pdf-reading Software (such as Adobe). Most of the files for
the course are presented as pdf's, so reading them will require
the proper software.
- Respondus Lockdown browser: Instructions for the acquisition
and use of this software can be found here.
- We will have two separate assessments, including the
midterm and final exam, that must be performed using this
program.
- Please email or call me as soon as possible if you have any
questions or concerns.
PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
The Renaissance, or Early Modern Period, was a time of enormous
political, economic and social change. Ideas which lay at the
heart of the Renaissance marked the true beginning of modern
philosophy. These tenets, based largely on the value of an
individual’s mind, body and soul, challenged religious and
political authority. In this course, we will explore how the major
literary artist of the time, William Shakespeare, addressed the
many questions which arose in light of these new ways of thinking.
OBJECTIVES
All papers will follow MLA format: Typed, double-spaced, use
parenthetical citations and, when necessary, a list of works
cited, including references made to primary sources. (Sample
MLA-style papers can be found in Canvas) The main point of
the response papers is to allow you the opportunity to explore
specific aspects of texts that you find interesting in terms of
the major themes and issues we discuss. More specific guidelines
will be found in Canvas.
English 418 aims to teach students to:
- identify the major historical events associated with the War
of the Roses, the rise of the Roman Empire, and the transition
from Elizabethan to Jacobean England, and explain their
significance to the assigned histories and other plays and poems
as applicable.
- identify the major and pivotal minor characters in each play
read during the semester.
- identify and explain the major critical approaches to
Shakespeare's works.
- demonstrate their understanding of course content through
participation in class discussions, oral presentations, critical
response papers, research papers, and examinations.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing English 418, students should be able to:
- evaluate the influence of historical and biographical events
on Shakespeare's writings.
- analyze the texts discussed in the course in terms of
representative themes.
- distinguish between different texts in terms of their
aesthetic, political, and philosophical viewpoints.
- produce effective arguments, in both oral and written forms,
regarding Shakespeare's writings, incorporating relevant
critical theory.
ASSESSMENT
Student learning will be assessed using the following assignments:
- Class participation
- Critical response paper
- Oral presentation
- Documented research paper using MLA style
- Midterm and final examinations
GRADING
- Class Participation
- Critical Response Paper
- Midterm Exam
- Student Presentation
- Research Paper
- Final Exam
|
- 20 %
- 10 %
- 20 %
- 10 %
- 20 %
- 20 %
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A: 90-100
B: 80-89
C: 70-79
D: 60-69
F: 0-59
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COURSE POLICIES
Attendance. Students are expected to attend every class.
If you are forced to miss class, written verification for the
reason for your absence is expected. Because of the importance of
regular attendance, excessive (more than three) unexcused class
absences will result in the loss of points from the final average.
Excessive lates will also lower your grade. The complete
attendance policy can be found on the class homepage
. Please come speak with
me if you have any questions.
Reading Assignments, and Participation. All assigned
readings must be completed before coming to class. Please keep in
mind that students are expected to read the editorial introduction
to each work. You are expected to arrive prepared to provide
thoughtful discussion of the daily readings, including the
editorial introductions, responding to questions from the
instructor or your classmates as they arise. Classroom
discussion will involve the open sharing of ideas and
interpretations of the literature. Because every person's
opinion is valid, we will demonstrate civility and respect for
each other, taking turns to provide our observations and not
interrupting each other. Only raised hands will be
acknowledged.
Writing Assignments. There will be one (1) brief (800 word
minimum) critical response paper, in addition to one (1)
documented research paper (3000 word minimum), using a minimum of
six documented secondary sources.
All papers will follow MLA format: Typed, double-spaced, use
parenthetical citations and a list of works cited, including
references made to the textbook (Sample MLA papers can be found in
Canvas). The critical response paper will require you to
provide an analysis of a critical biography of William
Shakespeare. A list of acceptable titles will be provided. The
main point of the research paper is to allow you the opportunity
to explore specific aspects of one of the plays we have discussed
up until that point, focusing on the major themes and issues we
will have discussed. The specific focus, though, is largely up to
you.
- All papers must be submitted through Canvas as MS Word
documents and are due by the end of the business day on which
they are due.
- Late papers will lose 2/3 of a letter grade for each
class day.
- ** Plagiarism on any assignment will have dire
consequences. **
- Please familiarize yourself with the policy
and let Dr. Mekler know if anything is unclear.
- In order to have your final research paper accepted, your
topic must be approved by the stated deadline. Please come talk
to Dr. Mekler if you have any questions.
Oral presentations. Students will also take part in a
presentation of a minimum thirty minutes. These presentations will
require the students to discuss the relationship between the
published version of a given play and a dramatic production of that
play, and must incorporate critical commentary on the play as well.
Your ability to provide thoughtful responses to questions from your
classmates and/or instructor will also be an important component of
your grade.
If you require an accommodation due to a disability, please contact
the Office of Student Disability Support Services (SDSS) to
register. More information regarding the intake procedure can be
found on the SDSS website: http://www.morgan.edu/SDSS.
It is your responsibility to request an accommodation from SDSS
before or at the beginning of the semester.
Reading List (Subject to Subtle Revision):
Feb |
1
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Course Introduction
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3
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Greenblatt, Norton Introduction, 1-41
"Shakespeare's World"
"The Playing Field"
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5
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Greenblatt, Norton Introduction, 41-72
"Shakespeare's Life and Art"
"The Dream of the Master Text"
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8
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Greenblatt, Norton Introduction, concl. |
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10
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Sonnets: 1, 3, 18, 20
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Histories
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12
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I Henry IV, Acts 1-2
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15
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I Henry IV, Acts 3-5 |
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17
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I Henry IV, concl. |
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19
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Henry V, Acts 1-2
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22
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Henry V, Acts 3-5
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24
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Henry V, concl.
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26
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Richard III, Acts 1-2
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Mar |
1
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** NO CLASS **
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3
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Richard III, Acts 3-5
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5
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Richard III, concl.
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Comedies
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8
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Midsummer Night's Dream, Acts 1-2
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10
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Midsummer Night's Dream, Acts 3-5 |
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12
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Midsummer Night's Dream, concl.
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15
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The Merchant of Venice, Acts 1-2 |
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17
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The Merchant of Venice, Acts 3-5 |
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19
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The Merchant of Venice, concl. |
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22
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Midterm Examination
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24
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** NO CLASS **
Critical Response Paper Due
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26
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Twelfth Night, Acts 1-2 |
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29
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Twelfth Night, Acts 3-5
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31
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Twelfth Night, concl.
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Tragedies
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Apr |
2
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Romeo and Juliet, Acts 1-2
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5
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Romeo and Juliet, Acts 3-5 |
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7
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Romeo and Juliet, concl.
Research Paper Topic Due |
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9
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** NO CLASS ** |
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12
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Hamlet, Acts 1-2 |
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14
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Hamlet, Acts 3-5 |
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16
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Hamlet, concl. |
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19
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Macbeth, Acts 1-2 |
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21
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Macbeth, Acts 3-5 |
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23
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Macbeth, concl.
Deadline to Have Research Paper Topic Approved
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26
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King Lear, Acts 1-2 |
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28
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King Lear, Acts 3-5 |
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30
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King Lear, concl.
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Romance
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May |
3
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The Tempest, Acts 1-2 |
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5
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The Tempest, Acts 3-5 |
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7
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The Tempest, concl. |
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10
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Sonnets: 73, 116, 130, 144
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12
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Final Review |
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14
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Research Paper
Due on Canvas by
End of Business
Last Day to Submit Assignments or Excuses for
Absences/Lates |
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TBA
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Final Exam |
Selected Bibliography
- Baker, David
J., and Willy Maley, eds. British Identities and
English Renaissance Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2002.
- Bloom, Harold. Shakespeare: The Invention of the
Human. New York: Riverhead, 1999.
- Brown, Georgia. Redefining Elizabethan Literature. Cambridge:
Cambridge
Univ. Press, 2004.
- Burton, Jonathan, and Ania Loomba, eds. Race in
Early Modern England: A Documentary Companion. New
York: Palgrave Mcmillan, 2007.
- Callahan, Dympna, ed. A Feminist Companion to
Shakespeare (Blackwell Companions to Literature and
Culture) Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.
- Dusinberre, Juliet. Shakespeare and the Nature of
Women. 3rd. Ed. New York: Palgrave Mcmillan, 2003.
- Fernie, Ewan et al. Reconceiving the Renaissance: A
Critical Reader. New York: Oxford, 2005.
- Fiedler, Leslie. The Stranger In Shakespeare:
Studies in the Archetypal Underworld of the Plays.New
York: Barnes and Noble, 2006.
- Garber,Marjorie. Shakespeare After All. New
York: Anchor, 2005.
- Garner, Shirley Nelson, and Madelon G. Sprengnether,
eds. Shakespearean Tragedy and Gender. Indiana
University Press, 1996.
- Goldberg, Jonathan. The Generation of Caliban.
Ronsdale, 2002.
- Greenblatt, Stephen. Renaissance Self-Fashioning: From
More to Shakespeare. Chicago IL: Univ. of Chicago Press,
2005.
- ---. Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became
Shakespeare. New York: Norton, 2005.
- Hall, Kim. F., ed. Things of Darkness: Economies
of Race and Gender in Early Modern England. Ithaca,
NY: Cornell University Press, 1998.
- Harris, Jonathan Gil. Shakespeare and Literary Theory. Oxford,
UK: Oxford University Press, 2010.
- Hattaway, Michael, ed. A Companion to English
Renaissance Literature and Culture.: Oxford Blackwell,
2003.
- ---. Renaissance And Reformations: An Introduction to Early
Modern English Literature. Oxford: Blackwell, 2006.
- Jorgensen, Paul A., ed. Women, Violence and English
Renaissance Literature: Essays Honoring Paul Jorgensen. Phoenix
AZ: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2003.
- Loomba, Ania. Shakespeare, Race, and Colonialism.
New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
- --- and Martin Orkin, eds. Post-Colonial
Shakespeares . New York: Routledge, 1998.
- MacFaul, Tom. Problem Fathers in Shakespeare and
Renaissance Drama. Cambridge, England: Cambridge
University Press, 2012.
- Mullaney, Stephen. The Place of the Stage:
License, Play, and Power in Renaissance England.
University of Michigan Press, 1995.
- Rackin, Phyllis. Shakespeare and Women. New
York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
- Schwartz, Murray, and Coppelia Kahn, eds. Representing
Shakespeare: New Psychoanalytic Essays. Baltimore, MD: The
Johns Hopkins University Press, 1982.
- Vendler, Helen. The Art of Shakespeare's Sonnets.
Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1997.
- Wayne, Valerie. The Matter of Difference:
Materialist Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare. Ithaca, NY:
Cornell University Press, 1991.
- Wells, Stanley, and Michael Dobson. The Oxford
Companion to Shakespeare. Oxford, UK: Oxford
University Press, 2009.
- White, R. S. Natural Law in English Renaissance Literature.
Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1996.
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