TENTATIVE COURSE CALENDAR:
R 1/13 Introduction to the course and one another, to Blackboard, to Shakespeare (1564-1616) and his world. Video: “In Search of S” (PR2894.I49 2003AV). Enroll in Blackboard. Plans for theater: join English club; look at dates.
T 1/18 Quiz/contest and discussion of S’s life and times. (Read handouts and his life to prepare: see sheet.) Introduction to comedy, to Midsummer Night’s Dream, and to library holdings on S. (Mendelssohn’s MND: themes)
THE HIGH ROMANTIC COMEDY
R 1/20 Midsummer Night’s Dream (c. 1594-6);
first reading and discussion. (Video and DVD in
T 1/25 MND second reading, discussion, and dramatization.
R 1/27 Romeo and Juliet: (1594-6) first reading and discussion. Bring two questions to hand in and select your favorite passage so far.
T 2/1 R&J. Second reading and discussion.
R 2/3 Henry IV Part 1: (1597)
first reading and discussion. Bring two
questions. (Video in
T 2/8 1 H IV: second reading. Look at father-son relationships. What is your opinion of Falstaff? What are the most dramatic, crucial scenes?
R 2/10 1 H IV: discussion. Review of first three plays: Shakespeare’s
early work. Reports
on articles (2) on Blackboard.
T 2/15 Test 1.
R 2/17 Much Ado about Nothing (1598--99):
first reading. Film on reserve in
T 2/22 Much Ado second reading.
R 2/24 Much Ado: final discussion. Introduction to Measure for Measure. Report on article on Blackboard. Reaction paper #1 due. Topic for research paper due with preliminary outline.
T 3/1 Measure for Measure (1604-5): first reading. Bring (written) two questions. How does this differ from Much Ado?
R 3/3 M for M: second reading: discussion. Report on article (or on stage play if you have seen M for M). Review.
HAPPY SPRING BREAK!
THE GREAT TRAGEDIES:
T 3/15 Othello (c. 1603-4): first reading of Acts 1-2. (Film (Branagh) on reserve in Media Center: PR2829 A23 1998).
R 3/17 Othello: finish first reading Bibliography due with two-page essay on the history of criticism of your topic.
T 3/22 Othello: finish second
reading. Reports as
assigned. The nature of tragedy.
Blackboard
report on one critical work on O.
HAPPY EASTER! (Try to attend an Easter Vigil service if you
can, and pay attention to the symbolism, which influences Shakespeare.)
T 3/29 King Lear (c. 1605). First reading of Act 1. Read it carefully once or twice. (Two versions on reserve in Media Center.).
R 3/31 Lear:
Acts II--III. RESEARCH PAPER WRITERS: 2 pages due, a summary and analysis of
eight works you have read for your paper.
Sign for a conference between today and 4/6.
T 4/5 Lear: Act III. (Read it twice, at least.)
R 4/7 Lear, Acts IV--V. Reports
on themes and reports on articles. (I will be glad to read drafts of research
papers until 4/18). .
SEE ROMEO AND
JULIET AT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER
T 4/12 Discussion of R&J on stage.
From Lear
to Pericles. Bring both texts to class, finish second
reading of Lear, and read Acts I-II of Pericles. (Pericles
DVD (BBC) on reserve in
THE TRAGI-COMEDY OR DRAMATIC ROMANCE
("LAST PLAYS")
R 4/14 Pericles: finish
first reading, III--V. Abstract due for reaction paper #2.
T 4/19 Pericles:
second reading. What is a tragi-comedy? Is Pericles
Shakespearean?
R4/21 Pericles: final discussion. Review. Research papers and Reaction Paper 2 due by midnight.
T 4/26 Sharing of papers. (
R 4/28 Sharing of papers. Review and evaluations. Preparation for exam.
RESEARCH PAPERS FOR SHAKESPEARE:
THE TOPIC:
Junior
and senior English majors will write a 10-page research essay on some aspect of
an assigned play which interests you.
You may find your topic through class discussion, viewing a play,
reading it, reading about it, skimming bibliographies, and/or talking with your
classmates and/or me. In the paper you
will propose a small question that interests you and then try to answer it from
the play itself. For instance, you might
ask what "nature" means in King
Lear and answer by looking at every use of the word "nature" in
the play, determining what patterns you find, and explaining. Or you might ask how body language and
costume have affected meaning in performances of Much Ado and answer by
studying photos and reviews of productions.
FINDING WHAT TO READ:
1. Skim a standard annotated bibliography (see
attached sheet) in order to see what people in the past have thought about your
subject. You will find listed some
things you want to read, but the main reason for skimming the bibliography is
to get a sense of what others have done, "the state of the
question." You will write a couple
of pages due 3/17, telling what you find, including how many have written about
your question and in what periods. Be
sure to list the bibliography you have skimmed on your list of works consulted for your
paper.
2. Find the recent works you want to read by
using the annual bibliography in The
Shakespeare Quarterly (with the periodicals) or by using the MLA International Bibliography. Neither of these is cumulative, so you have
to look at a number of volumes, beginning with the present and working
back.
OTHER
PERIODICAL INDICES, EVEN THE COMPUTER,
ARE NOT ADEQUATE. USE EITHER SQ OR MLA.
For
works since the latest SQ or MLA, consult the indexes on computer,
the Humanities Index, and the reserve shelf.
HELP ONE ANOTHER by telling each other (in person or on Blackboard) about
good books and articles, and ask a librarian or me if you're having trouble
finding good things.
You
must read at least eight articles or
sections of books about your question (or at least about your play) from
different periods, at least four of
them since 1995, so that you will know what other people think now about
your question. You are not looking for
"proofs" to "back up" your argument. You will prove your points by quoting from
Shakespeare. You are just trying to see
what others think about your question so you can converse with them.
You've had English 204. Notice the critical methods used by each
critic you read. Notice how their
assumptions or critical stances affect their conclusions.
You will hand in a 2 p.
summary/analysis of the state of the question as you learn it from these eight
works, on 3/31.
WRITING THE PAPER:
Start
with an analysis of the state of the question.
Comment on what you learned from your reading, summarizing any patterns
you found (the
two papers you write for 3/17 and 3/31 will make this easy.) How many people
have written about your question?
When? Did people ask different
kinds of questions in different periods?
What is the state of the question now?
Then lead into YOUR view of your question in the light of others' views. Show where you stand in relation to their views, and be sure to state the method (approach, critical stance) that you are using in this paper. Explore your view in 6-7 pages, liberally using Shakespeare's words to prove your points, and commenting on each quotation you use to show what you see in it. Do not use critics to "prove" points; only the text of the play can prove them. I want to know, in the context of scholarly opinion, what YOU think and feel, based upon the text. In discussing that, you may comment on what other critics say and what you are arguing against.
DON'T RETELL THE PLOT. Take it for granted that you and I both know
what happens in the play.
FORM AND STYLE:
1. Remember that when you quote poetry, you must
always quote it in LINES. Don't change
the length of the line. It has to look
the way it looks in the printed text.
2. Please don't use a header. I like NOT to know whose paper I'm reading,
so please put your name only on the title page, not on the paper itself.
3. Use the MLA style for citations: no footnotes
(except the first one indicating the edition of Shakespeare you are using),
just citations in parentheses (Jones 33), with a LIST OF WORKS CONSULTED (not
works cited) at the end, giving at least nine or ten sources (eight articles or
books, one or two bibliographies) in proper form. Use the form I give you. If you have more complicated entries, see a handbook with the MLA
style--the library desk has some. FORM
MUST BE CORRECT, OR I WON'T READ THE PAPER.
PROOFREADING AND EDITING:
Be
sure to proofread carefully (and spell "tragedy" and
"villain" correctly!) I will
be happy to read one trial draft per person, if you wish, before the paper is
due (i.e., by April 18) or you may ask the
CALENDAR FOR RESEARCH
PAPERS:
2/17 Idea for topic
2/24 Topic
due with rough outline
2/24-28 Group conferences on bibliography, in library. Sign for appointment
3/22 Bibliography
due with 2 page essay on history of criticism of your
topic.
3/31 2-3-p.
essay due on the eight works you have read.
What is the state
of
the question?
3/31-4/6 Personal conference with me on
progress of paper
4/7--4/18 Drafts accepted for reading if desired
4/21 Papers
due by midnight at my office or switchboard, NOT campus mail
4/26-28 Papers shared with class
ENGLISH 358: SHAKESPEARE
SPRING 2005(TR 8:30--9:45) S. Mary Clemente Davlin, O. P.
email: mcdavlin@email.dom.edu 210
FA. Phone: 708-524-5997
Office
hr: 10 a.m. MTW and by appt
TEXTS: Four Great Tragedies, Much
Each student must also get a ticket to Romeo and
Juliet at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
(Measure for Measure will also be given this season if you wish to
go.)
AIMS:
* To read and see a variety of
Shakespearean plays with understanding and enjoyment
* To develop skill in interpreting
Shakespeare's language and in analyzing the structures
and styles of his various
genres
* To gain some knowledge of the history
of Shakespeare criticism and some experience
in reading contemporary
criticism.
* For junior and senior English majors,
to learn to write a research essay, entering into current Shakespeare scholarly
conversation.
REQUIREMENTS
AND PROPOSED EVALUATION SCHEME:
1. To read all the assigned plays at least twice
(or read once, see once), see one Shakespearean
play on the stage during the semester, and participate
actively in class. Presence and
discussion are therefore important; absence, or
non-participation in discussion will
detract from grade. Anyone who is unavoidably absent must write
an essay on Blackboard on the material for that day. Anyone who feels unable to contribute in
class will be expected to write her/his ideas to classmates on Blackboard. There will be brief reading quizzes (no makeups)
20%
2. To complete successfully:
--two examinations. No makups except
in extraordinary circumstances. 35-40%
--papers as assigned (one 10-p. research
paper for junior or senior English majors,
and two 4-5 p.
reaction papers for everyone else.) 30-35%
3. To do some critical reading on each of the assigned
plays except the first (MND) and
to react
and report on it on
Blackboard. Limit to two sentences after
giving the bibliographical information in MLA form: one summing up what you
read, and one reacting to it.* Twice in the semester, to share
reaction to one of these articles orally with the class. 10%
*Example of a typical reading report on
Blackboard (2 sentences on one article--one summarizing what you read, and one
reacting to it):
Jones, Shirley. "Seeing Hamlet." Shakespeare
Survey 43 (1995): 1-16.
Ms Jones analyzes
four productions of Hamlet showing
how the
play is
capable of Freudian, deconstructive, and colonialist interpretations.
I found the first half of this really
full of insights about the character of
Hamlet, but the last part with its
deconstructive language, lost me!
SOME THEMES FOR THE COURSE: love, jealousy, family (esp.
father-daughter and father-son relationships), power and oppression (agism, sexism, racism)
USE THE INTERNET TO ENLIVEN
YOUR STUDY! For instance, see:
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/ http://shakespeare.palomar.edu
http://www.rdg.ac.uk/globe/ http://www.shakespeare.org.uk
http://www.rsc.org.uk or search
"Shakespeare" on Google
http://www.stratford-upon-avon.co.uk
(on life)
SKIMMING A SHAKESPEARE
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Part
of the assignment for the research paper is to skim through an annotated
bibliography of works about Shakespeare.
You will be doing this to get an overview of (1) about how many people
have written on your play and your topic? (2) when? (in certain decades more than others?) (3) about
what aspects or from what critical stances?
You will also notice, of course, some things you want to read, and that
is a second purpose for this assignment.
Please include the bibliography you skim in your List of Works Consulted
in the final paper. This is a wonderful
way to begin your research, because it gives you an overview of how many people
have studied what you are studying, when, and with what questions.
You
will hand in two pages summarizing your findings, on 3/17. This short essay will make writing your paper
much easier.
Bibliographies
are housed in the Reference collection, ground floor, at the very back of the
Z's.. These
books do not circulate, so they will always be there for you!
Come when you have about an hour, and browse through the one you select. Jot down the approximate number of essays or
books on your play (10? 150?) and on your topic
within the play. Also jot down anything
you can deduce about trends, and any other notes you want. (If you need help finding the books, ask the
reference librarian on duty.)
You
can supplement (but not substitute for) what you find here by looking at
the bibliography in any new book about your play or topic. See the reserve shelf.
Here
are some titles and call numbers (the bibliographies are all together):
REF REF
Z 8811 Berman
(to 1965) Z 8811 Berman revised to 1973
.B45 .B45
1973
REF REF Champion
Z
8811 Bevington (to 1978) Z 8811 probably
best; annotated to 1986
.B48 .C53
1986
REF REF REF
Z
8811 McManaway
and Roberts Z 8811 Wells (to 1987) Z8811 Smith (to 1963)
.M23 (to 1975) .S5 1990 .S64
If
you're working on a tragedy,
REF
Z
8812 Quinn et al
.Q54 Major Tragedies
REACTION
PAPERS FOR SHAKESPEARE:
(This is an assignment for members of the class who are not junior or senior English majors.)
You will write two short papers, 4-5 pages word-processed or typed, double spaced, with normal font and margins. They will be due 2/24 and 4/21, and abstracts for the two papers (3-4 sentences saying what you are going to say in the paper) are due 2/17 and 4/14). They are NOT to be research papers, but your own personal intellectual and emotional reactions to an assigned question. Please follow these guidelines closely and ask me about whatever isn't clear:
1. The papers should not repeat what has been said in class or what you have read in a book, journal, or internet site. Instead, write what you feel and think, based upon the play.
2. DON'T retell the plot. Take it for granted that you and I both know what happens.
3. Quote from the play to illustrate your points and make them clear. And every time you quote, introduce the quotation, quote, and then talk about the quotation, so I can see what you see in it.
4. Remember, when you quote poetry, you must always quote it in its own LINES. Don't change the length of the line. It has to look the way it looks in the text. So, don't type "To be or not to be, that is the question, whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer . . . "
Instead, type:
To be or not to be, that is the question.
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune . . .
5. Please don't use a header. I like NOT to know whose paper I'm reading, so please put your name only on the title page, not on the paper itself.
6. I'll be glad to look at one draft per person per paper, if you wish, before the paper is due (not the last couple of days before it's due). You may also ask the Writing Lab to have a look at it.
TOPICS FOR THE TWO REACTION PAPERS:
1. 4-5 pp., due 2/24. Abstract due 2/17.
Do one or the other:
a.
Discuss the relations between fathers and their children in two
of the plays we have read.
or b. Discuss S’s language and its effects in one passage each from MND and R&J.
2. 4-5 pp., due 4/21. Abstract due 4/14.
Write a thoughtful essay based upon your experience of Romeo and Juliet on the stage, discussing the merits (in your opinion) of reading/studying the text of a Shakespeare play as opposed to seeing a stage performance. What does each give the reader/viewer? Consider lighting, sound, speech, body language, setting, imagination, discussion of poetry, theme, and anything else. Is it better to see a play or read it or both? Be very specific, with examples illustrating each of your points.