English 117 - Summer Sessions II, 2018

Shakespeare

Class Information

Instructor: Waltonen, Karma
CRN: 71505
Time: TWR 4:10-5:50
Location: 290 Gym

Description

Theme: Witches and Fools: Shakespearean Outcasts

This course studies four plays from the middle and late periods of Shakespeare’s career: Macbeth, The Tempest, King Lear, and The Merchant of Venice. We will also read Kill Shakespeare, a graphic novel adaptation of the Bard’s works, and Hag-Seed, Margaret Atwood's adaptation of The Tempest. We will focus on the language and formal conventions of these plays as well as their stagecraft, their historical context, and their modern reception. In class discussion, I will often ask you to think like a director--would you include the Hecate scene if you did Macbeth? What would you tell your actors about what happened to the Fool when he disappears from King Lear? We will also compare a few productions of Macbeth.

Note: Good editions of Macbeth and King Lear (like the Arden editions) will make your summer easier.

Grading

Participation 5%
Quizzes 10%
Homework/reviews 10%
Essay 1 20%
Essay 2 25%
Midterm 10%
Final 20%

Texts

Macbeth, William Shakespeare
King Lear, William Shakespeare
The Tempest, William Shakespeare
The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare
Hag-seed, Margaret Atwood
Kill Shakespeare, Del Col, McCreery, Belanger