Skip to main content
Department of English
Search
Log in
Navigation
About
Current Office Hours
Diversity Resources
English Library
Faculty Statement Archives
Internal Dept Resources
Medieval and Early Modern Studies
University Writing Program
Video Guides & Worksheets
Visit us on Facebook
Major/Minor in English
Advising
Creative Writing Application
Honors Program
Internships
Literary Magazines
Major Requirements Guide & FAQ
Minor Requirements
Study Abroad
Why Major in English?
MFA in Creative Writing
Admissions
Events, Prizes, and Resources
MFA Program Faculty
Newly Admitted Grad Students
Resources
Ph.D. in Literature
About
Admissions
Newly Admitted Grad Students
PhD Alumni Directory
Resources
Courses & Schedules
People
News & Events
Off the Syllabus Podcast
Recent News
Contests
Contest Winners
Previous Contest Winners
Newsletters
You are here
Home
»
Courses & Schedules
English 40-2 - Spring, 2020
Introductory Topics in Literature
Topic: Shakespeare and the Classics
Class Information
Instructor:
Connally, Kenneth
CRN:
84056
Time:
TR 9:00-10:20
Location:
113 Hoagland
Description
Ben Jonson famously wrote that his friend and fellow playwright William Shakespeare understood only "small Latin, and less Greek." While neoclassicists like Jonson followed ancient dramatic models strictly, Shakespeare, the "poet of nature," deviated wildly from the "rules" of Greek tragedy and comedy. Yet Shakespeare too was deeply influenced by the culture and art of ancient Greece and Rome. He set many of his most famous plays in the ancient world and heavily relied on Greek and Latin sources for his plots. The philosophical ideas we find in his writings also often derive from Plato, Aristotle, or the schools of the Epicureans, Stoics, and Skeptics. In this class, we will read Shakespeare alongside his classical sources, examining the intertextual links between the great author of the Renaissance and the literature of the ancient world.
Grading
Short Essays: 15%
Short Essay Revisions: 15%
Term Paper: 30%
Quizzes: 10%
Midterm: 10%
Final: 20%
Texts
The Comedy of Errors
, William Shakespeare
Henry V
, William Shakespeare
Julius Caesar
, William Shakespeare
Course Reader
Roman Comedy: Five Plays by Plautus and Terence