Shakespeare
Class Information
Instructor: Dolan, Frances
Time: MWF 9:00-9:50
GE Areas: World Cultures Writing Experience
Description
This course will closely examine a selection of plays by Shakespeare. We will move across time and genre, reading a comedy (AS YOU LIKE IT), a history (RICHARD II), three tragedies (TITUS ANDRONICUS, HAMLET, and KING LEAR), and a late play or romance (THE WINTER'S TALE). These are all challenging plays; they are also some of my particular favorites. Lecture and discussion will focus on locating the plays in their historical contexts, reading and re-reading the texts carefully, imagining performance possibilities, and speculating about how meanings have changed over time. Students will hone their reading, writing, and research skills. I hope we will be meeting in person! If that is not possible, then we will make the class accessible to students participating in person or remotely and will provide a range of ways of participating. This will probably mean discussion forum instead of discussion sections, recorded lectures, and some synchronous discussion, but I welcome feedback from students about how we will proceed.
I recommend editions with substantial notes. I have chosen editions I recommend, but I am also open to your using other editions, including those available online--at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Internet Shakespeare Editions, or MIT. Only those at Internet Shakespeare Editions include glosses.
Grading
20% 1st paper
25% 2nd paper
10% Attendance/participation (may vary depending on how we are meeting)
20% Discussion forum posts OR discussion sections
25% take-home final exam
Texts
King Lear (Folger)
Hamlet (Folger)
Richard II (New Pelican)
Titus Andronicus (Folger), Shakespeare, William/ed. Mowat
The Winter's Tale (New Pelican edition), Shakespeare, William/ed. Dolan
As You Like It (New Pelican)