Engish 15, Shakespeare, Section 1870Spring 2007
Time and Place: TuTh 9:30-10:50 in LA 200
Instructor: Karin B. Costello, Ph.D.
Office Hours:
MTuWTh 7:30-8 am in LA 200 ( by appointment only)
MTu 11-12 in 309A Drescher Hall (drop in)
Telephone and email: (310) 434-4543,
Required Text:
Shakespeare, William. The Necessary Shakespeare. Editor, David Bevington. Longman, 2002.
You may use other collections, or copies of individual plays. But The Necessary Shakespeare includes extensive valuable background information (English history, Shakespeare’s life and times, theater and dramatic history, explanations of language, etc) that I will cover in my lectures, but in much less depth.
Grades:
A 900-1000 points
B800-899
C700-799
D600-699
F0-599 and/or any instance of cheating or plagiarism
Assignment Due Dates, Make-up work, Plagiarism, and Attendance policies:
Regular attendance and arrival on time to class are required. I drop students after four absences. Active participation in class discussion creates a better class for everyone, is encouraged, and can make a difference in a student’s final grade if the student’s total point count is close to the next higher grade. Occasional unannouncedshort quizzes on the material assigned for that day may be given. Permission to make-up missed in-class work or to turn in out-of-class work after the due date is at my discretion. I do not offer ‘extra-credit’ work and almost never allow a paper to be re-written, or a test re-taken. Any instance of academic dishonesty, as defined by the Santa Monica College code, will result in zero credit for that assignment and a report to the college disciplinarian.
Participation: 100 points. Includes attendance, participation in class discussion, asking questions, and grades on unscheduled quizzes.
Tuesday, March 27: 300 pointsIn-class short answer and essay examination on Much Ado About Nothing , Othello, The Merchant of Venice, and background (history, biography, theater, etc.)
Tuesday, May 8: 300 points Paper on a topic that covers at least TWO of these plays: HenryH
Henry IV, Part I, Henry V, and Hamlet.
Date to be announced: 300 pointsFinal examination on King Lear and The Tempest
Course Objectives and Friendly Advice:
This course covers only eight of Shakespeare’s plays in the hope that you will develop a deep understanding of and appreciation for them---and be eager to explore additional plays at another time. Be patient with Shakespeare’s language: it gets easier to understand over-time and is worth your trouble. In addition to watching the videos shown in class, watch other televised, video, film and live performances. Shakespeare wrote his plays for performance. There is no substitute for seeing the plays performed. Compare different performances to see how diverse interpretations can be.
Take notes in class and while you read.
1. Ask questions.
2. Disagree with me, please! But be prepared to back up what you say with evidence and explanation.
3. Always read the material at least once before it is discussed in class. 4. 4. 4. Coming to class unprepared is a waste of your time.
5. You must read the plays at least twice---and some sections more than twice---to develop an adequate understanding.
6. Read portions of the plays out loud. Think about how your reading creates an interpretation of the characters and themes. Listen to the sound, the music of the language.
7. Use my study guides to each play; they really will help you.
Weekly Schedule:
Week 1, February 13 Introduction to the class and background on Shakespeare
Week 2, February 20 Much Ado About Nothing
Week 3, February 27 Much Ado About Nothing and Othello
Week 4, March 6 Othello
Week 5, March 13 Othello and The Merchant of Venice
Week 6, March 20 The Merchant of Venice
Week 7 March 27 Tuesday, March 27, Examination on material to date
Thursday: Henry IV, Part I
Week 8, April 3 Henry IV, Part I and Henry V
Spring Break April 9-13
Week 9, April 20 Henry V
Week 10, April 27 Hamlet
Week 11, May 1 Hamlet
Week 12, May 8 Tuesday, May 8, Paper Due
Thursday: King Lear
Week 13, May 15 King Lear
Week 14, May 22 The Tempest
Week 15, May 29 The Tempest
Week 16, June 4-13 Final Examination: Date to be announced