Fall 2016
English 340.01– Shakespeare: Later Plays
Professor Elizabeth Sharrett
MWF 12:00-12:50; BRYAN 121
Office: MHRA 3108 E-mail:
Office Hours: M/W10:00-11:00 & by appointment at other times Office Phone: (336) 334-3967
Course Description:
This course will focus on the latter half of Shakespeare’s career, especially the tragedies and romances, reading and discussing six to seven plays in depth. We will pay particular attention to how Shakespeare uses specific language to represent his social context and how the afterlife of these texts has influenced both Shakespeare’s culture and our own. Your in-class participation will be a vital part of the class. Assignments will include informal speaking and writing assignments, a short paper, and two exams.
GLT Student Learning Outcomes:
· Demonstrate the reading skill required for the study of literary texts. (LG3)
· Identify and/or describe some of the varied characteristics of literary texts. (LG3)
· Demonstrate orally, in writing, or by some other means a fundamental ability to use some of the techniques and/or methods of literary analysis. (LG 1, LG 3)
· Identify and/or describe some of the various social, historical, cultural, and/or theoretical contexts in which literary texts have been written and interpreted. (LG3)
Course Objectives:
· Engage in meaningful conversations, even with people you disagree with, about issues that you care about.
· Learn something from reading.
· Communicate what you think about more effectively.
Course Requirements:
Required Text:
The Norton Shakespeare: Based on the Oxford Edition. Stephen Greenblatt et al.eds. 2nd Ed. (Norton, 2008) is available at the bookstore. You may also use other editions of the plays (such as Riverside, Arden, Oxford, Cambridge, and Penguin), but they should have sufficient notes and be reasonably modern. The best way to know if your edition will be acceptable is to speak with me.
Grade Breakdown:
· Exams 50% (25% each)
· Paper (4-5pp) 30%
· Quizzes, Participation, Attendance 20%
Note: Completion of all assignments is required to pass the course.
Grading Scale: A=100-93, A-=92-90, B+=89-87, B=86-83, B-=82-80, C+=79-77, C=76-73, C-=72-70, D+=69-67, D=66-63, D-=62-60, F=<60
Reading:
We will discuss approximately one act a day, but you should finish reading the play by the second day we discuss it. Part of the point of this course is to help develop a deeper set of reading practices. Reading is not simply a matter of gleaning information: you are reading to engage with the text not simply to master its content. As you read, you should ask and develop questions, analyzing both what you think the author's message is and how he uses specific language to convey that message. In addition, you should make note of important passages or issues you would like to discuss. Basically, come to class prepared to discuss!
Quizzes:
To help you keep up with the reading, I will administer quizzes in-class on the dates listed on the syllabus. These quizzes will count as part of your class participation grade. At the end of the semester, your two lowest quiz scores will be dropped. You will not be allowed to make-up any quizzes that you miss. You must read the entire play by the second class, as the quizzes may cover all five acts.
Class Participation and Informal Assignments:
Class participation is a mandatory part of the course. If you find it difficult speaking in class, please come and talk to me about ways to enhance your participation in the class. You will get credit both for asking and responding to questions.
For each class meeting, please prepare one substantive question about the reading OR one passage from the play that you wish to discuss (you will not hand these in, but I will occasionally call on students to make sure that everyone is engaging with the texts and that all voices in the class are heard; failure to prepare questions/passages will negatively affect your participation grade). As this is a discussion-oriented course, you should be prepared to share your responses to these plays with your classmates, and you will be evaluated on the frequency, quality, and originality of your comments in class. Remember that class participation is an assignment like any other: you are free to choose whether (and how) you fulfill this assignment, but be aware that your grade will reflect your choice. Choosing to complete the assignment will both help you grasp the material better and improve your class participation grade, which makes up a significant percentage of your overall grade.
Mid-semester Performance Workshop
Details to follow. Stay tuned!
“Leading Discussion”:
In addition to the weekly passage or question that you should have to hand every class, over the course of the semester, you will be required to provide additional material to help facilitate the discussion. You will sign-up for a particular date on the first day of class. You will need to do the following:
1) Find a short passage in the reading that you found particularly interesting.
2) Articulate one connection between what you read and contemporary issues or ideas that you consider important.
3) Raise one question for class discussion. This question should be open-ended, without a particular right or wrong answer but specific enough that your classmates can engage it. While “What do you think?” is too broad, “what happens at the end of the play?” is too specific.
Articulate one thing that confused or upset you about the reading
Exams:
You will have two exams. Both will be administered in-class. The exams are designed to help you hone the skills that enable to read and analyze texts well, and thus, will be useful in producing your final writing assignment. There are no make-up exams, except in cases of documented medical or personal emergencies or religious observance (with advance notice). In other words, unless you provide documentation when the makeup exam is scheduled, I will not allow you to take the makeup exam. You must bring your own blue books to class to use for both exams.
Writing Assignment and the Writing Center:
You will have a writing assignment due at the beginning of November, which you should begin working on soon. General guidelines are below, but more specific information will be found on blackboard under “course information.” You will be graded on how well you follow the guidelines listed in those documents.
Important Writing Instructions:
· Use MLA style for all citations.
· All papers should be
o Typed in 12-point Times New Roman
o Have one-inch margins and page numbers
o Be double-spaced
o Be stapled
· Papers must be submitted both in hard copy and via safeassign in “.doc,” “.docx,” or “.rtf” format.
· Papers are due at the beginning of class on the due date.
· Later papers will lose a full letter grade for each day they are late. Thus, I will not grade any paper that is more than five days late except in cases of documented medical or personal emergency.
From the Writing Center Website, http://www.uncg.edu/eng/writingcenter/
“The purpose of the Writing Center is to enhance the confidence and competence of student writers by providing free, individual assistance at any stage of any writing project. Staff consultants are experienced writers and alert readers, prepared to offer feedback and suggestions on drafts of papers, help students find answers to their questions about writing, and provide one-on-one instruction as needed.”
*You will be required to visit the Writing Center at least once* to discuss your paper, and you must have done so by October 24th. Whether you are an expert writer or writing is more difficult for you, having someone else look critically at your work is invaluable. For instructions about arranging an appointment go to http://www.uncg.edu/eng/writingcenter/studentfaq.html#q4. When you meet with the person at the writing center, he or she will ask you if you want an email sent to your instructor, you must say “yes” to get credit for the visit.
NB. You are required to hand in paper copies of all written work and to submit all written work through safeassign. If you would like comments on your essay, you must indicate as much on your essay and make an appointment to discuss those comments with me.
Attendance Policy:
I expect you to attend every class meeting, arrive on time, and remain for 75 minutes. Arriving late to class or leaving early will count as 1/3 an absence. If you miss 30 minutes or more of any class, it will count as a full absence. Over the course of the semester, you may have six absences without any penalty or excuses required (you do not have to contact me about these absences). Your final grade will be lowered one percentage point for each additional absence. Exceptions to this policy may be made for serious personal or medical problems with proper documentation, at the discretion of the professor. If you miss the first three class meetings, I will drop you from the course (this will result in the grade of “W” for the course). If during the entire semester you have missed six or more classes, I will drop you from the course (prior to October 16, this will result in the grade of “W” for the course; after October 16, this will result in the grade of “WF” for the course. Keeping track of your absences and keeping up with readings and assignments is your responsibility. In cases of adverse weather, classes will meet unless the Chancellor closes the University.
Academic Integrity:
Violations of academic integrity are serious academic offenses that will not be tolerated in this class. I expect every student to review the guidelines and list of violations at http://academicintegrity.uncg.edu and to abide by the UNCG Academic Integrity Policy. Students will need to sign the Academic Integrity Pledge on all major work. As you will see in reading the policy, violations include but are not limited to plagiarism.
In writing your papers and exams, you will need to take particular care to avoid plagiarizing the words or ideas of others. When you use sources such as books, web pages, articles, or primary documents in your writing, you must identify them to your reader. If you quote a source directly, you must put the borrowed material in quotation marks and include a proper citation. If you take an idea from another source but put it in your own words (i.e. paraphrase it), you must still give proper credit to the source. Please use MLA style documentation to document any sources used in written work.
All suspected violations of the academic integrity policy will be reported to the Dean of Students, and proven violations will result in serious repercussions. In my classes, a single violation of academic integrity is grounds for failure of the entire course. Repeated offenses can cause you to be expelled from the University. It is your responsibility to understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. If you are unsure about how to give credit to your sources or have any questions about what constitutes an act of plagiarism, please ask me!
The Office of Accessibility Resources
Students with documentation of special needs should arrange to see me about accommodations as soon as possible. If you believe you could benefit from such accommodations, you must first register with the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services on campus before such accommodations can be made. The office is located on the second floor of the Elliott University Center (EUC) in Suite 215, and the office is open 8am to 5pm, Monday - Friday. Telephone: 334-5440; e-mail: .
Technology:
Contact: Email is the fastest way to contact me, and I will occasionally use e-mail to contact you. All messages will be sent to UNCG email accounts, so you need to check your UNCG account regularly. I will do my best to respond to your email within 24 hours on weekdays; please do not expect email responses in the evenings or on weekends. You are required to hand in paper copies of all written work; I will not accept assignments handed in via email.
Blackboard: I have set up a Blackboard website for the course where you can find copies of the syllabus, assignments, announcements, and useful links. Please note that it is your responsibility to print out copies of all handouts and assignment sheets and bring them to class as needed.
Laptops and Cellphones: You may NOT use laptops in the classroom except in documented cases of medical need. All electronic devices including cellphones should be turned off before class.
Readings and Due Dates
Week I
M Aug 22 Introduction – Responsibilities
W Aug 24 Shakespeare’s World – Gender
F Aug 26 Macbeth
Week II
M Aug 28 Macbeth: quiz
W Aug 31 Macbeth
F Sept 2 Macbeth
Week III
M Sept 5 Labor Day – NO CLASS
W Sept 7 Macbeth
F Sept 9 Othello
Week IV
M Sept 12 Othello; quiz
W Sept 14 Othello
F Sept 16 Othello
Week V
M Sept 19 Othello
W Sept 21 Shakespeare’s World – Race
F Sept 23 Anthony and Cleopatra
Week VI
M Sept 26 Anthony and Cleopatra; quiz
W Sept 28 Anthony and Cleopatra
F Sept 30 Anthony and Cleopatra
Week VII
M Oct 3 Anthony and Cleopatra