SHAKESPEARE
REQUIRED TEXTS
Shakespeare, William. The Riverside Shakespeare. G. Blakemore Evans, et.
al. eds. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1974.
READINGS
September
Wed 2: Introduction to the Course and Historical Outline
Fri 4: Class Cancelled
Mon 7: Holiday--No Classes
Wed 9: A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Elizabethan Theater
Fri 11: MND
Mon 14: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Wed 16: MND: Love, Magic, and the Art of Acting
Fri 18: MND
Mon 21: The Merchant of Venice: When is a Joke not a Joke?
Wed 23: MoV: The Outsider in the Theater
Fri 25: MoV
Mon 28: Twelfth Night, or What You Will: The Party's Over
Wed 30: TN and Shakespearean Comedy: variations on a theme
October
Fri 2: TN
Mon 5: Measure for Measure as a Dark Comedy
Wed 7: MfM and the Problem of a Just Ruler
Fri 9: MfM
Mon 12: The Tragedy of King Richard the Second and the Sequence
of Histories
Wed 14: Richard II: History or Tragedy?
Fri 16: Richard II
Mon 19: The First Part of Henry the Fourth: Comedy and History
Wed 21: The Second Part of Henry the Fourth: Tragedy and History
Fri 23: 1 & 2 Henry IV
Mon 26: The Life of Henry the Fifth: The Ideal King? The Just War?
Wed 28: Henry V: What were Shakespeare's Politics?
Fri 30: MIDTERM EXAMINATION
November
Mon 2: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: Why there is no
text of Hamlet
Wed 4: Hamlet: The Play within the Play within the Play
Fri 6: Hamlet
Mon 9: The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice: Husband and
Wife? Angel and Devil?
Wed 11: Othello: Race, Sex, and the Theater
Fri 13: Othello REVIEW ARTICLE DUE AT BEGINNING OF DISCUSSION SECTION
Mon 16: The Tragedy of King Lear: Parents and Children
Wed 18: Lear: "Is this the promised end?"
Fri 20: Lear
Mon 23: The Tragedy of Macbeth: Things that go 'Bump' in the
Night--Natural, Unnatural, and Supernatural
Wed 25: Macbeth: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
Fri 27: Macbeth
Mon 30: The Winter's Tale: The Late Romances
December
Wed 2: Winter's Tale: Why do all the characters in WT keep
saying that it's 'like an old tale still'?
TERM PAPER DUE AT BEGINNING OF LECTURE
Fri 4: Winter's Tale
Mon 7: The Tempest: Politics, Magic, and Art
Wed 9: Tempest: Shakespeare's Farewell?
Fri 11: Tempest: Our Farewell.
Course Requirements
Quizzes 10%
Performance Review Article 10%
Term Paper (@ 5-7 pgs) 25%
Midterm Examination 25%
Final Examination 30%
Throughout the semester, we will be scheduling showings of
various Shakespeare performances. You are not required to attend these
performances, but they will make assimilation and interpretation of the
plays much easier for you.
The discussion sections are intended to be just that: classes
devoted to group discussion of the material. Discussion is expected
during these classes. While we will not be assigning grades for
participation, your consistent involvement could help your final grade.