Shakespeare I

 

English 354                                                                                         Richard Finkelstein

Fall 2007                                                                                             Welles 220

T/R 2:10-3:25                                                                                      finkelst@geneseo.edu

Welles 119                                                                                          X5245

Office Hrs: T/R 12:45-2:00 and by appt.

 

                                                                                   

 

 

Text:    Shakespeare, ed. Bevington (5th edition)

You may also use other editions, including earlier Bevington editions, Arden, Riverside, Folger, Oxford, and Norton, which have act, scene, and line numbers.  In general, you should read about 2 acts of each play for every class meeting and try to stay about an act ahead of class discussion.

 

 

 

Class meetings

 

8/28, 8/30                    Introduction; The Comedy of Errors

9/4, 9/6                        Errors; Titus Andronicus

9/11, 9/13                    Titus

9/18, 9/20                    A Midsummer NightÕs Dream

9/25, 9/27                    Dream;  Review                     

10/2                             Hour Exam

10/4                             Sonnets 3, 15, 29, 73, 143; Richard II

10/9                             FALL BREAK

10/11                           Richard II       

10/16, 10/18                Richard II (conclusion); Sonnets 20, 135, 144, 127, 129,

Twelfth Night   Paper 1 due 10/18     

10/23 10/25                 Twelfth Night

10/30, 11/1                  Measure for Measure

11/6, 11/8                    Measure for Measure; Othello

11/13, 11/15                Othello           

11/20                           King Lear

11/22                           THANKSGIVING BREAK

11/27, 11/29                King Lear

12/4, 12/6                    The Tempest  Paper 2 due 12/4

 

12/13, 12:00-3:00        Final Exam

                                   

 

Additional Assignment:

 

The Hour Exam on 10/12 will cover some matters related to discussion of the plays and sonnets but mostly it will check on independent work that you should be doing during the first several weeks of the course. I will not be formally lecturing on material from this independent reading assignment. The quiz will cover large parts of BevingtonÕs introduction. Page numbers in the 5th 1 volume edition are ix-xxiv, xliii-lxxx.  In the 5th edition 3-volume set the page numbers are xi-xxvii, xxxii (or xxxi) (starting with LondonÕs theatres and dramatic companies)-lxix (or lxviii) (up to the section on ShakespeareÕs language). I will provide handouts for people who do not have this edition. You are also responsible for additional material that we will discuss in class about the drama before Shakespeare. I encourage you to ask questions about this material at any time but I have also set aside considerable time for extensive questions and answers on 10/11. Starting the reading early will help you assimilate this large amount of material. In addition, our ability to refer to the material will enrich the course.

 

 

Evaluation:  2 8-page papers (Due 10/18 and 12/4)                                                    60%

       Hour Exam (10/2)                                                                                    15%

                   Final Exam (Thursday, 12/13 @ 12:00)                                                   25%

 

Videos: Milne Library has the complete BBC video series of ShakespeareÕs plays that you can check out. A number of interesting films of plays on the syllabus can be found in local video stores, through Netflix or in the English Department. (I have inserted a * if they are in the Department). Useful film versions include

 

                        Hoffman, A Midsummer NightÕs Dream* (with Calista Flockhart, et al.)

                        Noble, A Midsummer NightÕs Dream

                        Reinhardt, A Midsummer NightÕs Dream

                        Nunn, Twelfth Night*

                        Parker, Othello* (with Fishburne, Branagh)

                        Taymor, Titus*

 

I also encourage you to think about seeing Shakespearean appropriations, such as  SheÕs the Man (based on Twelfth Night); Ran* (based on King Lear); Forbidden Planet *(based on The Tempest); O (based on Othello); A Thousand Acres (a novel by Jane Smiley and a film, based on King Lear), Shakespeare in Love (based on Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet). If you are interested in appropriations, check with me because there are numerous others in a variety of media. 

 

Shakespeare on the Web: There are a large number of sites on the web, some good, many of dubious quality. You can conveniently gain access to the best ones through http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/ or by entering the Shakespeare Association of America website at http://www.shakespeareassociation.org/ and using their links.

 

Note: I am happy to discuss your ideas and planning for papers with you. However, because I have not found evaluating full drafts of papers helpful to students, I canÕt actually read fully written papers before theyÕre due. However, by all means come with works in progress. All written work must be completed to pass the course. Late papers require InstructorÕs consent. Attendance is crucial because this is a discussion class.