Connections: English 121: Old Syllabi: Spring 2012

Connections

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Textbook Poetry Fiction Film Research and Writing Research Writing Courses Tutorial 120 121 Syllabus Assignments Policies Old Syllabi Spring 07 Fall 07 Fall 10 Spring 12 Spring 14 Fall 21 224 226 Seminars Digital Studies About This Site Documents	English 121, Intro to Shakespeare Spring 2012 Monday, January 23 First day: Introductions and course outline Unit One Shakespeare's Language: The Sonnets Wednesday, January 25 Film: segment two of John Barton's Playing Shakespeare: Using the Verse Read Connections on The Sonnet Read Connections on Scansion And if you want to brush up on poetic terminology more general, have a look around the Terms section. Hunter Davis as Ian McKellen as Popeye Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet, an all-purpose site maintained by Terry A. Gray ERIC (English Renaissance in Context) from the Penn Libraries Come to class prepared to apply the film and readings to a discussion of one of Shakespeare's sonnets. Also, please go to the class discussion board and write a solid paragraph or two introducing yourself to the class. Aside from the obvious introductory function of this assignment, it also ensures that we flush out any technical problems before moving farther into the term. Note: here and throughout this syllabus, the first (less indented) reading or link is required, while the second (more indented) reading or link is supplemental and optional. Here, for example, the film viewing and Connections links are required, whereas exploring the other websites is optional. Friday, January 27 Read Shakespeare's sonnets 1, 2, 3, 5, 15, 16, 17, and 18. Close reading handout Sir John Gielgud reads the sonnets The excellent BBC podcast In Our Time on Shakespeare's Life Using the close reading handout as a guide, write a paragraph about something unusual and interesting you find in one of the sonnets. We will discuss some of your paragraphs in class, and I will collect them all. Monday, January 30 Read Marjorie Garber's introduction to Shakespeare After All. Shakespeare's "Young Man" sonnets (selections): 20, 30, 37, 62, 76, 84, 93, 115, 116, and 123 And the "Dark Lady" sonnets (selections): 42, 127, 130, 133, 138, 144, 147, 148, and 152 Group 1: Write a response connecting some small issue you find in a close reading of one of these sonnets to one of the broader concerns that Garber raises about interpreting Shakespeare's works. The key to this assignment lies in conveying that connection between a few small details and the big issues or questions of Shakespeare criticism. Unit Two Shakespeare Tragicohistorical and Comical: Richard III and Much Ado about Nothing Wednesday, February 1 Richard III, Act I Shakespeare's Works in online texts from MIT In Our Time on Shakespeare's Work Group 2: Stage-setting response Friday, February 3 Richard III, Acts II and III Group 3: Middle acts response Monday, February 6 Richard III, Acts IV and V Russ McDonald, "Theater à la Mode: Shakespeare and the Kinds of Drama" ERIC (English Renaissance in Context) has a tutorial on Richard III Group 4: Final acts response Wednesday, February 8 Richard Loncraine, Richard III (1995) The film's IMDB page And its MRQE page Group 5: Film response Thursday, February 9 SONNET EXPLICATION DUE UNDER MY OFFICE DOOR AT 4:00 P.M. Friday, February 10 Connections, Developing a Thesis If you want to see more of what I say about writing papers, you are welcome (but not required) to look through the other sections of the Writing section of Connections. No response required: we will talk about writing in class. Monday, February 13 Much Ado about Nothing, Act I Review the comedy section of Russ McDonald, "Theater à la Mode: Shakespeare and the Kinds of Drama" Group 6: Stage-setting response Wednesday, February 15 Much Ado about Nothing, Acts II and III Group 7: Middle acts response Friday, February 17 Much Ado about Nothing, Acts IV and V Group 1: Final acts response Monday, February 20 Film: Kenneth Branagh, Much Ado about Nothing (1993) The film's IMDB page And its MRQE page Group 2: Film response Unit Three Extreme Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus Wednesday, February 22 Titus Andronicus, Act I Group 3: Stage-setting response Friday, February 24 Titus Andronicus, Acts II and III Group 4: Middle acts response Monday, February 27 Titus Andronicus, Acts IV and V In Our Time on Elizabethan Revenge Group 5: Final acts response Wednesday, February 29 Film: Julie Taymor, Titus (1999) The film's IMDB page And its MRQE page Group 6: Film response Friday, March 2 MIDSEM EXAM IN CLASS Unit Four Critical Perspectives on Shakespeare: The Example of Hamlet Monday, March 5 Hamlet, Act I Hamlet Works is one of the web's truly remarkable literary sites. You'll need to take a few minutes to figure out the interface, but the site will repay your efforts. Facebook Hamlet Group 7: Scene-setting response Wednesday, March 7 Hamlet, Acts II and III Group 1: Middle acts response Friday, March 9 Hamlet, Acts IV and V Group 2: Last acts response Monday, March 12 Parker on New Criticism Reading on the critical history of Hamlet In Our Time on Shakespeare and Literary Criticism Group 3: Write a response that finds some way of tying together the two readings for today. For instance, you might find a point from the critical history that illustrates the power or limitations of a New Critical approach to Hamlet. Wednesday, March 14 Readings on feminist criticism and Hamlet Group 4: The response assignment will be the same for both critical approaches. For the approach we read about each day, discuss a point in the article that you consider especially instructive or, on the contrary, to be a misreading of Hamlet. You can talk about more general applications of the day's theory if you like, but every response should start by discussing a specific moment in the day's article. Friday, March 16 Readings on deconstructionist criticism and Hamlet Group 5: See the assignment for March 14th. FALL BREAK Monday, April 2 Connections, Argument No response required: we will talk about writing in class. Unit Five Shakespeare in Context: The Merchant of Venice and Othello Wednesday, April 4 The Merchant of Venice, Act I Contextual readings on religion ERIC (English Renaissance in Context) has a tutorial on The Merchant of Venice Group 6: Stage-setting response Friday, April 6 The Merchant of Venice, Acts II and III Contextual readings on finance Group 7: Middle acts response Monday, April 9 The Merchant of Venice, Acts IV and V Parker on queer studies Group 1: Last acts response Wednesday, April 11 FILMS: 8:00 Tuesday night in ARH 102 Film: Michael Radford, The Merchant of Venice (2004) Film: Barton, section 4 of Playing Shakespeare: Exploring a Character (on Shylock) The Radford film's IMDB page And its MRQE page Group 2: Film response Friday, April 13 Odegaard Writing & Research Center, Attending to Style No readings for today: we will talk about writing in class. Monday, April 16 Othello, Act I Group 3: Stage-setting response Wednesday, April 18 Othello, Acts II and III Group 4: Middle acts response Friday, April 20 PAPER PROSPECTUS DUE IN CLASS Othello, Acts IV and V Shakespearean Marbury Group 5: Last acts response Unit Six The Shakespearean Text: King Lear Monday, April 23 King Lear, Act I Group 6: Stage-setting response Wednesday, April 25 King Lear, Acts II and III Group 7: Middle acts response Friday, April 27 King Lear, Acts IV and V An excellent conversation about Lear from the podcast Entitled Opinions, with Stephen Orgel and host Robert Harrison ERIC (English Renaissance in Context) has a tutorial on history and truth in King Lear Group 1: Last acts response Unit Seven Shakespeare on Stage: Macbeth Monday, April 30 PAPER DUE IN CLASS Macbeth, Act I Sourcebooks edition introductory materials, pages 1-20, and CD tracks 1-18 (all material from Act I) Group 2: Stage-setting response with special attention to the interpretive decisions made by at least one of the actors on the CD Wednesday, May 2 Macbeth, Acts II and III CD tracks 19-29 (all material from Acts II and III) Group 3: Middle acts response Friday, May 4 Macbeth, Acts IV and V CD tracks 30-40 (all material from Acts IV and V) Group 4: Last acts response Unit Eight Shakespeare's Legacies: The Tempest Monday, May 7 The Tempest, Act I Parker on Postcolonial and Race Studies Group 5: Stage-setting response Wednesday, May 9 The Tempest, Acts II and III Group 6: Middle acts response Friday, May 11 The Tempest, Acts IV and V No responses: we will leave time for end-of-course carnival events and contests of skill. Thursday, May 17 FINAL EXAM AT 2:00 P.M.
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