Connections: English 121: Old Syllabi: Spring 2014

Connections

A Hypertext Resource for Literature

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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 2014 Monday, January 20 First day: Introductions and course outline Wednesday, January 22 Read Marjorie Garber's introduction to Shakespeare After All. Class will not meet today. Instead of class, we will have individual introductory conferences. 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. Unit One Shakespeare's Language: The Sonnets Friday, January 24 Film: from John Barton's 1979 Playing Shakespeare: Trevor Nunn and David Suchet on Sonnet 138 Film: from John Barton's 1982 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. 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. Monday, 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. Wednesday, January 29 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. Friday, January 31 Five Ways of Looking at a Thesis (handout) If you want to see more of what I say about writing papers, you are welcome (but not required) to look through the Writing section of Connections. Come to class with a draft thesis for your sonnet analysis. We will do an in-class exercise about thesis construction, at the end of which you will reflect on your own draft thesis. Unit Two Shakespeare Comical and Tragicohistorical: Much Ado about Nothing and Richard III Monday, February 3 Much Ado about Nothing, Act I Parker on New Criticism Group 2: Stage-setting response Wednesday, February 5 Much Ado about Nothing, Acts II and III Group 3: Middle acts response Thursday, February 6 SONNET EXPLICATION DUE OUTSIDE MY OFFICE DOOR AT 4:00 P.M. Friday, February 7 Much Ado about Nothing, Acts IV and V Russ McDonald, "Theater à la Mode: Shakespeare and the Kinds of Drama" Group 4: Final acts response Monday, February 10 Film: Kenneth Branagh, Much Ado about Nothing (1993) The film's IMDB page And its MRQE page Group 5: Film response Wednesday, February 12 Richard III, Act I Shakespeare's Works in online texts from MIT In Our Time on Shakespeare's Work Group 6: Stage-setting response Friday, February 14 Richard III, Acts II and III Group 1: Middle acts response Monday, February 17 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 2: Final acts response Wednesday, February 19 Richard Loncraine, Richard III (1995) The film's IMDB page And its MRQE page Group 3: Film response Friday, February 21 Writing day: we will do an in-class exercise on transitions and organization. Unit Three Critical Perspectives on Shakespeare: The Example of Hamlet Monday, February 24 Hamlet, Act I Facebook Hamlet Group 4: Scene-setting response Wednesday, February 26 Hamlet, Acts II and III Group 5: Middle acts response Friday, February 28 Complete the Treasure Hunt of the MIND (handout) and bring your findings to the library for class. Library day! Monday, March 3 Hamlet, Acts IV and V Critical history of Hamlet Group 6: Last acts response, incorporating some aspect of the critical history as well Wednesday, March 5 PAPER PROSPECTUS DUE IN CLASS Parker on feminism Elaine Showalter, "Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism" In Our Time on Shakespeare and Literary Criticism Group 1: Write a response that finds some way of tying together the two readings for today. Friday, March 7 Parker on historicism and cultural studies Stephen Greenblatt, from Hamlet in Purgatory Group 2: 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 psychoanalytic approach to Hamlet. Unit Four Shakespeare in Context: The Merchant of Venice and Othello Monday, March 10 The Merchant of Venice, Act I Parker on queer studies ERIC (English Renaissance in Context) has a tutorial on The Merchant of Venice Group 3: Stage-setting response Tuesday, March 11 PAPER DUE OUTSIDE MY OFFICE BY 3:00 Wednesday, March 12 The Merchant of Venice, Acts II and III Contextual readings on finance Group 4: Middle acts response Friday, March 14 The Merchant of Venice, Acts IV and V Contextual readings on religion Group 5: Last acts response SPRING BREAK Monday, March 31 The annotated bibliography assignment (handout) We will do an in-class workshop on sample bibliography entries. Wednesday, April 2 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 6: Film response Friday, April 4 Othello, Act I Group 1: Stage-setting response Monday, April 7 Othello, Acts II and III Group 2: Middle acts response Wednesday, April 9 Othello, Acts IV and V Shakespearean Marbury Group 3: Last acts response Unit Five The Shakespearean Text: King Lear Friday, April 11 King Lear, Act I Group 4: Stage-setting response Monday, April 14 King Lear, Acts II and III Group 5: Middle acts response Wednesday, April 16 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 6: Last acts response Unit Six Shakespeare on Stage: Macbeth Friday, April 18 PAPER PROSPECTUS DUE IN CLASS Macbeth, Act I Sourcebooks edition introductory materials, pages 1-20, and CD tracks 1-18 (all material from Act I) Group 1: Stage-setting response with special attention to the interpretive decisions made by at least one of the actors on the CD Monday, April 21 Macbeth, Acts II and III CD tracks 19-29 (all material from Acts II and III) Group 2: Middle acts response Wednesday, April 23 Macbeth, Acts IV and V CD tracks 30-40 (all material from Acts IV and V) Group 3: Last acts response Thursday, April 24 Unit Seven Shakespeare's Legacies: The Tempest Friday, April 25 PAPER DUE OUTSIDE MY OFFICE BY 3:00 The Tempest, Act I Parker on postcolonial and race studies Group 4: Stage-setting response Monday, April 28 The Tempest, Acts II and III Group 5: Middle acts response Wednesday, April 30 The Tempest, Acts IV and V Group 6: Last acts response Friday, May 2 PEER REVIEW OF RESEARCH PRODUCTS: Bring to class THREE COPIES of a) two full entries for your annotated bibliography and b) two paragraphs taken from current versions of your papers in which you quote an external source. Monday, May 5 PEER REVIEW OF SKELETON PAPERS: Bring to class FOUR COPIES of a current version of one of your papers that removes the body paragraphs except for the first sentence of each one. Your version should have a title, first paragraph, transition sentences, last paragraph, and Works Cited list. In class, you will share this skeletal paper with a group and work through a set of questions to evaluate it. Wednesday, May 7 PEER REVIEW OF SKELETON PAPERS: Bring to class FOUR COPIES of a current version of one of your papers that removes the body paragraphs except for the first sentence of each one. Your version should have a title, first paragraph, transition sentences, last paragraph, and Works Cited list. In class, you will share this skeletal paper with a group and work through a set of questions to evaluate it. Friday, May 9 No responses: we will leave time for end-of-course carnival events and contests of skill. Thursday, May 15 PORTFOLIO DUE OUTSIDE MY DOOR BY 2:00 P.M.
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Erik Simpson \| simpsone@grinnell.edu This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.