Classical and Shakespearean Drama

Classical and Shakespearean Drama

Mr. Gealy

Fall 2011

Room 144 (the black box theatre)

402 436-1302 ext 62144

Overview:

Welcome to Shakespeare. The structure of this course will be discussion-heavy, will foster an attitude of inquiry over authority—respecting individual interpretation of texts—and will examine the plays we read through both literary and dramatic lenses. You are expected to finish texts indicated on the schedule by the end of the (final) week in which they have been assigned. More specific assignment details and dates will be written on the board or included on handouts. As a weighted course, the workload will be demanding, but our exploration of the material together should lead to an experience that makes that work well worth your while. I will expect a lot from you (I wouldn’t be doing my job, otherwise), but I will give you much respect and freedom in return.

Reading Shakespeare is significantly more challenging than virtually anything else you will read in high school. Most, if not all of you have read his work before and may understand that that the ability to comprehend the texts isan acquired skill, so don’t be discouraged if the plays seem impossible at first. Stick with it and I guarantee it will get easier! This does mean, however, that you will need to invest significant time outside of class (expect at least an hour of reading every night). You may use online resources such as Spark Notes to help you understand the plays, but these should never (never, never, never…) replace reading the actual plays. You will be held accountable for the readings in class discussions, formal and informal writings, projects, and exams. As a result of completing the assigned reading and your participation in class discussion and activities, you should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the plays that transcends a simple comprehension of plot, and includes more sophisticated nuances of structure, language, theme, and character. When you do not understand the reading or ideas being discussed, it is your responsibility to ask questions or use resources to ensure that you do.

Though the vast majority of the assigned reading will be done outside of class, we will devote significant time to reading and discussing scenes together, since works written for the stage were, of course, intended to be heard .We will do both formal and informal writing, research, creative projects, and performance. Since the focus of this course is both dramatic and literary, you will be analyzing plays and performing selected material from them. We will get to know each other well in the process. Consequently, I expect (demand, insist on…) a respectful and supportive classroom environment. We are here to take chances, make discoveries, and work hard together. No one has the right to contaminate that environment. While I strive to nurture a relatively informal classroom atmosphere (don’t make the mistake of confusing that with easy), failure to follow directions and respect authority will lead to consequences that I am sure you do not desire.

We will explore a bit of Greek drama, though the majority of our reading will be of Shakespeare. We will challenge boundaries, explore concepts both theatrical and literary, read primary and secondary sources, while drawing connections to, and reading works from, contemporary society. Many of the assignments you do will be of your own invention, so I challenge you to be self-motivated, to test your limits, and step beyond the familiar.

Course Objectives:

1. To relate the study of Greek theatre to Shakespearean and modern thought.

2. To explore the characteristics of Shakespearean drama.

3. To study Shakespeare as a dramatist and literary artist.

4. To study Shakespeare in the context of his time.

5. To develop a critical and analytical understanding of Shakespeare’s art.

6. To explore student creativity with the aid of Shakespeare’s work.

Your core text will be…

Wells, Stanley, et al. eds. William Shakespere: The Complete Works. Oxford: Clarenden Press, 2005.

I will also distribute copies of individual plays and other reading materials.

You need to bring your Oxford (the big book) every day unless otherwise instructed.

Course Policies:

The course consists of a variety of activities, from reading primary source material to discussion, formal academic writing, and yes, you will be expected to do some performance. The course is an interactive one that builds progressively from its early days to the end of the semester. We will have an ongoing, respectful dialogue pertaining to materials read up to any given point in the course. This means that all reading and assigned work needs to be completed by the dates specified by the instructor so that all students are able to participate. When called upon on any given day, you will be expected to have done the reading and be ready to discuss.

Unless arrangements are made prior to the date an assignment is due, all work must be handed in by the due date. It is your responsibility to communicate with me regarding all absences and to ask for work to be made up. In the case of a planned absence such as a school activity, you must turn in work due on the date of the absence(s) before you go. Late work without prior clearance from the instructor will result in a significant loss of points.

Attendance is important in this class. You are responsible for all information covered in class, whether it be on handouts, lectures, or discussion. When you do not attend class your access to this information becomes limited and your ability to succeed is hindered. Excessive absences will have a negative impact on your grade.

**Most Fridays, especially early in the semester, we will have in-class writing assignments. Typically this is a single prompt or question that you will address for the entire period. The purpose of these is three-fold: to allow you to explore nuances of the work from multiple perspectives, to establish a routine wherein you develop your abilities to write thorough, thoughtful, and creative essays within specified time-constraints, and—because, c’mon, who are we kidding?—to make sure you do the reading.

Assignments will be categorized as either formative (more informal and routine work that builds skills and explores thoughts) and summative (major assignments that are the culmination of a unit or section). The district mandates that 80% of your grade be determined by “summative” work, and 20% by “formative.” It goes without saying, though, that if you do not do the reading and the daily assignments, you will not do well on the major projects and writings.

Grading Scale:

Please refer to this before you come to me with questions about a grade received on an assignment.

4 – Exceptional 100-90—A

89-85—-B+

3 – Commendable 84-80—-B

79-75—C+

2 –Meets minimum 74-70--- C

competency.

I DO NOT ACCEPT “D” WORK IN DIFF/WEIGHTED COURSES

69-65—D+

1 – Emerging 64-60—D

59-0---- F

Plagiarism absolutely will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense and will be treated as such. Do not think about using information taken from other sources, electronic or print, without proper MLA citation (which we will go over before undertaking research). Cheating, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary actions. IF I suspect that a student has used someone else’s words/ideas/research without acknowledging the source or if a student is caught cheating, the writing in question or the test in question will remain un-graded while its content is scrutinized and the student is contacted. If the evidence is strong for academic dishonesty, the following actions occur: plagiarism: first offense - the paper is given one chance at revision to correct the dishonesty, second offense - the paper is assigned partial credit and the students parents are contacted, third offense - the paper is assigned a zero, the student’s parents and the East administrators are notified to determine further action, and a record of the incident is kept in the student’s permanent file

Schedule of Assignments:

The following is intended as a guide, not a script, and does not include major assignments, which will be outlined and detailed in handouts or on the board well in advance of their deadlines. I would like to survey as many Shakespeare plays as possible in the time we have, while maintaining adequate time for context, reading, analysis, etc. The timeline may vary slightly, but overall this is what you can expect from the sequence.

Week One/Two…………….Introductory and Contextual Material / Research

Week Two…………………..Tragedy & the Poetics, Sophocles’ Oedipus the King

Week Three…………………Euripides’ Medea

Week Four…………………..Shakespearean Tragedy, Othello

Week Five

Week Six…………………….Nothing can come of nothing…., King Lear

Week Seven

Week Eight………………….Heroes, villains, and cultural context, The Merchant of Venice

Week Nine…………………..Richard III

Week Ten……………………Henry IV, Pt 1

Week Eleven………………..The Taming of the Shrew

Week Thirteen...... Comedy and Fantasy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Week Fourteen……………..The Tempest

Week Fifteen………………..Twelfth Night

Week Sixteen………………. “The play’s the thing…” Hamlet

Week Seventeen

Week Eighteen…………….Absurdism, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Week Nineteen……………The Sonnets

Week Twenty……………..Final discussions, work on projects.

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