English 4430-001 Dr. Jacqueline Vanhoutte
Shakespeare AUB 203
T/TH 9:30-10:50 AM e-mail:
LANG 204 Office Hrs.: T/TH 11-12:15;
by appointment
Shakespeare
Course Description: This course surveys Shakespeare’s career through close readings of representative works.To acquaint ourselves with Shakespeare’s stylistic complexity, we will pay close attention to sentence structure, figurative language, image patterns, multiple meanings, and so on. Although our major focus will be on the works themselves, we will also consider their relation to various aspects of Renaissance culture, such as contemporary attitudes towards marriage, religion, and politics. In the case of the plays, we will attend as well to issues of performance.
The basic goals of this course are to increase your confidence and enjoyment in reading, discussing, and writing about Shakespeare. You should read the assigned works, think about them, and come to class prepared to discuss them. To achieve the best results you should read individual plays and poems at least twice.And take your time when reading: Shakespeare’s works have survived in part because they speak a language of feeling that can only be appreciated by an investment of your own emotional and intellectual energy. As you read, you should keep track of questions and ideas.In other words, you should not only read the material, but also begin thinking about it. I believe that the process of garnering meaning from literature is a communal one; accordingly, I shall structure the class around your contributions—questions and commentaries—as much as possible.
Students unwilling to invest their time in careful reading of the primary materials should consider dropping the course.
Caveat: The reading material for this class contains “adult situations.”Students taking this class should be willing to consider in a mature and constructive fashion religious, political, and ethical perspectives alien to their own.
Exams: In the two scheduled exams, you will have to answer questions about information made available to you in class or about the assigned texts. Exams cannot be made up, so mark your calendars now.
Quizzes: I will give quizzes regularly.These quizzes will test knowledge of the works and of the supplementary reading; they may also ask for information made available to you in class.Those who have kept up with the readingand who attend class should “ace” quizzes without a problem.Quizzes cannot be made up.Latecomers will not be allowed to take a quiz.
Group Performance: In order to pass the class, all students are required to participate in a performance projectduring the last few weeks of classes (see separate handout).Although I have set aside some class time for this activity, you will also have to meet on your own time several times.
Required Texts:
The Essential Shakespeare (Norton)
The Prince, Niccólo Machiavelli, any translation including the one available on project Gutenberg
(
Various Course handouts
Course Work:
Midterm20%
Final20%
Quizzes20%
Participation (attendance, contributions to discussion)30%
Group performance10%
Extra Credit Opportunities: Students who attend theatrical productions of plays by Shakespeare and who write a short review (one-page, double-spaced) will be awarded 100 points towards their quiz grade.Please hand in your ticket stubs with the review. Here’s a website with information about shows in the area:
Actors from the London Stage: A traveling Shakespearean troupe, Actors from the London stage, will be performing Much Ado About Nothing at UNT on Tuesday Oct 28 and Saturday November 1 at 8 PM in the UNT Main Auditorium. Performances are free for UNT students. Students who attend and write a review will be awarded extra credit (see above). The actors will also be visiting our classroom. Please make every effort to fit this in your schedule!
Americans with Disabilities Acts:
“The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323.”
Essential competencies for this course include the abilities to read and interpret literature; to participate in class discussions about ideas in the literature; and to write mature, coherent essays about the literature.If you have a disability for which you will require accommodations, please register with the Office of Disability Accommodation and present your request for accommodation to me by September 15.
Attendance, Participation, Basic Responsibilities: I will be taking attendance regularly and I will be monitoring your behavior in class throughout the term.Although not all of you feel comfortable contributing to class discussion, you should all be able to follow basic classroom etiquette.You should be on time, pay attention, stay awake, remain in your seats until the bell rings, resist the lure of electronic equipment, and refrain from packing up until the end of class. The only reading material on your desk should be the reading assigned for this class. After the bell rings, you may talk only to the class as a whole, about the subject under consideration. Once class has started, it is unacceptable to leave to take a phone call or go the bathroom (you should turn your phone off during class). A simple rule of thumb: any behavior that is distracting to me or to the other students is discourteous and will not be tolerated.I retain the right to dock your participation grade (30% of your final grade) for infractions against common courtesy, for chronic lateness, or for absenteeism.Students who fail to show up for4 or more classes willearn an F for the course.I retain the right to reward students who make serious efforts of attendance and participation.Only students who participate regularly will earn a good grade (defined as a B or a B+) for participation. I do not need to know your reasons for absences.Be aware that if you skip classes to play hooky early in the term, you may end up in violation of the absence policy later, even if you have a legitimate excuse. By remaining in this class, you agree to the conditions stipulated in the syllabus. As an adult, you are responsible for your own actions and decisions.This responsibility includes keeping track of your own performance.I will not be dispensing warnings to students on the verge of violating the policies for this course. These rules apply to all students equally—that is what makes them fair. No one will receive special treatment.
Electronic Devices:Please turn off all electronic devices—including cell phones and laptops—during this class.An exception will be made for students who present me with a request from ODA.A failure to observe this request may result in public humiliation and/or may affect your grade adversely.
PLEASE CHECK BLACKBOARD AND YOUR UNIVERSITY EMAIL REGULARLY FOR MESSAGES. All emails that you send me should identify you clearly as a student in this class in the subject heading.Remember that when you write an email to a professor, you are presenting a version ofyourself to someone charged with evaluating you and whose good opinion you should therefore wish to secure. Be sure to observe all the niceties.
Reading Schedule (open to revision and updating):
Read all primary sources carefully, completely, and repeatedly.Unless I explicitly direct you to read only part of a play,you should read a play in its entirety by the first day of discussion. Please be sure to readany additional material assigned below.
8/26:Introduction
BOOTCAMP I: Language (and the language of love and friendship)
8/28: Montaigne, “Of Friendship” (handout)
Castiglione, from The Book of the Courtier (handout)
Sonnet 1-18, 20
9/2:Stephen Greenblatt, “General Introduction,” in Norton Shakespeare
sonnets73, 116, 129, 130, 138, 144
9/4: Sonnets, cont.
9/9: Sonnets, cont.
BOOTCAMP II: Theater (Playhouses, playing, and play-going in Shakespeare’s England)
9/11: Andrew Gurr, “The Shakespearean Stage,” in Norton Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
9/16: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Katharine Eisaman Maus, “Shakespearean Comedy” in Norton Shakespeare
9/18: A Midsummer Night’s Dream; organizational meeting for performance project
Men and Women, Love and Marriage
9/23: Much Ado About Nothing
9/25: Much Ado About Nothing
9/30: As You Like It
10/2: As You Like It
10/7: Othello
Stephen Greenblatt, “Shakespearean Tragedy,” in Norton Shakespeare
10/9: Othello
10/14: Othello
Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter 15-end
10/16: Midterm Exam
Fathers and Sons, History and Politics
10/21: 1 Henry IV
Jean Howard, “Shakespearean History,” in Norton
10/23: 1 Henry IV
10/28: Hamlet, act 1(or Actors from the London Stage).
10/30: Actors from the London Stage (or Hamlet, act 1)
Philosophy, Religion, Society
11/4: Hamlet
11/6:Hamlet
11/11: Hamlet
11/13: Hamlet
Language and Theater, Men and Women, History and Politics, Society
11/18: Antony and Cleopatra
11/20: Antony and Cleopatra
11/25: Performance Project Day
11/27: Thanksgiving
12/2: Group 1-3 Performances
12/4: Group 4-5 Performances
Final exam TH 12/11 8:00-10:00 AM; see