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UWS 2b. Shakespeare in Love

Fall 2015

Meeting: Mon/Wed 12-12:50pm Room: Brown Social Center 115

Instructor: Hanh Bui Office: 313

Office Hours: Mon/Th 1-2:00pm, and by appointment

Contact:

Introduction

In Shakespeare’s works, falling in love can lend itself equally to comedy or tragedy, satire or pathos, and the nature of love seems inherently flawed by its very definition. This course will examine the various representations of love and gender in Shakespeare’s sonnets, as well as the play Romeo and Juliet. In addition, students will research a cinematic adaption of RomeoandJuliet to analyze how closely the film adheres to its source, as well as evaluate its success as a work of art in its own right. Our objective is to build the confidence and skills necessary to produce sophisticated analyses and clear, powerful writing. Written assignments, class discussions, peer group workshops, and individual conferences will structure the term.

Coursetexts

  • Shakespeare’sSonnets – the Arden edition is available online viaebrary:
  • Romeo and Juliet – the Arden is available in our bookstore but any scholarly edition is fine
  • Judith Butler, “Imitation and Gender Insubordination” – available on Latte
  • Write Now! – a collection of essays written in last year’s UWS classes
  • Various handouts during the term

Course Requirements and Grades

Close Reading Essay: 20%

Lens Essay:20%

Research Essay:40%

Class participation (discussions, Latte posts, pre-drafts, peer reviews, cover

letters, research presentation): 10%

Final portfolio (a binder of all your essay assignments over the term): 10%

Each of the three essays will require several pre-drafts,a revision, and cover letters (reflecting on the drafting and revising process). At the end of the semester you will submitall of your assignments in aportfolio and write one final cover letter, in which you reflectupon your development as a writer. I strongly suggest that you purchase a 3-ring binderat the start of the term and add to it as you complete assignments,as opposed to trying to collect and organize everything at the very end.

Pre-drafts, first drafts, and the peer review letters will be evaluated via a check system (+, √, or nothing).Even though these assignments will be ungraded, it is in your best interest to treat them seriously. The more developed your drafts, the more feedback that you’ll receive – and the better your final essay and essay grade will be.

Students are also required to attend three 20-minute, individual conferences throughout the term.

Formatting Essays

All assignments should be typed in 12-point, Times New Roman font, double-spacethroughout (no extra spaces between paragraphs), 1 inch margins, and standard paper size (8.5” x 11”).Your name, the instructor’s name, the class, and the date should appear in the top left corner of the first page. Titles should be centered with no underlines below your personal information. Your last name and a page number should appear in the upper right corner(the header)of each page after the first page (in other words, start with Jones 2). The first line of each paragraph should be indented 5 spaces. The text of your essay should be lined up evenly at the left margin but not at the right (do not “justify” your margins). Allcitations must be in MLA style.

Late Work and Extensions

Barring a legitimate emergency (e.g., serious accident, death in the family, childbirth), essayssubmitted after the deadlinewill be penalized by a third of a grade per day (so a B+ would become a B). Limited extensions are available through the Writing Center (see below).

Attendance

Regular, on-time attendance is expected. Three unexcused absences will lower your final semester grade by a third of a grade. Seven or more absences will result in a failing grade for the course. Absences due to medical leave or athletic participation require an official note.

Laptops

There will be some class meetings when you will need a laptop (see syllabus). Otherwise, computers, phones,and other electronic devices will not be permitted in class unless you request a special accommodation.

Writing Center

The University Writing Center in Goldfarb Library provides free, one-on-one help with your essays. You are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this service. Writing Center tutors will work with you in 45 minute sessions, which you can schedule online: Students who take advantage of this service will receive a form during their session that will entitle them to one 24-hour extension on the final draft of their essay.

Academic Integrity

You are expected to present your own academic work. Sanctions for plagiarism include failure in the course and suspension from Brandeis. If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, pleaseask.

Special Accommodations

If you are a student with a documented disability and wish to request a special accommodation for class, please let me know right away.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

Note: This schedule is a general guideline for the semester and is subject to change. All readings and assignments are typically due on the day listed onthe schedule (in other words, they are to be completed beforethe class meeting).

Week 1

Thurs Aug 27

  • In Class: Introductions, syllabus, writing exercise

Mon Aug 31

  • Read: Sonnets #18 (“Shall I compare thee”), #22 (“My glass shall not”),#23 (“As an unperfect actor”), #30 (“When to the sessions”), #60 (“Like as the waves”),#62 (“Sin of self-love”), #73 (“That time of year”), #105 (“Let not my love”), #116 (“Let me not”), #129 (“Th’ expense of spirit”), #130 (“My mistress’ eyes”), #138 (“When my love swears”), #147 (“My love is a fever”). As you read the sonnets, mark up the text withthe following:

1) words or phrases that stand out to you – ones that are particularly powerful, odd, difficult, surprising, or otherwise intriguing; 2) any striking figures of speech (simile, metaphor, alliteration, irony, rhyme, personification); 3) patterns in the text (repetitions, contradictions, similarities).

  • Write: All good writing about literature attempts to answer a question, whether implicit or explicit, about the text. Post to Latte by5pmon Sundaytwo well-supported, critical questions about the sonnets. A “well-supported, critical” question means that there is textual evidence that leads you to ask it and is typically open-ended (“how” and “why” questions as opposed to “who/what/when/where”

questions). You are not expected to know the answers to your questions – in fact, it would be preferable if you did not. Your questions can be broad thematic ones or focus onspecificwords or lines.Then, respond to at least one peer’s question by midnight before class.

  • In Class: Discuss sonnets, what is a close reading?, figures of speech (handout),Essay #1 assignments

Week 2

Wed Sept 2

  • Read: “Linking Evidence and Claims” (excerpt from Writing Analytically,in Write Now!)
  • Write: Pre-Draft 1.1(key word) due. Bring one hard copy to class.
  • In Class: Entering a critical conversation, “they say…I say,”motives for academic writing

Mon Sept 7 (Labor Day, no class)

Wed Sept 9

  • Read: “Moving from Description to Interpretation” (excerpt from Writing Analytically, in Write Now!)
  • Write: Pre-Draft 1.2 (thesis statement) due. Bring threehard copiesto class (one for me, two for your peers).
  • In Class: Deriving a thesis from evidence, observation vs interpretation, thesis workshop

Week 3

Thurs Sept 10 (Brandeis Monday)

  • Read: Cynthia Cheloff’s“The Noble Controversy” (Write Now!)
  • Write: Mark up Cheloff’s introductory paragraph and bring to class: How does the writer begin? What is the thesis? How does Cheloffenter the critical conversation (the motive)? What evidence is initially presented? How will the essay proceed?
  • In Class:Complicating the thesis, introductory paragraphs, conferences sign-ups

Wed Sept 16

  • Read: none
  • Write:FirstDraft of Essay #1 with Cover Letter due. Bring three hard copies to class.
  • In Class: Developing paragraphs, anticipating counter-

arguments, peer reviewing

Thu Sept 17 Conferences

Fri Sept 18 Conferences

Week 4

Mon Sept 21

  • Read: Your peers’ essays
  • Write: Peer review letters
  • In Class: Conclusions, revision strategies. Return marked-up copies of your peers’ essays along with the review letters that you have written.Turn in one hard copy of your review letters to me.

Wed Sept 23 (Yom Kippur, no meeting)

Mon Sept 28 (Sukkot, no meeting)

Tues Sept 29 (Brandeis Monday)

  • Read: Romeo and Juliet
  • Write: Final Draft of Essay #1 with Cover Letter due. Bring one

hard copy to class.

  • InClass: Discuss Romeo and Juliet.

Week 5

Wed Sept 30

  • Read: Finish Romeo and Juliet
  • Write: none
  • InClass: What is a theoretical lens and why use it?, Essay #2

assignments

Mon Oct 5 (Shmini Atzeret, no class)

Wed Oct 7

  • Read: Judith Butler’s “Imitation and Gender Insubordination”

(Latte)

  • Write: Pre-Draft 2.1 (summary of lens text) due. Bring one hard

copy to class.

  • InClass: Discuss Butler.

Week 6

Mon Oct 12

  • Read: none
  • Write: Pre-Draft 2.2 (mini lens analysis) due. Bring two

hard copies to class (one for me, one for a peer).

  • In Class: Linking the primary text to the lens text

Wed Oct 14

  • Read:Sasha Kliger’s“Impish Impulses: Madness and

Language in Edgar Allen Poe” (Write Now!)

  • Write: 1) Mark upthe intro paragraph: what is the opening

move? how does the writer orient the reader? how is the lens

introduced? where is the motive? thesis? 2) Mark up the

second and third paragraphs: how does the writer engage

with the lens text? 3) Note other places in the essay where

the writer brings in the lens text and how the lens is used.

  • In Class:More on linking the primary text to the lens text,

introducing the lens in your writing, incorporating the lens

throughout your essay

Fri Oct 16

  • Write: Your motive and thesis (2-3 sentences only, not your entire introductory paragraph). Email to me by 10pm or else I cannot guarantee feedback before Monday.

Week 7

Mon Oct 19

  • Read: none
  • Write: Work on First Draft of Essay #2.
  • In Class: Incorporating lens, sources, using quotations.

Wed Oct 21

  • Read: none
  • Write: FirstDraft of Essay #2 with Cover Letter due. Bring three

hard copies to class.

  • In Class: Conclusion workshop, summary and paraphrase

strategies

Thu Oct 22 Conferences

  • Read: Start your peers’ essays. Remember to mark them up.
  • Write: Start peer review letters, which will be due tomorrow, Friday.

Fri Oct 23 Conferences

  • Read: Finish your peers’ essays.
  • Write: Email peer review letters to me and your peers by 5pm.Try toreturn marked-up copies of your peers’ essays before theweekend.

Week 8

Mon Oct 26

  • Read: none
  • Write: Work on Final Draft of #Essay 2.
  • In Class: Intro to research essay,Essay #3 assignments.

Return marked-up copies of your peers’ essays. (You should

have already emailed your peer review letters last Friday.)

Wed Oct 28

  • Watch: Film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, TBD
  • Write: Final Draft of Essay #2 with Cover Letter due. Bring one

hard copy to class.

  • In Class: Close reading a film, film terms

Week 9

Mon Nov 2

  • Read: Complete the library tutorial on Latte.
  • Read: Chapter 1 of Tim Corrigan’s A Short Guide to Writing About Film (Latte)
  • Write: In his chapter Corrigan offers an example of a

critical response to Olivier’s film Henry V that “finds the

proper balance of personal experience and objective

observation” (14). In this exercise, write your own critical

response to the adaptation of Romeo and Juliet that

follows the same structure as Corrigan’s analysis but

replaces key terms and ideas. Thus your first sentences could

be: “Even for the viewer who assumes ______about Romeo

andJuliet, Filmmaker X’s adaptation is ______. In my opinion,

the ______is the most potentially controversial part and the

most likely to ______, because ______...”. Post to Latte

by10pm on Sunday.

  • Library session: Meet at the front desk of Goldfarb.

Wed Nov 4

  • Watch: Re-watch the film. Note which lines or scenes are cut/added by the filmmaker. Also note cinematic devices (interesting shots, lighting, camera focus, sound, etc.) that illuminate or interpret Shakespeare’s text in an unexpected way.
  • Write: One solid paragraph comparing a scene from the

filmto Shakespeare’s text. Be sure to include at least one film

term. Post toLatte by 5pmthe eveningbefore class. Then,

respond to a peer’s post by midnight before class.

  • In Class: Comparing films to literary texts

Week 10

Mon Nov 9

  • Read: “What to Do with Secondary Sources” (excerpt from Writing Analytically, in Write Now!)
  • Write: Pre-Draft 3.1 (research proposal) due. Bring one hard

copy to class.

  • In Class: Formulating a research problem, using sources

Wed Nov 11

  • Read:A scholarly article for your research essay (one which

you have found yourself)

  • Write: A few sentences summarizing the main arguments

of your source, followed by a sentence or two on how

the source advances your thinking about your research

project. Be sure to include bibliographic information for your

source. Post to Latte by 10pmthe night before class.

  • In Class: More ways to enter the critical conversation

(new motives), writing an annotated bibliography

Week 11

Mon Nov 16

  • Read: Shifra Steinmetz-Silber’s “Replication vs. Representation: Locating Authorship and the Autobiographical Self in American Splendor” (handout). Highlight/underline each time

a secondary source is used and note how it is used: to support the writer’s claim?providedata/historical context? provide a theoretical perspective?Also, note how the source/quote is set up or introduced.

  • Write: Complete the worksheet “Articulating Your Research

Project.” Bring to class on Monday.

  • Write: From here on out you should aim to write something

every day – no matter how unpolished – in order to begin

collecting and developing your ideas (summarize an article,

jot down questions that reflect your growing knowledge of

your topic, sketch ideas you will flesh out later). Keep a note-
book or running Word doc.

  • In Class: Evaluating claims, engaging sources

Wed Nov 18

  • Read: Continue your research.
  • Write: Pre-Draft 3.2 (developing a thesis) due. Bring one

hard copy to class.

  • InClass: Structuring longer essays

Thurs Nov 19 Conferences

Fri Nov 20 Conferences

Week 12

Mon Nov 23

  • Read: Continue your research.
  • Write: Pre-Draft 3.3 (annotated bibliography) due. Bring one

hard copy to class. Also, by this stage youwould ideally havesome kindofoutline, solid notes, ora rough draft of your

introduction.

  • In Class: More practice close-reading a film and using

film terms

Wed Nov 25 (Thanksgiving – no class)

Mon Nov 30

  • Read: none
  • Write: Work on first draft.
  • In Class: Style issues

Week 13

Wed Dec 2

  • Read: none
  • Write: FirstDraft of Essay #3 with Cover Letter due. Bring one hard copy of your paper and cover letter to class, and email both to your peers by start of class.
  • In Class: Workshop essays.

Week 13

Mon Dec 7

  • Read: Your peers’ essays
  • Write: Peer review letters. Email to me and your peers by

start of class. Additionally, return your peers’

essays with your comments via email (I do not need to see

  • these) by start of class.
  • In Class: Research presentations

Wed Dec 9

  • Read: none
  • Write: Revise your research essay. Write cover letters for

the finaldraft of your essay as well as your portfolio.

  • InClass: Research presentations, course review

Mon Dec 14Portfolios are due by noon (must be in one binder) in the box near the entrance to the English Department office, in Rabb.I will be leaving for holiday soon thereafter, so you will be out of luck if you do not turn in your portfolio on time. If you want to turn it in earlier, just let me know.