1:00p-2:15 TR (80) 3 cr.
There are reasons that Shakespeare is arguably the most renowned
writer in history; and in
the course of L220, we should discover many of those reasons. A
master playwright, a master
poet, and a profound commentator on the human condition, Shakespeare
continues to speak
lucidly to us and to shape our ideas about how humans relate to
others, to their own
personal consciences, to the Divine, to Nature, and to society and
politics. As we read
and cover with some care ten Shakespeare plays, we shall focus on
recognizing the power of
Shakespeare as a writer, as a man of theatre and as a thinker. We
shall look at the
Elizabethan political, social, and religious context in which
Shakespeare wrote and produced
his plays; but we shall also discuss the contemporary relevance of the
plays and the ways in
which they have been produced and conceived in our own time. The ten
plays we shall
consider will likely be A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and
Juliet, The
Merchant of Venice, Henry IV Part 1, Julius Caesar,
Hamlet,
Othello, Macbeth, Pericles, and The
Tempest.
L220 will be a lecture course, and if students are to gain the most
from the lectures, it
will be very important for them not to fall behind in the readings.
To help students
maintain an appropriate reading schedule there will be regular
quizzes. There will also be
two short papers and a final. Videotapes and audio recordings of the
plays are available at
the Main Library, and students may wish to use them. The overall aim
of this course will be
for students to gain an appreciation and understanding of
Shakespeare's plays, to learn to
write intelligently about them, and to leave the course wanting to
read and learn more.