English 339: Introduction to Shakespeare
Winter, 2012 Class Meetings: TR 12:10-2:00, 2-13
Office: 47-35G, tel. 756-2636 
Office Hours: M 1:10-3:00, W 1:30-2:30, Th 4:30-5:30, and by appt.

Graduate Assistant Susie Kopecky's Office hour: T 11-12 near Julian's in the library (or by appt.) 		 Dr. Debora B. Schwartz 
http://www.calpoly.edu/~dschwart
e-mail: dschwart@calpoly.edu

e-mail: skopecky@calpoly.edu


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Calendar of Assignments.  PLEASE NOTE that the on-line syllabus (not any print-out you may make) is authoritative.  Assignments may be modified in the course of the quarter.  Check the on-line syllabus regularly (before each class) to ensure that you are completing the correct assignment.  It is accessible at http://cla.calpoly.edu/~dschwart/engl339/339syllw12.html

Course Information:


Study Guides and Plot Summaries: Video Assignments: Shakespeare Web Resources:
Online Readings: Renaissance Web Resources:

PREREQUISITES: GE area A (esp. expository writing, e.g. ENGL 134, and reasoning, argumentation and writing, e.g. ENGL 145); AND GE area C1 (a 200-level literature class, e.g. ENGL 230 or 231or 251 or 252 or 253).  Students enrolled in this class are assumed to have the basic writing, argumentation and analytic skills taught in the Prerequisite classes and to have prior experience in reading and analyzing literature at the 200-level.

A WRITING-INTENSIVE, G.E. AREA C4 CLASS.  As a writing-intensive class, ENGL 339 requires a minimum of 3000 words of writing over the course of the quarter, and 50% of the course grade must be based on writing assignments.  As a G.E. area C4 class, it provides historical perspective on a significant literary period; covers a range of literary genres and conventions; helps you understand both individual works and their relationship to the social, cultural, and historical context in which they were written, including attention to relevant issues of gender ande diversity; and aims to foster an appreciation of the connections between literary works and non-verbal forms such as the visual arts.  Course readings, lectures and writing assignments aim to help you develop the skills necessary to read with insight, engagement, and detachment; to analyze and evaluate works from cultures which are unfamiliar to you; and to write clear, efffective textual analysis that is firmly grounded in close reading of literary texts.

GWR:  As a C4 literature class, ENGL 339 may be taken by students wishing to fulfill the Graduate Writing Requirement (GWR).  However, please be aware that successful completion of the course does not guarantee GWR certification.  To achieve GWR certification, you must 1) have junior or senior standing; 2) pass the class with a grade of "C" or better (a C- is not adequate); and 3) WRITE A GWR-CERTIFIABLE ESSAY on the essay portion of either the midterm or the final exam.  To achieve GWR certification, your exam essay must conform to the standards for formal analytic writing about literature:  it must present a valid argument (appropiate and adequate content), be logically organized, illustrated with appropriate and adequate textual support, and written using correct mechanics (grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, etc.) and in the style appropriate to this kind of writing.  See Tips for Writing a GWR-Certifiable Essay; you may also wish to consult the Paper Writing Guidelines and Essay Evaluation Sheet if you are unsure about the conventions of formal analytic writing about literature.  NOTE:  Because the final course grade is based upon many factors, not just the exam essays, IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE A HIGH GRADE IN THE CLASS BUT NOT EARN GWR CERTIFICATION. In other words, if GWR certification is your ONLY reason for enrolling in this class, you may wish to investigate other options.

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES:

ENGL 339 is designed to introduce both English or Theatre majors and G.E. students to representative plays of all genres by William Shakespeare, perhaps the finest poet ever to write in English. By the end of the course, you should:

  • know basic biographical facts about Shakespeare, including dates of major milestones in Shakespeare's life and composition and publication dates of the six plays read in class.
  • understand attitudes toward the theater and common theatrical practices during the Renaissance and early seventeenth century.
  • be familiar with terminology relevant to the plays read in class. This terminology includes but is not limited to genres (comedy, pastoral comedy, history, tragedy, revenge tragedy, tragi-comedy, romance); types of language (prose, rhymed verse, blank verse, capping couplets); figures of speech (personification, metaphor, simile, etc.); dramatic structure (rising action, falling action, turning point, subplots, foils, etc.); publication practices (quartos, First Folio and Second Folio, "foul" papers, copyright, base text, etc.).
  • have a basic understanding of the interpretive processes involved in the production of a Shakespearean play, and be able to scrutinize such a production critically, based upon your informed understanding of the text.
  • feel confident of your ability to read and enjoy a play by Shakespeare on your own!
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    REQUIRED TEXTS:  The SIGNET CLASSICS editions of A Midsummer Night's Dream; Henry V; Macbeth; Hamlet; and The Tempest.  Do NOT substitute another edition. In class discussions, we will refer to page and line numbers in these editions; BRING TEXT WITH YOU TO CLASS! Some required background reading is also found in these editions. Text of passages on Reading Quizzes and Exams will be taken from these editions.
    NOTE: In winter quarter, 2012, As You Like It had to be dropped from the normal syllabus due to time constraints caused by university holidays.  I highly recommend this gender-bending pastoral comedy; copies are available for purchase at the bookstore.
    Other required readings will be accessed electronically:  Online Readings are found in .HTML files accessible through links on this website and E-reserve readings in the form of .PDF files on "electronic reserve" in the Library Resources section of Blackboard.  Please note that ALL required electronically accessed readings should be PRINTED OUT, PLACED IN A COURSE BINDER, AND BROUGHT WITH YOU TO CLASS.


    VIDEO SCREENINGS / PERFORMANCES: Shakespeare's plays were written to be performed -- they were originally seen, not read. Because there was no such thing as "copyright" in the sixteenth century, playwrights kept their plays from publication to protect themselves (and their acting troupes) from unauthorized productions. Thus, the written text was not "sacred," as it seems to us today; variations and changes occurred from production to production and from performance to performance. Also, keep in mind that ANY production of a play -- in Shakespeare's time or in our own -- is an interpretation of the text. We will pay close attention to this interpretive layer through the analysis of selected performances (video screenings) and by performing key scenes from the plays.
    -- VIDEOS: Video versions of all plays read in class are on reserve for ENGL 339 in the Kennedy Library; the Olivier films (and some other versions of the plays) are also available from Netflix and from some local video stores. You are encouraged to see as many different versions of the plays on the syllabus as you have time for, and to think about the textual interpretation behind the differences between them. Three SPECIFIC video productions are REQUIRED viewing for the class: the Joseph Papp/Public Theatre A Midsummer Night's Dream (dir. Emile Ardolino)  and Laurence Olivier's classic film versions of Henry V and Hamlet. There will be at least two scheduled group screenings of each required video (details TBA), or you can see them on your own time.  Copies of each of these required videos are on Reserve for ENGL 339 in the Kennedy Library.

    -- STUDENT PERFORMANCES: the last week of class, each student will present a group scene or a monologue from a play read in class. The text should be memorizedand acted with as much dramatic flair as you can muster (costumes and props are encouraged but not required). Scenes and monologues should be chosen carefully to illustrate key issues in the work; the significance of the scene must be briefly explained prior to the presentation. This REQUIRED oral exercise will be graded pass/fail. Quality of the performance (and of the memorization) will be recorded only as a plus or minus used to decide borderline grades. However, failure to present a scene or monologue will result in a zero being averaged with the 1/4 of your grade based on in-class work.

    NOTE:  Yes, seeing Shakespeare performed well is fun, but remember that performances / screenings are NOT 1) a substitute for reading the plays or 2) a free-ride that gets you out of doing "real" work.  You will be expected to ANALYZE and INTERPRET required performances with a critical eye and to post a Personal Response to each required video in a Blackboard Discussion Board.  To do this assignment, you will need to note specific details from the production that reveal the textual interpretationbehind it and to identify important textual passages upon which this interpretation is founded.  Remember that your opinions must always be justified textually -- based not upon whim but upon your solid knowledge of the play and informed interpretation of its meaning. Note: A SECTION ON THE REQUIRED VIDEOS WILL BE INCLUDED ON THE MIDTERM AND FINAL EXAMS!!
     
     

    CLASS EMAIL ALIAS:  Important announcements concerning this class will be sent over the class email alias.  The class email alias is automatically generated using the email address found in the Cal Poly Directory server for each enrolled student. If your Cal Poly email account is NOT your preferred email address, you must

    Remember: you are responsible for any information sent over the class email alias (e.g. changes in assignments; other class-related announcements), so be sure to check your email regularly.  You may also use the alias to send a query or comment to the whole class (including your instructor).  Please do not use the email alias for matters unrelated to class
    .

    PARTICIPATION: ENGL 339 is designed to encourage YOUR interaction with and enjoyment of Shakespeare's plays. The primary emphasis is on the text, not historical background or scholarly debate (although some familiarity with the historical context is essential to an understanding of the plays -- and will be covered on exams).  If you are looking for a passive, sit-back-and-listen lecture, please choose another course. YOUR active participation is essential to the success of ENGL 339!  For these reasons . . .

    REGULAR ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED. Each absence will affect the participation portion of your final grade, reducing it from a base of 4.0.  If you have a valid reason for missing class (illness, family crisis, other unavoidable conflict), TELL ME IN WRITING.  A written explanation, signed (by you), is required for an absence to count as excused; be sure to include your full name, the class number, the date(s) missed and the reason(s) for the absence(s).  (A telephone or e-mail message is appreciated as a courtesy, but it is NOT sufficient for an absence to count as excused).  Any absence for which you do not provide a signed, written explanation will be recorded as unexcused.  Please note: work conflicts and job interviews are NOT valid reasons for missing class; you are responsible for keeping work commitments from conflicting with academic ones.  Exception:  if you are a graduating senior and must travel out of town for a final interview, ONE such absence will count as excused.  Do not schedule local interviews or other appointments during class hours.

    ATTENDANCE GRADE CALCULATION:  "Excused" absences (generally, only for medical reasons, a family or other emergency, or circumstances truly beyond your control-- NOT for job conflicts) are weighed less heavily than "unexcused" absences.  For a class that meets twice weekly, the first "excused" absence lowers the attendance component of the course grade by .2 (4.0 to 3.8); the second "excused" absence lowers it by .3 (3.8 to 3.5); thereafter, "excused" absences are calculated like "unexcused" absences.  The first "unexcused" absence lowers the attendance component of the final grade by .5 (from 4.0 to 3.5); the second by .8 (from 3.5 to 2.7); unexcused absences in excess of 2 lower attendance component of your final grade by a full increment (2.7 to 1.7 etc.)

    COME TO CLASS ON TIME AND PREPARED!! Readings are to be completed beforeclass on the date assigned. Reading Quizzes PRECEDE discussion of the play on the first day for which the full text is assigned (see Calendar). You are expected as a matter of course to read the Introduction preceding each play, the "Textual Note" and "Note on the Source(s)" following it, and all relevant onlineor e-reserve readings (.PDF files located in the Library Resources section of Blackboard). Ideally, background material should be read BEFORE reading the play, but if you are short on time, read PLAY first (by quiz day) and complete background readings ASAP thereafter (before the last class meeting on that play).

    ONLINE STUDY GUIDES and PLOT SUMMARIES will be provided to facilitate reading the plays.USE THEM! Familiarize yourself with study questions before you begin to read, and refer to guides as you go, noting relevant passages. After completing the play, I recommend that you reread the questions and write up a summary of your ideas. (This summary is FOR YOU. It will not be collected or graded, but you may be asked to share responses in class.) Don't neglect the introductions and (especially) the notes; they will provide guidance on points that might otherwise be hard to understand.

    Remember: THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR READING THE PLAYS!! You will NOT pass this course by watching videos, reading Cliff  or Spark Notes, or merely by knowing "what happens." Plot outlines will be made available for each play, so you are ASSUMED to know "what happens" even before you begin to read the text. Plot alone will NOT be sufficient to pass reading quizzes. Finally: allow yourself enough time to read thoughtfully-- it will greatly enhance your comprehension (and enjoyment!) of Shakespeare's plays.

    GRADED WORK:

    Class will begin with a READING QUIZ on the first day for which the full text is assigned. Quizzes will consist of nine significant passages from the play.  You will choose six of these nine passages and answer four short questions about each.  For example, you may be asked to state if the passage is in blank verse, rhyme or prose; identify the speakers and people spoken to (know NAMES!!); identify persons/things referred to by pronouns (e.g. "he," "she," "it," "we," "they"); explain when and where the scene takes place. You will not need to know the act or scene numbers of the passage; instead, you should be able to explain in general terms what is going on (e.g. what just happened or what is about to happen). Because the Study guides are designed to draw your attention to important passages, if you use them and read with care, you should recognize most or all of the passages on the quizzes.

    -- WRITTEN WORK:  as a writing-intensive GE class, 50% of your course grade must be based on written work. Out-of-class writing assignments will be of two sorts:  a set of Blackboard Discussion Board Postings and a longer and more formal final paper.  Both sorts of writing will require close reading of assigned texts.

    -- Blackboard Discussion Board postings: Each student will be assigned to a Blackboard Discussion Board group of 5-6 students.  You must post seven Personal Responses to an assigned play or video to your group's Discussion Board by no later than 10 PM on the Friday indicated on the Calendar of Assignments.  For A Midsummer Night's Dream and Henry V, you will post TWO Personal Responses, the first based on the text of the play alone and a second responding to the required video, e.g. the Joseph Papp/Public Theatre A Midsummer Night's Dream (dir. Emile Ardolino) and Laurence Olivier's Henry V.  For Hamlet, your Personal Response will be video analysis of Laurence Olivier's Hamlet.  For Macbeth, your Personal Response may be either a similar video analysis for a filmed version of the play TO WHICH I HAVE ACCESS -- check with me first! -- OR a strictly textual analysis on a topic of your choice, e.g. a response to a study question; close reading and analysis of a specific speech or scene; or an exploration of a key theme in the play.  The final PR, on The Tempest, will be a strictly textual analysis on a topic of your choice, e.g. a response to a study question; close reading and analysis of a specific speech or scene; or an exploration of a key theme in the play.

    -- You must also post to Blackboard at least two short (but thoughtful) Blackboard Classmate Responses for each Personal Response assignment.  IMPORTANT: you will not receive credit for a given Personal Response unless you have posted a response to two different classmates' Personal Response postings for the same Personal Response Assignment. To complete this part of the assignment, you will read the Personal Responses posted by the other members of your Discussion Board group and select two of them to which you will post a response no later than 10 PM on the Monday following the Personal Response due date.  Your fourteen classmate responses will not be graded as Written Work, but they are required to get credit for your own Personal Responses and they will also factor into the participation component of your final course grade.

    -- The longer formal paper (4-5 pp., due at the last class meeting on Th 3/8) will be a piece of literary analysis focusing on one of the works read this quarter and, if you wish, one or more filmic interpretations of that play (provided that you incorporate close textual reading into your film analysis as well!)  You are encouraged, but not required, to develop an idea or ideas which you have explored in one or more of your Blackboard Personal Response postings.

    -- EXAMS:

    Both exams will cover readings, lectures, and required videos; they will include passages to identify (from several plays) and objective questions on background materials (including online readings and e-reserves). There will be two chances to earn GWR certification: for the essay question on the midterm and finalexams. Please note that because this is a writing-intensive course, 50% of the course grade must be based on writing assignments. For this reason, the essay on each exam will be worth 50% of the exam. The Final Exam (only) will include an obligatory memory passage: 20 or more (consecutive!) lines from one play read in class.  The Finalwill be cumulative, but with emphasis on work since Midterm.

    FINAL COURSE GRADE CALCULATION:

    10%: participation (attendance; set of 14 Blackboard Classmate Responses; required Student Performances)
    15%: quizzes (lowest score dropped)
    10%: Personal Reponse Blackboard Postings (best 5 of 7)
    15%:  4-5 page Analytic Paper
    50%: Exams (Midterm= 20%; Final = 30%; equal weight to essay and objective components on each exam).


    OH MY GOSH . . . CAN I HANDLE THIS CLASS??

    Sure you can -- if you will take the time to read the plays carefully and thoughtfully.  And -- this being Shakespeare -- if you DO put in the time, you WILL enjoy them!  The Bard will amply reward your efforts (they don't call 'em "Great Books" for nothing!)  And remember . . . I LOVE teaching this stuff, and I'm told that my enthusisam makes classes more fun!

    However. . . DON'T assume that the class will "take care of itself."  If you have a heavy course- and/or work-load, please be sure to budget time for this class . . . or save it for another quarter.
     

    AND WHAT ABOUT THOSE TWO-HOUR BLOCKS?

    Rest assured, we'll take a break each day.  Feel free to bring along a caffeinated (or non-caffeinated) drink--whatever it takes to keep you alert through two hours.  If there is sufficient interest, rotating cookie duty will be arranged!
     

    WELCOME, AND ENJOY!!!
     
    Contents of this and all linked pages Copyright Debora B. Schwartz, 1996-2012