English 220(W): Introduction to Shakespeare

Bradley Bleck Office: 5-157 Phone: Office 533-3572

Class Time: 11:30-12:35 MTThF Office Hours: 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Daily, and by appointment most afternoons email: bradbATspokanefallsDOTedu

Required Text: Greenblatt, Stephen The Norton Shakespeare: Essential Plays and Sonnets. 2nd ed. You may want to shop online or in local bookstores to buy used and save a good bit of money, but shop early! You can also, if you like, buy the plays and sonnets as published individually from most any bookstore or online. There may be some confusion with regard to line numbering in the plays, and I'm not sure if you will save any money by doing so, but as long as you have what we are reading, it's fine by me.

Official Course Description: Students read, analyze, interpret and evaluate Shakespeare’s plays and also sonnets. In addition, they learn about the historical, cultural and social milieu in which Shakespeare wrote his works. Students develop strategies for breaking Shakespeare’s language barrier and learn to analyze plot, character, imagery and theme. Prerequisite SFCC only: recommended minimum reading placement score: COMPASS 80, ASSET 40.

Unofficial course description: In this class we will read, discuss, and write about Shakespeare and Elizabethan culture. In doing so, we'll examine the role of literature and the shaping of a nation and national identity as it applies to our lives through a look at such things as Puritanism, the Reformation (and Counter Reformation), various English Revolutions, and the role of the arts in cultures. To make this happen, we'll be looking at Shakespeare's drama and sonnets to develop some understanding of our Anglo-Saxon cultural & heritage. We will be exploring a variety of questions, including, but not limited to:

• What makes Shakespeare worth our time and trouble?
• What do we get from reading/acting dramas?
• How is contemporary life reflected in or understood through the reading of Shakespeare?
• Who is Shakespeare and does it matter?
• What is the point of all this?

As members of the class, I expect you to completely read all material as assigned prior to listed discussion dates, to have completed journals when assigned, to take part in discussions, to write well developed literature reviews that focus on the readings and topics under discussion and to complete assigned projects. You should budget at least 15 hours a week for the course (10 hours outside of class for reading, writing, and working). We will discuss any relevant topics that come to the fore as a result of reading in this class and you will be allowed similar latitude in your writing. Topics can be personal, historical, political, social, literary, or whatever.

Additionally, when it comes to being good readers, don't think you can read a play or sonnet once and make sense of it. Good readers are re-readers. I suggest, at the very least, when you are assigned a play that you sit down and read the whole thing and that you reread each act the night before it will be discussed in class. This is a bare minimum that probably won't prepare you to succeed on the mid-term and final exams. Annotating the text as you read will also help you understand and remember.

My hope is to help you enjoy and understand Shakespeare, provide you with some tools for increased understanding of the Shakespeare you read (or at least an idea of where to find material that will help you increase your understanding), and help you formulate and express your thoughts--written and spoken--concerning Shakespeare. Keep in mind I am not some Shakespeare oracle. I prefer to explain what people do not understand and to provide background and context for the writings we will read and let you puzzle things out as much as possible. While I will lecture some on important ideas and considerations, don't expect me to explain what writings "mean." I don't have all the answers to what we will read (assuming such answers exist). This does not mean that a piece of literature means whatever you want it to mean; interpretations need to be based on specific elements and their contexts within the text and the forces that led to the production of the text. However, I have considerable experience reading, studying, interpreting, and criticizing literature. This I will share with you.

Grading

Let’s just say I hate grading, period. Grading takes a bunch of the fun out of a class such as this one. When I grade, my approach is to be as friendly a reader/grader as possible and give you the best grade that is reasonable given the work submitted. I also like to keep things simple, but it doesn't quite pan out that way. The two Literature Reviews are 20 percent each/40 percent total; reading Journals are another: 10 percent. Daily Tweets will account for 5 percent. The midterm is 7.5 percent and the final is 15 percent. The midterm drama club presentation is 2.5 percent and the final drama club presentation is 10 percent. Seminar Participation is 2.5 percent each/5 percent total. Reading quizzes account for the final five percent. Quizzes and journals are graded on a percentage scale that converts to a number grade. Lastly, you will earn the bulk of your grade in the latter stages of the class, when you should know more and be able to earn better grades.