Fall Semester 2005
12-164-01
Shakespeare
TTh 11
am (Brother Anthony)
In
this course we shall be studying Romeo and Juliet, Henry V
and Twelfth Night. We will study the texts in detail and
watch videos of each play.
Text Books
Students
will need to buy copies of the 3 plays in the New Cambridge edition. An
introduction to the life and theatre of Shakespeare can be found in my book Literature
in English Society, Volume II, The Renaissance (Sogang University Press).
The introductions of the New Cambridge editions will provide useful
information and there are many books about Shakespeare in the library.
You are expected to use some of them when writing your two reports. Each report
must include a list (‘Works Cited’) of the critical works you have actually
quoted in the report.
Detailed Course Description
August 30 / September 1 Week 1
Introduction to the course. Twelfth Night Act 1
September 6 / 8 Week 2
Twelfth Night Acts 2 - 3
September 13 / 15 Week 3
Twelfth
Night Acts 3
- 4
September 20 / 22 Week 4
Twelfth
Night Acts 4
- 5
September 27 / 29 Week 5
Twelfth
Night video
October 4 / 6 Week 6
Romeo and Juliet
Acts 1 - 2
October 11 / 13 Week 7
Romeo
and Juliet
Acts 3 - 4
October 18 / 20 Week 8
Mid-term
Exams
October 25 / 27 Week 9
Romeo
and Juliet Act
5
November 1 / 3 Week 10
Romeo
and Juliet videos
November 8 / 10 Week 11
Henry V Acts 1 - 2
November 15 / 17 Week 12
Henry
V Acts 3 - 4
November 22 / 24 Week 13
Henry
V Act 5
November 29 / December 1 Week 14
Henry
V video
December 6 / 8 Week 15
(Final exams start on Thursday)
Reports
Students
will write a Midterm Essay (due on the Tuesday after the Mid-term
Exam) in which you discuss the different ideas about love found in Twelfth
Night, and say how ‘comic’ the play really is. Has the play got dramatic
unity?
In
the Second Essay (due on the Tuesday of 11th week) discuss your
own interpretation of and reactions to Romeo and Juliet, including
discussion of the way the main characters were interpreted in the film
productions. In what sense is their story ‘tragic’? Why has this story become
such a powerful myth.
In
the Third Essay
(due on the Monday after the end of the Final Exams) comment on the way Henry
V depicts power-politics and warfare.
Grading
Grading
will be based on the 3 reports and the result of the Mid-term and Final Exams
(Max 50 points each). The exams will test students' knowledge of the action of
the plays, and will include tests of precise memorization of the most
celebrated passages in the plays. Exams and reports are of equal weight.