12-164
Shakespeare
MWF 11 am  (Brother Anthony)

In this course we will be studying   A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry V, Hamlet, Twelfth Night. We will study the texts and watch videos of each play

Students will need to buy copies of the New Cambridge edition of each of these plays from the university book store, since we are going to go through parts of the text of those plays in detail.

Plot summaries : A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry V, Hamlet, Twelfth Night

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).
 

Detailed Course Description

August 28  Week 1 (No class Friday: Mass)
Introduction to Shakespeare, his life and the plays.

September 4 Week 2
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The text, Acts 1-3

September 11 Week 3
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The text, Acts 4-5

September 18 Week 4
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Video (extracts from several versions for comparison)

September 25 Week 5
Henry V
The text (selected scenes, with plot summary)

October 2 Week 6 (No classes Tuesday & Thursday-Friday)
Henry V
Video

October 9 Week 7
Henry V
Video

October 16 Week 8 : Mid-term Exams

October 23 Week 9
Hamlet
The text Acts 1 - 3

October 30 Week 10
Hamlet
The text Acts 4 - 5

November 6 Week 11
Hamlet
Video

November 13 Week 12
Hamlet
Video

Novermber 20 Week 13
Twelfth Night
Text

November 27 Week 14
Twelfth Night
Video

December 4 Week 15 (Final Exams from Thursday)
Twelfth Night
Video

Students will write a Midterm Essay (due on the Monday after the Mid-term Exam) in which you discuss two questions: (1) To what extent is A Midsummer Night's Dream a romantic comedy mixed with tragic shadows? (2) Is King Henry V  really as heroic as the Chorus wants him to be? 

Grading will be based on the 2 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 Henry V and Hamlet. Exams and reports are of equal weight.