Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2022 - ENGL 113W D100

Literature and Performance (3)

Class Number: 4450

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 7 – Dec 6, 2022: Mon, Wed, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Dec 19, 2022
    Mon, 3:30–5:30 p.m.
    Burnaby

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduces students to plays and performance works created and adapted for the stage, and/or the performative dimensions of other literary forms. May be organized historically, generically or thematically. The course may also explore the links between literary and performance theory. Includes attention to writing skills. Students with credit for ENGL 103W may not take this course for further credit. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

The Play's the Thing: Drama Then and Now

In this course we will cover almost 2,500 years of Western drama by reading seven plays. We will study drama from Ancient Greece, medieval England, the Renaissance, the 19th and 20th centuries, and contemporary Canada. We will examine how dramatists have wrestled with the pressing issues of their ages, and how theatre professionals have evolved their techniques to meet the changing demands of writers and audiences.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

  • an introduction to the scope of the Western dramatic corpus and theatre history
  • a knowledge of how to read dramatic texts
  • a basic knowledge and understanding of the principal genres of Western drama
  • a basic knowledge and understanding of the elements of drama, such as plot, character, theme, and setting

Grading

  • Tutorial attendance and participation 15%
  • Essay 1 (with revision) 20%
  • Essay 2 30%
  • Quizzes 5%
  • Final exam (open textbook) 30%

NOTES:

Some of the plays we will be reading contain depictions of violence. Please do not take this course if you find such material triggering or upsetting. 

 

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

OEDIPUS THE KING  - Sophocles

EVERYMAN - Anonymous

DOCTOR FAUSTUS - Christopher Marlowe

DOLL'S HOUSE - Henrik Ibsen

WAITING FOR GODOT - Samuel Beckett

EQUUS - Peter Shaffer

HARLEM DUET - Djanet Sears

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

IMPORTANT NOTE Re 300 and 400 level courses: 75% of spaces in 300 level English courses, and 100% of spaces in 400 level English courses, are reserved for declared English Major, Minor, Extended Minor, Joint Major, and Honours students only, until open enrollment begins.

For all On-Campus Courses, please note the following:
- To receive credit for the course, students must complete all requirements.
- Tutorials/Seminars WILL be held the first week of classes.
- When choosing your schedule, remember to check "Show lab/tutorial sections" to see all Lecture/Seminar/Tutorial times required.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html