Summer 2021 - ENGL 829 G100
Studies in Shakespeare (4)
Class Number: 4614
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Jun 28 – Jul 2, 2021: Tue, Thu, 5:30–8:20 p.m.
BurnabyJul 3 – Aug 9, 2021: Tue, Thu, 10:30 a.m.–1:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Ronda Arab
raa21@sfu.ca
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Examines selected works of Shakespeare, organized by critical issues or theoretical approaches.
COURSE DETAILS:
Course Title: Controversial Shakespeare
In English 829, we’ll approach the study of Shakespeare’s plays from the theoretical perspective that cultural productions such as literature and drama both influence and reflect the thought and practice of the society within which they are produced and reproduced. This perspective allows that literature has a certain amount of autonomy and agency. To quote Jean Howard, “literature is one of many elements participating in a culture’s representation of reality to itself” (27). It follows from this perspective that literary documents are a type of historical document. The relationship between “literature” and “history,” then, is not one of “texts” (literature) and “contexts” (history), but a relationship of equals, texts and texts—history is a constructed narrative assembled from the variety of available texts from the past, including literary texts. Our approach in English 829 will be to explore Shakespeare’s plays as literary-historical documents that reflected, intervened, challenged, or otherwise contributed to discourse and practice in early modern England. But while we will aim to make intelligible the otherness of the past, we will also take a presentist approach and consider the ongoing relevance of Shakespeare’s plays to our current time. As we will be reading some of Shakespeare’s most controversial and problematic plays, we will consider what we can learn from them, why we should or should not continue to study them, and how, or whether, they should continue to be produced.
Grading
- presentation on a play & 4-6 page paper (1400-2000 words) 25%
- analytical discussion of critical article & 4-6 page paper (1400-2000 words) 25%
- term paper (15-20 pages; 5000-7000 words) 50%
Materials
MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:
Shakesepeare, Wiliam, Macbeth, Ed. William C. Carroll. (Texts and Contexts) Bedford-St. Martins, 1999.
Shakesepeare, Wiliam, Othello. Ed. Kim Hall. (Texts and Contexts) Bedford-St. Martins, 2007
Shakesepeare, Wiliam, The Taming of the Shrew. Ed. Frances Dolan. (Texts and Contexts) Bedford-St. Martins, 1996.
Shakesepeare, Wiliam, Measure for Measure. Ed. Ivo Kamps & Karen Raber. (Texts and Contexts) Bedford-St. Martins, 2004.
Shakesepeare, Wiliam, The Merchant of Venice. Ed. M. Lindsay Kaplan. (Texts and Contexts) Bedford-St. Martins, 2002.
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Ed. Paul Yachnin & J.F. Bernard. Broadview Press, 2021.
Graduate Studies Notes:
Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site 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
TEACHING AT SFU IN SUMMER 2021
Teaching at SFU in summer 2021 will be conducted primarily through remote methods, but we will continue to have in-person experiential activities for a selection of courses. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.
Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).