Summer 2024 - ENGL 829 G100
Studies in Shakespeare (4)
Class Number: 3864
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
-
Course Times + Location:
May 6 – Aug 2, 2024: Thu, 4:30–8:20 p.m.
Burnaby
-
Instructor:
Matthew Hussey
mhussey@sfu.ca
-
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 It follows from this perspective that literary documents are a type of historical document.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 Our approach in English 829 will be to explore Shakespeare’s plays as literary-historical documents that reflected, intervened, challenged, or otherwise contributed to discourse and practice in early modern England.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%
REQUIREMENTS:
Please see grading above. Additionally, you are expected to attend class and participate. Marks will be deducted for poor attendence.
Materials
MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:
Shakesepeare, William, The Sonnets (any edition)
Shakesepeare, William, 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, William, Measure for Measure. Ed. Ivo Kamps & Karen Raber. (Texts and Contexts) Bedford-St. Martins, 2004.
Shakesepeare, William, 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 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