UNION COUNTY COLLEGE ENG 235-001 Introduction to Shakespeare MWF 9:05am-10:00am  L 306   Dr. Susannah Chewning Office: H-125 Office Hours: M&W 12pm-2pm; T&Th 1pm-3pm and by appointment  (908) 709-7182 chewning@ucc.edu   Click here for WebCT

Course Description: An introductory study of Shakespeare as poet and dramatist, with close reading of the representative plays. The enduring nature of Shakespeare's ideas is stressed. Prerequisite: ENG 102 or ENG 122. 3 lecture hours per week. 3 credit hours

Course Objectives: by the end of the semester each student will

·         identify and be able to discuss the components of a Shakespearean sonnet and a Shakespearean drama

·         explain the differences between a text of a Shakespearean play and a film and/or staged version

·         identify and discuss the historical forces at work in English Elizabethan history

·         identify and discuss the historical forces at work surrounding individual Shakespearean plays and the historical eras they represent

·         identify and discuss the ethical dimensions in specific Shakespearean sonnets and plays

·         produce a well-defined thesis on a topic pertinent to the course and develop it into an effective and well-organized essay

·         conduct effective research on the chosen topic, effectively integrating the Shakespearean texts and library and Internet sources

				If you would prefer a complete collection of Shakespeare's works, this is the one to get.

Required Texts:  Any edition of the plays and poems is acceptable.   Shakespeare, William. Henry IV Part I. New York: Washington Square P, 2005.         ---. Henry V. New York: Washington Square P, 2004.      ---. Much Ado about Nothing.  New York: Washington Square P, 2005. ---. Romeo and Juliet. New York: Washington Square P, 2004.  ---.  Sonnets and Poems. New York: Washington Square P, 2005.          ---. Twelfth Night. New York: Washington Square P, 2005.         Recommended Texts:

Onions, C. T. and Robert D. Eagleson. A Shakespeare Glossary. Oxford: Oxford U P, 1986.

Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference with Writing about Literature.  Sixth edition. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007.

 Course Requirements.  Please go to my website for class policies.

Reading assignments.  Please make sure you read all the assignments on time.  You will also be expected to discuss what you have read at length in class.  Participation, which is 20% of your grade, includes being in class, taking quizzes, and being prepared to participate.

Note on research:  By the conclusion of the semester, all students who pass this course will have demonstrated, in at least one substantial graded essay, that they understand the fundamentals of research.  This will include doing basic research, being able to evaluate sources, and citing at least five of these sources in the proper MLA style in the graded essay.  Some of these sources must be electronic, including but not necessarily limited to the Internet.  Students must pass this essay with a grade of C or higher, and students will not be allowed to pass it unless they can adequately demonstrate their ability in this area to quote and integrate multiple sources.

Three papers two of at least 750 words (three typed pages), due September 29, October 20, and November 17 and one longer paper of at least 1,200 words due December 19.  This third paper will be a research paper which will require your use of at least four outside sources.  All paper topics will be assigned and discussed at length in class.  All papers written for this class must be typed and must conform in style and format to the MLA System of Style and Documentation.  Late papers will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Response Papers:  Thirteen short response papers based on your readings, each of at least one hundred words.  These are informal papers in which you discuss your response to the readings we do for class.  It is the best way for you to communicate with me and, at least on paper, participate with the class in your discussion of what you have read.  These papers will not be accepted late and cannot be revised.  You may write additional response papers for extra-credit, but please turn in a minimum of thirteen.  For a sample of a response paper, please go to my website at http://faculty.ucc.edu/english-chewning or to our class site on WebCT.

Take-home mid-term exam and final exam in class.

Breakdown of Grades: Participation 20%; Responses 15%; Papers 50%; Exams and Quizzes 15% 

Writing Expectations:  This is not a writing class, but in a sense all college English classes are writing classes.  This is a class in which your writing will be closely examined and in which you will be expected to express your opinions of the texts we will read in writing.  Thus I have fairly high standards which I expect you to meet in your written work.  All papers must conform to the MLA System of Style and Documentation.  They must also be free of careless grammatical errors and typos.  I strongly urge you to meet with me when your papers are due to show me outlines, rough drafts, and other pre-writing so you can be sure that your writing is at the level that I expect for this class.  You are also strongly urged to pursue assistance from writing tutors (available in the ALC office in the Library).

Schedule of Assignments: In addition to these assignments, there may be homework given in class.  If you miss a class, you should speak to a classmate (not me) or consult the web board to get the assignment.  Not being in class is no excuse for not completing an assignment--please keep in touch with me, especially if you have to miss a class.

ENG 235-001 Introduction to Shakespeare                                                                  Paper Topics

Please keep in mind that all papers must be typed and must conform to the MLA System of Style and Documentation. If you are an English major, I strongly recommend that you buy The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th ed. It will help you through four years of College English papers. If not, Hacker’s Manual should be enough, but please be conscientious about format. Also, keep in mind that late papers will not be accepted and that your final paper must conform to the UCC English Department’s requirements in order for you to pass this class.

Paper 1: due September 29.  Choose one of the following topics associated with Henry IV, Part 1.  You may use secondary sources, but remember that Wikipedia is only a starting point for research and should never be quoted as a source in a paper.

a.      Henry IV, part 1 is often considered a “coming-of-age” story with respect to the character of Hal, prince Henry, who will one day be Henry V.  Discuss how you think his character develops from his earliest moments in the play to his last, particularly with respect to his relationships with his father Henry IV and his friend Sir John Falstaff.

b.      The climactic scenes of the play occur leading up to and during the historic battle of Shrewsbury.  Do some research on the actual events of the battle and Shakespeare’s representation of it and discuss any differences and/or similarities you see in the play.

c.       Discuss the figure of Henry Hotspur and his relationship to the plot and meaning of the play.  Is he the main protagonist?  What does his story, his life and death, represent, and why was it important for Shakespeare to tell it?

Paper 2: due October 20:  Choose one of the following topics.

a.      Choose two or three of Shakespeare’s sonnets and discuss them in detail, providing explanation of their meaning, themes, and connection to each other or two Shakespeare’s other works.

b.      Discuss the development and change in the character of Prince Hal from Henry IV, Part 1 as he develops into the heroic central figure of Henry V.   What about him has changed?  Why?  How is he different in the two plays?  How has his relationship with his father affected his role and behavior as king? 

c.       Discuss how Shakespeare’s telling of the battle of Agincourt in Henry V is historically accurate or inaccurate based on research of the play and the actual historical battle.

Paper 3, due November 17:  Choose one of the following topics.

a.      Compare and contrast any two characters from any of the plays we have read so far.  They can be from the same play (ie, Beatrice and Hero from Much Ado) or from two different plays (ie Benedick from Much Ado and Romeo).  Find both similarities and differences in each character and if you are discussing two plays, discuss both in detail.

b.      Compare some aspect of tragedy and some aspect of comedy as you see them represented in two of Shakespeare’s plays and discuss how the two are both alike and different.  You will have to begin by defining both tragedy and comedy and finding out how Shakespeare understood both, and then make the comparisons among the plays and characters.

c.       Discuss some aspect of Shakespeare’s life – his life in Stratford and his family background, his marriage, his children, his life in London, or some aspect of how his life experiences influenced the writing of his plays.  You can take on some major issue associated with his life (the authorship controversy, his marriage, his sexuality, the “dark lady” of the sonnets) or something else, such as how his era influenced his work, or his relationship to the court of Elizabeth I.

Paper 4, due December 17: This paper must be a research paper and should include the use of five sources (at least one of which should be electronic—no websites, no encyclopedias—use only the sources I’ve recommended.). The topic should reflect an issue or concern that best defines your knowledge and understanding of a theme, character, style, or other aspect of the works of Shakespeare. We will discuss the kind of research I expect for this paper at length in class, but please keep in mind that you must receive a C or higher on this paper in order to pass this course.  The topic is up to you, but we will talk about it at length in class.