YORK UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF LIBERAL ARTS AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH. Office Hours: Mondays 12pm 2pm (and by appointment)

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1 YORK UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF LIBERAL ARTS AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH EN A (Y): ADVANCED SHAKESPEARE Term: Fall-Winter Prerequisite / Co-requisite: None Instructor Information Course Director: Elizabeth Pentland Office: Stong College 208D Phone: (416) pent@yorku.ca Office Hours: Mondays 12pm 2pm (and by appointment) Time and Location: Wednesday 2:30-5:30 SC 220 Course Website: Our reading schedule, assignments, handouts, and links to secondary readings for this course will be posted to our Moodle site, which can be accessed at: The site will be updated periodically. NB: To access materials in Moodle, you must Login using your Passport York ID and password. Expanded Course Description All the world s a stage, Shakespeare remarked more than four hundred years ago. Today, his plays are seen not just at Globe Theatre in London, but on stages and screens around the world. In this seminar we will explore the complexities of Shakespearean adaptation by reading five of his best known plays Othello, King Lear, Hamlet, Macbeth, and The Tempest in relation to a selection of contemporary century stage and film adaptations that engage the originals from a range of cultural and political perspectives. Special attention will be paid to the way these authors use Shakespeare to address issues relating to political power, race and ethnicity, gender, social class, language, and the legacy of colonialism. As part of our work for this course, we will also consider some well-known international film adaptations from Grigori Kozintsev s Hamlet (1965) to Vishal Bharadwaj s Omkara (2006). What does it mean to speak of global Shakespeare? How are Shakespeare s plays problematic for these writers or film makers, and to what extent has Shakespeare provided a common language or meeting ground for larger cultural or political conversations?

2 2 Organization of the Course This seminar will meet for three hours every Wednesday. I will introduce each play or film with a brief lecture providing historical, cultural, or other contexts, after which we will focus on discussion and analysis of the work. Students will be expected to come to class having read the assigned material (usually one play each week, with suggested supplementary readings), and should be prepared to discuss the literary, political, cultural, or other issues that are raised by each work. Because this is a seminar, students will be expected to take an active role in initiating discussion by giving one brief oral presentation each term. Course Learning Objectives The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the range of political and cultural issues involved in adapting Shakespeare for contemporary audiences around the world. It is hoped that students will Deepen their understanding of Shakespeare s plays Examine critically the roles that Shakespeare and Shakespearean adaptation have played in our own culture and for other cultures around the world in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries Learn about different approaches to the adaptation or appropriation of Shakespeare s works Broaden their understanding of the relationships between adaptations and original literary works Consider the extent to which Shakespeare has provided a common language or meeting ground for larger cultural or political conversations Improve their ability to read and write about literature and literary adaptation. Course Texts / Readings The required texts for this course are available at the York University Bookstore. Some texts will also be available on reserve at Scott Library or at SMIL. I have not ordered the Shakespeare plays, since many of you already own good editions. Any of the following may be used: Pelican, Oxford, Riverside, Norton, New Cambridge, Arden, Broadview, Signet. The Internet Shakespeare Editions ( offer excellent online versions of the plays. Additional readings may be assigned or recommended during the course, and these will be available through the York University libraries and/or Moodle. The following are required (films listed below will be screened during class time): William Shakespeare, Othello *Paula Vogel, Desdemona: A Play About A Handkerchief Ann-Marie MacDonald, Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)

3 3 *Djanet Sears, Harlem Duet Vishal Bharadwaj, Omkara (film) William Shakespeare, Hamlet Grigori Kozintsev, Hamlet (film) Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead *Heiner Müller, Hamletmachine William Shakespeare, Macbeth Eugene Ionesco, Macbett Tom Stoppard, Dogg s Hamlet, Cahoot s Macbeth *Welcome Msomi, umabatha Tom Magill, Mickey B (film) William Shakespeare, King Lear Edward Bond, Lear *Elaine Feinstein and the Women s Theatre Group, Lear s Daughters Akira Kurosawa, Ran (film) William Shakespeare, The Tempest Fred M. Wilcox. Forbidden Planet (film) Aimé Césaire, A Tempest *Philip Osment, This Island s Mine Dev Virahsawmy, Toufann *In Fischlin and Fortier, eds., Adaptations of Shakespeare (Routledge) Evaluation Final grades for the course will be based on the following items, weighted as shown: First Review Essay (15%) DUE: November 9, 2016 Second Review Essay (20%) DUE: January 25, 2017 Seminar Presentations (2 x 5% = 10%) one each semester Research Proposal (5%) DUE: March 1, 2017 Final Research Essay (30%) DUE: April 5, 2017 **Seminar Participation (20%) ongoing **See Course Policies below for note on completion of the Academic Integrity Tutorial.

4 4 COURSE POLICIES Grading: The grading scheme for this course conforms to the 9-point grading system used in undergraduate programs at York (e.g., A+ = 9, A = 8, B+ = 7, C+ = 5, etc.). Assignments will bear either a letter grade designation or a corresponding number grade (e.g. A+ = , A = 80-90, B+ = 75-79, etc.). For a full description of the York grading system, see the York University Undergraduate Calendar: Attendance: Students are strongly encouraged to regularly attend seminar meetings, to arrive on time, and to come fully prepared to discuss the assigned work. The quality and regularity of your contributions to our discussions will be the determining factors in your Participation grade (worth 20% of your final grade in this course). Due Dates: Unless you have made other arrangements with me in advance of the deadline, all assignments are to be handed in during class on the due date specified. Please Note: The English Department office staff cannot accept, date stamp, handle, or return essays or other assignments. Late papers should be ed to me at: pent@yorku.ca, and a hard copy brought to the following class. Late Papers: A penalty of two percent (2%) per day will be assessed on all late papers. Exceptions may be made for valid reasons such as illness, but supporting documentation (ie. a doctor s letter) will be required. Extensions: You are responsible for meeting all the course deadlines in a timely fashion. Extensions may be granted under very limited circumstances, providing you negotiate with me well in advance of the assignment deadline. Last-minute requests (ie. within 48 hours of the deadline) are generally not acceptable, and will only be considered under exceptional circumstances (ie. serious illness, family emergency, or similar). Extensions will not be granted once the deadline for the assignment has passed. The Writing Centre: Offers individual tutoring or instruction in all aspects of academic writing. An excellent resource for all students looking to improve their writing. Specialized help is available for ESL students as well as students with disabilities affecting language learning and language skills. Electronic tutoring is also offered. Appointments can be made online: Academic Integrity: Absolutely essential to this course, and to your career at York University. Plagiarism is a serious offense! You may not present other people s words or ideas whether word-for-word, in paraphrase, or in summary as if they are your own. Cite all sources in both written work and

5 5 oral presentations. Failure to do so will lead to severe penalties. Students are therefore asked to read York University s policy on Academic Honesty at and to complete the online Academic Integrity Tutorial during the first two weeks of class: Completion of the Tutorial will count for 5% of your Participation grade (ie. 1 point out of 20, or 1% of your final grade in this course). Turnitin.com: The Course Director reserves the right to check the integrity and originality of any student work submitted for this course using Turnitin.com or a similar service. Dropping the Course: You are responsible for knowing sessional dates for this course, including the last day to drop this course without receiving a grade. If you wish to drop the course, you must do so by the drop date and do so through the Registrar s Office; you cannot simply stop coming to class. If your name is still on the class list by the end of the course, and you have done none or very little of the work, you will receive an F. Last Day to Drop this Course without Receiving a Grade: February 10, Other Important Course Information for Students: All students are expected to familiarize themselves with the following information, available on the York Secretariat s Policies, Procedures and Regulations webpage: York s Academic Honesty Policy and Procedures / Academic Integrity Website Course requirement accommodation for students with disabilities, including physical, medical, systemic, learning and psychiatric disabilities. Student Conduct Standards Religious Observance Accommodation

6 6 COURSE SCHEDULE Fall Term WEEK 1 Sept 14 (W): Introduction WEEK 2 Sept 21 (W): William Shakespeare, Othello Criticism: Linda Hutcheon, Beginning to Theorize Adaptation, A Theory of Adaptation (New York: Routledge, 2006), WEEK 3 Sept 28 (W): *Paula Vogel, Desdemona: A Play About A Handkerchief Criticism: Ruth Vanita, Proper Men and Fallen Women: The Unprotectedness of Wives in Othello, Studies in English Literature, (1994): WEEK 4 Oct 5 (W): Ann-Marie MacDonald, Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) Criticism: Marianne Novy, Saving Desdemona and/or Ourselves: Plays by Ann-Marie MacDonald and Paula Vogel, in Transforming Shakespeare: Contemporary Women s Re-Visions in Literature and Performance, ed. Marianne Novy (New York: Palgrave, 1999), WEEK 5 Oct 12 (W): *Djanet Sears, Harlem Duet Criticism: Peter Dickinson, "Duets, Duologues, and Black Diasporic Theatre: Djanet Sears, William Shakespeare, and Others," Modern Drama 45.2 (2002): WEEK 6 Oct 19 (W): Vishal Bharadwaj, Omkara (film) Criticism: Poonam Trivedi, Filmi Shakespeare Literature/Film Quarterly 35.2 (2007): WEEK 7 Oct 26 (W): William Shakespeare, Hamlet Criticism: Jyotsna G. Singh and Abdulhamit Arvas, Global Shakespeares, Affective Histories, Cultural Memories, Shakespeare Survey 68 (2015):

7 7 WEEK 8 Nov 2 (W): Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Criticism: Kay H. Smith, Hamlet, Part Eight, the Revenge or, Sampling Shakespeare in a Postmodern World, College Literature 31.4 (2004): WEEK 9 [FIRST CRITICAL REVIEW ESSAY DUE] Nov 9 (W): Grigori Kozintsev, Hamlet (film) Criticism: Neil Taylor, The Films of Hamlet, Shakespeare and the Moving Image: The Plays on Film and Television, ed. Anthony Davies and Stanley Wells (Cambridge University Press, 1994), WEEK 10 Nov 16 (W): *Heiner Müller, Hamletmachine Criticism: Andrew Dickson, Deutschland ist Hamlet : Shakespeare in Germany, WEEK 11 Nov 23 (W): William Shakespeare, Macbeth Criticism: Mark Thornton Burnett, Figuring the Global / Historical in Filmic Shakespearean Tragedy, in A Concise Companion to Shakespeare on Screen, ed. Diana Henderson (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006), WEEK 12 Nov 30 (W): Eugene Ionesco, Macbett Criticism: Edith Kern, Ionesco and Shakespeare: Macbeth on the Modern Stage, South Atlantic Bulletin 39.1 (1974): 3-16.

8 8 Winter Term WEEK 13 Jan 11 (W): Tom Stoppard, Dogg s Hamlet, Cahoot s Macbeth Criticism: John Russell Brown, Foreign Shakespeare and Englishspeaking audiences, in Foreign Shakespeare: Contemporary Performance, ed. Dennis Kennedy (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), WEEK 14 Jan 18 (W): *Welcome Msomi, umabatha Criticism: Natasha Distiller, The Zulu Macbeth : The value of an African Shakespeare, Shakespeare Survey 57 (2004): WEEK 15 [SECOND CRITICAL REVIEW ESSAY DUE] Jan 25 (W): Tom Magill, Mickey B (film) Criticism: Ramona Wray, The Morals of Macbeth and Peace as Process: Adapting Shakespeare in Northern Ireland s Maximum Security Prison, Shakespeare Quarterly 62.3 (2011): WEEK 16 Feb 1 (W): William Shakespeare, King Lear Criticism: Jan Kott, King Lear or Endgame, in Shakespeare our Contemporary (1964), tr. Boleslaw Taborski (New York: W.W. Norton, 1974), WEEK 17 Feb 8 (W): Edward Bond, Lear Criticism: Thomas Cartelli, Shakespeare in Pain: Edward Bond s Lear and the Ghosts of History, Shakespeare Survey 55 (2002): WEEK 18 Feb 15 (W): *Elaine Feinstein and the Women s Theatre Group, Lear s Daughters Criticism: Stephannie S. Gearhart, Lear s Daughters, Adaptation, and the Calculation of Worth, Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal of Shakespeare and Appropriation 7.2 (Fall 2012 / Winter 2013): WEEK 19 Feb 22 (W): WINTER READING WEEK [NO CLASSES] WEEK 20 [RESEARCH PROPOSAL DUE] March 1 (W): Akira Kurosawa, Ran (film)

9 9 Criticism: Anthony Dawson, Reading Kurosawa Reading Shakespeare, in A Concise Companion to Shakespeare on Screen, ed. Diana Henderson (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006), WEEK 21 Mar 8 (W): William Shakespeare, The Tempest Criticism: Stephen Purcell, What Country, Friends, Is This? : Cultural Identity and the World Shakespeare Festival Shakespeare Survey 66 (2013): WEEK 22 Mar 15 (W): Fred M. Wilcox, Forbidden Planet (film) Criticism: Simone Caroti, Science Fiction, Forbidden Planet, and Shakespeare s The Tempest, in Shakespeare in Hollywood, Asia, and Cyberspace, ed. Alexa Huang and Charles S. Ross (West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press, 2009), WEEK 23 Mar 22 (W): Aimé Césaire, A Tempest Criticism: Rob Nixon, Caribbean and African Appropriations of The Tempest, Critical Inquiry 13.3 (1987): WEEK 24 Mar 29 (W): *Philip Osment, This Island s Mine Criticism: Susan Bennett, Rehearsing The Tempest, Directing the Post- Colonial Body: Disjunctive Identity in Philip Osment s This Island s Mine, Essays in Theatre 15.1 (1996): WEEK 25 [FINAL PAPERS DUE] Apr 5 (W): Dev Virahsawmy, Toufann Criticism: Roshni Mooneeram, "Language Politics in Dev Virahsawmy's Toufann, A Postcolonial Rewriting of The Tempest," Journal of Commonwealth Literature 41.3 (2006):