ANALYSIS OF FREE WEBSITES SUPPORTING THE LEARNING OF SHAKESPEAREAN LITERATURE

International Journal of Library & Information Science (IJLIS) Volume 6, Issue 1, Jan Feb 2017, pp. 41 50, Article ID: IJLIS_06_01_005 Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/ijlis/issues.asp?jtype=ijlis&vtype=6&itype=1 Journal Impact Factor (2016): 8.2651 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor.com ISSN Print: 2277-3533 and ISSN Online: 2277-3584 IAEME Publication ANALYSIS OF FREE WEBSITES SUPPORTING THE LEARNING OF SHAKESPEAREAN LITERATURE Patricia Robin Research Scholar, Bharathiar, Librarian, St. Michael s College, Cherthala, Kerala, India. Dr. P. Joshi George Research Guide, Bharathiar, Librarian, St. Albert s College, Ernakulam, Kerala, India. ABSTRACT Free Websites assist learning in several ways. To what extend are they helpful is always a question. In the case of the free websites supporting the learning of Shakespearean Literature, a content analysis is made, to find out whether the usually sought attributes are available. The websites under study are evaluated with regard to the syllabus assigned to top institutions in India offering English Literature study. A librarian can make use of this tailored information to support his clientele of the respective genre. Also, the findings can be used to improvise the respective websites content. Key words: Website, Content analysis, Shakespeare. Cite this Article: Patricia Robin and Dr. P. Joshi George, Analysis of Free Websites Supporting the Learning of Shakespearean Literature. International Journal of Library & Information Science, 6(1), 2017, pp.41 50. http://www.iaeme.com/ijlis/issues.asp?jtype=ijlis&vtype=6&itype=1 1. INTRODUCTION Internet has become inevitability in all walks of life. Learning and teaching is highly dependent on the World Wide Web since the amount of information on the websites are enormous (Nim Park, Son 2009) [1]. Accessibility and availability has catered to the popularity of these teaching and learning websites. But how far are these educational websites helpful? Are they on a par with each other? Or do they differ to the extent that some has established their credibility and dependability over the others? The answers to all these questions can be deciphered only by analysing these websites. But the analysis or evaluation of educational website is a subject area that has not had a lot of published research (Boklaschuk, Caisse 2001) [2]. 1.1. Research Focus Analysis or Evaluation of a website can be organized from different perspectives. On making literature review it was noticed that majority of the evaluation was based on Authorship, Accuracy, Currency, http://www.iaeme.com/ijlis/index.asp 41 editor@iaeme.com

Patricia Robin and Dr. P. Joshi George Credibility, Point of view, etc. (Susser,B 2006) [3]. But a different kind of evaluation is possible by analyzing the content of the website, to find out how each website enables its users to fetch the expected items from these sites (Ya-Ting C. Yang, Chia Ying Chan 2008) [4] The free websites supporting the study of English literature on the World Wide Web is very large in number. Hence the study has been confined to those websites supporting the learning of Shakespeare. The websites short-listed for study is analysed thoroughly to find out to what extent they support university and college level learning 1.2. Why Shakespeare? Shakespeare has stood the test of time. He can never be outdated. Though his works have been limited to a few syllabi these days, they are still very much contemporary. The greatest evidence is that browsing through the available free websites; it was found that there are several websites hosted with the complete works of Shakespeare. They contain 38 plays in all written by Shakespeare plus the sonnets and poems. 1.3. Website Content Structure The plays are categorised into Tragedies, Comedies, Tragicomedies, Comitragedies etc. Another kind of categorization is Roman Plays, Historical Plays etc. The plays are also categorized as per the year of its composition. Along with this the four long poems and the 154 sonnets are dealt with, in detail. Above all this, learners of Shakespeare look out for certain other information associated with the play and the further learning of the play. Though Shakespeare is said to have written in Modern English (English from 15 th Century onwards is called Modern English), the learners of the modern era find it difficult to understand the rich poetic language of Shakespeare. Hence with paraphrasing provided parallel, the learners find it more useful. 1.4. Objectives To find out whether the websites cater to the syllabus of the English teaching institutions under study. To what extend these websites are tailored to support the English Literature students, in studying Shakespeare. To find out what improvements can be brought out on these websites, so that they become more fulfilling. 2. METHODOLOGY Five leading institutions in India (Universities and Colleges), providing English as a subject of study in the Post-Graduate and Under-Graduate level were first opted. Their detailed syllabus was perused and that part catering to the study of Shakespeare was identified. The total number of Plays, Sonnets and Poems tabulated. The Websites taken up for evaluation is studied in detail, and the various attributes provided by each website, to support the study of Shakespeare is tabulated. A sixteen point scale with the various attributes of these free websites, in connection with Shakespeare learning, which is usually made use of by the English Literature students is devised. Of the various websites available on the internet, the stipulated five websites were shortlisted, on the basis of student-familiarity with these websites. The researcher, who had been an English teacher for fifteen years, has found that these are the five websites usually used by students while learning Shakespeare. 2.1. Data Analysis For the purpose of this study, a list of five websites catering to the study of Shakespeare has been taken for analysis. (Table: 1) http://www.iaeme.com/ijlis/index.asp 42 editor@iaeme.com

Analysis of Free Websites Supporting the Learning of Shakespearean Literature Table 1 Sl.No. Websites URL 1. The Ultimate Free Shakespeare resource http:/www.playshakespeare.com 2. Open source Shakespeare http:/www.opensourceshakespeare.org 3. Absolute Shakespeare http:/ www. absolute shakespeare.org 4. William Shakespeare http:/www.williamshakespeare.info 5. Shakespeare Resource Centre http:/www.bardweb.net 3. ANALYSIS OF WEBSITES On analyzing the websites, each website provides the following attributes 3.1. www.playshakespeare.com [5] The broad categorization of this website portrays the following attributes of Shakespeare Each play or work of Shakespeare when taken up furnishes the following details Synopsis: Perfect summary of the play with the character highlighted Character: Each character described with the analysis as to what his/her contribution to the plot of the play is. Scenes: Each scene by scene is clearly depicted. The user can pick up that particular scene of his requirement, and not continuously browse. Full Play: The full text can be made available on logging in or registering in to the website. First Folio: The original form of stipulated plays. A fool s cap paper folded into two with the original spellings, spelling mistakes, anomalies etc. the authentic version. Reviews: Theatre productions based on Shakespeare s plays are reviewed for the purpose of marketing them. The collection of those reviews is included. The number of reviews varies from play to play. 3.2. Open Source Shakespeare [6] The features of Open Source Shakespeare are Plays, Sonnets, Concordance, Character Search and Advanced Search. Concordance search can be made by Exact Spelling, First part of the word or Any part of the word The plays are displayed according to their genre, by the number of words, by number of speeches, by character list and by character search. Regarding the Sonnets and Poems, individual sonnets as well as sonnets compared side-by-side are portrayed. Added to this all sonnets and all poems are also included. Every Play is given scene by scene, act by act, so that the reader does not have to browse the entire play for the required purpose. Each character is portrayed with every speech of his - cue speech, truncated speech and complete speech. Open Source Shakespeare is more than just a collection of texts. It attempts to be the best free Web site containing Shakespeare's complete works. It is intended for scholars, thespians, and Shakespeare lovers of every kind. OSS includes the 1864 Globe Edition of the complete works, which was the definitive singlevolume Shakespeare edition for over a half-century. The limitation of the website is that it does not provide other features like Reviews, Discussion Forums or Extended Reading suggestions. 3.3. www.absolute Shakespeare.org [7] William Shakespeare: Shakespeare is renowned as the English playwright and poet whose body of works is considered the greatest in history of English literature. http://www.iaeme.com/ijlis/index.asp 43 editor@iaeme.com

Patricia Robin and Dr. P. Joshi George Shakespeare Plays: All the plays from 'All's Well That Ends Well' to 'Twelfth Night' in the complete original texts with summaries. Divided into comedies, histories and tragedies. Sonnets All of the Bard's 154 sonnets including the much acclaimed sonnet 18: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day..." Pictures: Engraving of paintings of William Shakespeare and those inspired by his famous plays. Indexed by play and accompanied by the text inspiring the painting. Bard Facts: Trivia about the world's most famous bard from words coined by the bard to his marriage. Biography: Everything you would ever want to know about the immortal Bard's life and more. Authorship Debate: The controversial debate on who really wrote the complete works continues to rages unabated to this very day. Quiz: Test knowledge regarding the bard by taking agrueling quiz, answers include Summaries: Shakespeare summaries provide a quick and easy guide to Shakespeare's most famous plays. Divided by act, the summaries make an ideal introduction. Poems: The complete collection of the Bard's poetry in the original text including A lover's complaint and Venus and Adonis. Quotes: Over 130 of the most famous quotes from the Bard's complete works indexed by play. Globe Theatre: The story of how the Bard created one of the greatest theatres of all time, the playhouse is also where he first performed many of his greatest plays. Films: The ultimate list of all film adaptations of the complete works, there are well over 250 movies to date. Bibliography: The complete list of the plays, poems and sonnets attributed as written by the Bard. Timeline: Describes the many chapters in the immortal Bard's colorful life from birth, his disappearance, marriage, his death and ending in the printing of the First Folio in 1623. 3.4. www.williamshakespeare.info [8] The main inclusions of this website are the following William Shakespeare Plays William Shakespeare Bubonic Plague Shakespeare Plays Macbeth Shakespeare Shakespeare 'S Globe Theatre Shakespeare s Sonnets William Shakespeare Quotes Shakespeare Of this William Shakespeare gives detailed information on List of Shakespeare s Plays Shakespeare s Comedies Shakespeare s Histories Shakespeare s Sources Shakespeare s Problem Plays http://www.iaeme.com/ijlis/index.asp 44 editor@iaeme.com

Analysis of Free Websites Supporting the Learning of Shakespearean Literature Under Shakespeare s Sonnets, we have the sonnets analysed to the various approach of Shakespearean sonnets. The difference between the Shakespearean sonnet and the Petrarchan sonnet is also described. 3.5. Shakespeare Resource Centre (SRC) [9] Shakespeare Resource Centre offers the following Shakespeare's Biography: A brief biography of William Shakespeare, from his baptism to the inscription on his tomb at Holy Trinity in Stratford. Also includes a link to the full text of Shakespeare's very own last will and testament. Shakespeare's Works: A summary overview of the four periods of Shakespeare's works, including links to online editions of the plays and Shakespearean criticism. See also the SRC's play synopses, poetry page, and Scenes and Monologues page for acting resources. Shakespeare News: Selected sources from around the Web so that SRC visitors can keep on top of the latest news and topics about William Shakespeare. Shakespeare's Language: Links and a Shakespeare Resource Center guide to the Bard's English including a searchable glossary. Also includes a Speech Analysis: Selected Readings section exclusive to the SRC. Authorship Debate: Who wrote the works of Shakespeare? Edward de Vere? Francis Bacon? Christopher Marlowe? Information about and links to the opposing points of view. The Globe Theatre: A brief history of Shakespeare's Globe from its construction in 1598 to the New Globe, completed in 1996 in Southwark. Elizabethan England: Because you have to understand England and the times in which Shakespeare lived to appreciate fully the literature. SRC Features: An at-a-glance guide to all the original content compiled for the Shakespeare Resource Center. Shakespearean Study: The most valuable online resources you'll find about Shakespeare (besides this site, of course). Reading List: For further reading about Shakespeare, because most of the best research resources are still only available in print (something or the other about copyright law). Theatre Companies: Links to selected theatre companies specializing in Shakespeare, because nothing beats seeing a play live. 4. INSTITUTIONS SELECTED FOR STUDY The top five Institutions offering Shakespearean Literature for study was opted. To rank these websites, the method adopted is to take up the syllabus of the Post-graduate course and Under-graduate courses of the top institutions of India offering English Literature learning. The contents of the five free websites supporting learning of Shakespeare, are analysed by finding out to what extent they can be made use of in learning the syllabus prescribed. The following (Table:2) shows the Institutions taken up for study. Table 2 Sl.No Name of the Institution Place 1. English and Foreign Languages Hyderabad 2. Jawaharlal Nehru Delhi 3. Delhi Delhi 4. Loyola College Chennai 5. Mumbai Mumbai http://www.iaeme.com/ijlis/index.asp 45 editor@iaeme.com

Patricia Robin and Dr. P. Joshi George 4.1. Syllabus of the Institutions taken up for Study The Shakespeare part of the syllabus of the respective Institutions prescribed for study is (Table: 3) Sl.No. Name of the 1. English and Foreign Languages 2. Jawaharlal Nehru 3. Delhi 4. Loyola College 5. Mumbai Table 3 Shakespeare Syllabus In PG Course Hamlet Othello, Macbeth King Lear The Comedy of Errors Cymbeline Measure for Measure Pericles - Prince of Tyre The Taming of the Shrew Troilus and Cressida King Lear Tempest A Midsummer Night s Dream Hamlet Sonnets: 18,29, 73, 94,110, 116, 129, 130,138. Julius Caesar Merchant of Venice Othello Twelfth Night Richard II Midsummer Nights Dream Sonnet: 116 Shakespeare Syllabus In UG Course Othello Sonnets: 30,65 Macbeth Twelfth Night Sonnet: 116 Macbeth Twelfth Night Sonnets: 57,67,75 Twelfth Night Antony and Cleopatra Hamlet As You Like It The Taming of the Shrew Romeo and Juliet Henry IV (Part One) King Lear The Tempest Midsummer Nights Dream Romeo and Juliet The proportion of Shakespeare prescribed by each university is as follows (Table:4) Table 4 Sl.No. Name of the Institution No. of Plays No. of Sonnets 1. English and Foreign Languages 11 2 2. Jawaharlal Nehru 4 1 3. Delhi 4 12 4. Loyola College 15 0 5. Mumbai 2 1 http://www.iaeme.com/ijlis/index.asp 46 editor@iaeme.com

Analysis of Free Websites Supporting the Learning of Shakespearean Literature No. of Plays English and Foreign Languages Jawaharlal Nehru Delhi Loyola College Mumbai Figure 1 Proportion of plays prescribed by each university No. of Sonnets English and Foreign Language Jawaharlal Nehru Delhi Loyola College Mumbai Figure 2 Proportion of sonnets prescribed by each university 4.2. Analysis of the Syllabus On analyzing the syllabus, what we find is that, these 5 Institutions offering Post graduate and under graduate courses for English, taken for sample study reveals that Shakespeare s Works, is still included in the curriculum. (These works were written in the 15 th century, but the quality they hold has helped them to stand the test of time). That part of the syllabus highlighting Shakespeare is tabulated above. On consolidation of the particular excerpt of the syllabus offered by different universities and institutions under study is that the following are still relevant in the latest syllabus too. They are of his 154 sonnets most of them are in large number or lesser number prescribed for study in the above universities. The next step in the study is to analyse which of the free websites taken up for sample study supports the learning of the Shakespeare syllabus prescribed by the stipulated universities under study For the purpose of this study, a list of five websites catering to the study of Shakespeare taken for analysis follows. http://www.iaeme.com/ijlis/index.asp 47 editor@iaeme.com

Patricia Robin and Dr. P. Joshi George 5. CONTENT ANALYSIS OF THE WEBSITES The websites under study are the following and for easy plotting of graphs, websites are given the following corresponding alphabetical representation. (Table:5) Table 5 Sl.No Name of the Website Alphabetical Representation 1. www.playshakespeare.com A 2. www.opensourceshakespeare.org B 3. www.shakespeare.mit.edu C 4. www.williamshakespeare.info D 5. www.bardweb.net E Table: 6 shows the attributes in the 16 point scale possessed (tick mark) by each website to study Shakespeare, and the attributes which are absent is denoted by the x mark. To calculate the total value each tick is given one point score Table 6 Sl.No. Attributes Website A Website B Website C Website D Website E 1. Complete Plays 2. Synopsis x 3. Characters x 4. Scenes/Acts x 5. Folio x x x 6. Criticism x x x 7. Related Essays x x x x 8. Sonnets 9. Poems 10. Review x x x x 11. Documents x x x x x 12. Source Material x x x 13. Study Guide x x x x 14. Reading List x x x x 15. Commentry x x x x x 16. Shakespeare s life/biography x x Total 10 5 6 8 11 http://www.iaeme.com/ijlis/index.asp 48 editor@iaeme.com

Analysis of Free Websites Supporting the Learning of Shakespearean Literature Attributes 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Attributes Figure 3 Percentage contribution of each website 5.1. Percentage contribution of each website Each website was analysed to find out, what percentage of contribution each syllabus prescribed by the institutions under study. (Table:7) website makes towards the Table 7 Sl.No. Name of the Website Percentage Value 1. www.playshakespeare.com 62.5 2. www.opensourceshakespeare.org 31.25 3. www.shakespeare.mit.edu 37.5 4. www.williamshakespeare.info 50 5. www.bardweb.net 68.75 Percentage Value www.playshakespeare.com www.shakespeare.mit.edu www.bardweb.net www.opensourceshakespeare..org www.williamshakespeare.info Figure 4 Percentage value of each website http://www.iaeme.com/ijlis/index.asp 49 editor@iaeme.com

Patricia Robin and Dr. P. Joshi George 6. CONCLUSIONS Of the five websites, the website www.bardweb.com caters best to the syllabus prescribed by the institutions taken up for study. It satisfies 68.75 % of the requirement of the syllabus prescribed for study. Of the sixteen point scale this website scores 11 points. The second in position is websitewww.playshakespeare.com (62.5%). What makes it retract to the second position is that, when compared to www.bardweb.com it does not provide attributes like criticism and reading list. Websites www.william shakespeare.info, www.shakespeare.mit.edu.and www.opensourceshakespeare takes the 3 rd, 4 th, and 5 th positions respectively. The percentage value of the other websites are 50%, 37.5%,31.25%. From the above study made it can be concluded that, for studying Shakespeare, all the 5 wesites pertaining to Shakespeare can be made use of, but the recommended one would be www.bard.com to be followed by www.playshakespeare.com. 7. SUGGESTIONS Websites www.william shakespeare.info, www.shakespeare.mit.edu. and www.opensourceshakespeare can be improved by incorporating synopsis, characters, scenes/acts, folios, reviews, source materials, study guide, reading list etc. In comparison to the other websites www.opensource Shakespeare caters least to the learning of Shakespeare literature. It does not comply to many of the features extended by other websites under study. The website can cater better if the features are altered accordingly. REFERENCES [1] Nim Park, Chan, and Jeong-Bae Son. "Implementing computer-assisted language learning in the EFL classroom: Teachers perceptions and perspectives." International Journal of Pedagogies and Learning 5.2 (2009): 80-101. [2] Boklaschuk, Kelli, and Kevin Caisse. "Evaluation of educational websites." Educational Communications and Technology, Univertisty of Saskatchewan (2001). [3] Yang, Y. T. C., & Chan, C. Y. (2008). Comprehensive evaluation criteria for English learning websites using expert validity surveys. Computers & Education, 51(1), 403-422 [4] Susser, B., & Robb, T. N. (2004). Evaluation of ESL/EFL instructional web sites. New perspectives on CALL for second language classrooms, 279-296. [5] http://www.playshakespeare.com [6] http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org [7] http://www. absolute shakespeare.org [8] http://www.williamshakespeare.info [9] http://www.bardweb.net [10] Ambily M P and P. Sivaraman, Fitting of Lotka s Law with Life Sciences Literature of Kerala State, India Based on Scopus and Web of Science. International Journal of Library & Information Science, 5(3), 2016, pp.77 84 [11] S. Dhanalakshmi and Dr. P. Nageswara Rao, Web Link Structure Analysis of Private Universities Websites in India: A Study. International Journal of Library & Information Science (IJLIS), 5(3), 2016, pp.54 76. http://www.iaeme.com/ijlis/index.asp 50 editor@iaeme.com