1 HCOL 186N: Shakespeare and the Classical Tradition Spring 2016 Sophomore Seminar MWF 1:10 2:00 PM ~ North Complex 16 Professor Angeline Chiu The text of Julius Caesar in the First Folio of 1623 Courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
2 Instructor Information: Email: Angeline.Chiu@uvm.edu, achiu@uvm.edu Office: 481 Main Street #302 (top floor) Office Hours: MWF 10:45 AM-12:45 PM and preferably by appointment Phone: (802) 656-3210 Grading: 20% Class participation 25% Reading journal portfolio 10% Writing project 1 (creative) 10% Writing project 2 (analytical) 10% Performance project 25% Final exam Texts For The Class: ~Required Physical Texts at UVM Bookstore (all Folger Shakespeare Library editions): Antony and Cleopatra The Comedy of Errors Julius Caesar Macbeth A Midsummer Night s Dream Much Ado About Nothing Twelfth Night ~Optional but Recommended Physical Texts: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599 by James Shapiro (2006) Shakespeare's Restless World: Portrait of an Era in Twenty Objects by Neil MacGregor (2014) ~Required Texts In PDF Or Online: Packet on Shakespeare s historical context Selections from Plutarch s Parallel Lives Transcription and paleography materials Amphitruo, Menaechmi, and Miles Gloriosus by Plautus Seneca, Thyestes Thomas Kyd, The Spanish Tragedy Selections from the Metamorphoses by Ovid, translations by Golding and Lombardo Shakespeare s epyllion Venus and Adonis All source materials for the creative adaptation writing project Selected scholarly research articles Others TBD as the semester progresses
3 ~Films: In a perfect world, we would attend multiple different live stage productions of each play that we study. Since that is not possible, film versions will have to do. Remember: Shakespeare is meant to be seen and heard, not read on a page. Note too that different productions make different creative choices. You will encounter these required films over the semester in the following order: Much Ado About Nothing (1993); Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, et al. Much Ado About Nothing (2012); Alexis Denisof, Amy Acker, et al. (1996); Kenneth Branagh, Kate Winslet, Derek Jacobi, et al. (2010); David Tennant, Patrick Stewart, et al. Macbeth (2010); Patrick Stewart, Kate Fleetwood, et al. Macbeth (2015); Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, et al. Throne of Blood (1957); Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, et al. A number of film versions of other plays will be available for extra credit viewing over the course of the semester. Of these you may do as many or as few (or none) as you please. ~Required Theatre Attendance: Thursday, February 11, 2016, 7:00 PM at the Palace 9 theatre on Shelburne Road: The National Theatre Live encore broadcast from London of the Barbican Centre production of with Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciaran Hinds, et al. Goals and Objectives: Welcome! This semester we have several goals: First and foremost: Read and appreciate selected works of William Shakespeare. Learn about Shakespeare s world and context, Elizabethan and Jacobean England. Keep in mind that Shakespeare s works were meant to be performed, not read. Appreciate Shakespeare as theatre as we consider gesture, voice, body language, movement, music, art direction, hair, wardrobe, makeup, interaction, and other aspects of performance. Consider the role of the classical tradition and the cultural inheritance from ancient Greece and Rome in Shakespeare s day and our own. Consider too our inheritance from the Bard. Specifically, we shall take a closer look at several major ancient influences on Shakespeare: Plutarch, Plautus, Ovid, Seneca, and classical mythology. Understand better the history of English via the usage and lexicon of Shakespeare s day. Practice the art and skill of close active reading and analysis. Hone the art and skill of writing from the first brainstorm to the final draft in both creative and analytical arenas. Grasp more firmly the art of theatre by learning and performing lines. Spark your creativity along the way. Consider the intricacies of source and adaptation. Engage in thoughtful complex discussion, clear thinking, and lucid communication both verbal and written valuable life skills in general.
4 Classroom Policies: I expect every student to behave in a manner that is professional, responsible, courteous, and appropriate to a collegiate setting. Generally, use common sense. Furthermore, you are Honors College students held to a high standard. Particular points include: Attendance is mandatory. Unexcused absences count against your grade and will only harm you in the long run. You will NOT be allowed to make up any work missed due to an unexcused absence, nor will I make concessions for catching up. For excused absences: If you must be absent for University-approved reasons, it is your responsibility to let me know beforehand and to make up the missed work. Be punctual. If you arrive after I close the door, you are tardy. Repeated tardiness will count against your participation grade. 3 tardies will count as 1 unexcused absence. Once I start the lecture/discussion, class has started, and I expect all conversations to stop. Treat your classmates and your instructor with courtesy and professionalism. Do not mill around the room or leave for any reason once class has started. Do not interrupt your instructor when she is speaking. No electronic objects whatsoever are allowed in class. This includes laptops and tablets. Plagiarism in any way is cheating. Copying and pasting passages from Internet sites counts as plagiarism. Quoting without attributions is plagiarism. All forms of cheating will be treated in accordance with UVM s policies on academic integrity. No profanity or obscenity. Pay attention and remain on task. Do not distract yourself or others. Turning in assignments: All assignments must be in hard copy printout form with black ink in 12-point standard font. I will not accept anything that is handwritten. Turning in assignments late: Don t. I do not accept late work. All class-related emails will be sent to your UVM email addresses. Email policy: Treat emails as formal business letters. No Internet spellings, abbreviations, emoticons, or emoji. Begin with Dear Dr. (or Professor) Chiu and end with Sincerely, Your Name. In the subject line, put the course prefix and number (example: HCOL 186N: Question about assignment ). This is sound policy for all your classes. Remember: YOU are responsible for your performance and success, not I. FOCUS. Remember, hard work beats raw talent when raw talent does not work hard. Do not assume you know a play if you have read it before. Come ready to learn, ask questions, and engage! This class is interactive. Leave your bashfulness at the door. FINAL EXAM: Friday, May 6, 2016 from 1:30-3:15 PM in our usual classroom. SCHEDULE FOR ALL SPRING 2016 FINALS: https://giraffe.uvm.edu/~rgweb/batch/final_exams_spring.html
5 Class Schedule Subject to change at instructor s discretion. Week 1 Introductions Week 2 Julius Caesar Week 3 Antony and Cleopatra Week 4 Special Collections; Comedy of Errors; performance Week 5 Plautus; Twelfth Night Week 6 Twelfth Night; Much Ado About Nothing Week 7 Much Ado About Nothing (Monday, January 18) MLK Jr. Holiday Monday, January 25 Last Day to Add Classes Without Permission Julius Caesar Acts 1-2 Also due: first reading log. Assume a log due for each assignment from here on out unless noted otherwise. Monday, February 1 Add/Drop Deadline Antony and Cleopatra Acts 1-2 Monday, February 8 Special Collections visit with curator Jeff Marshall Transcription assignment (BB; no log) Monday, February 15 Presidents Day Holiday Monday, February 22 Twelfth Night Whole play Monday, February 29 Much Ado About Nothing in performance Branagh and Whedon with viewing log Wednesday, January 20 First Day of Class Introduction to the Course Wednesday, January 27 Julius Caesar Acts 3-5 Wednesday, February 3 Antony and Cleopatra Act 3-5 Wednesday, February 10 Comedy of Errors Act 1-Act 3 Sc. 1 Wednesday, February 17 Comedy of Errors Act 3 Sc. 2-Act 5 Wednesday, February 24 Much Ado About Nothing Acts 1-3 Wednesday, March 2 Much Ado and Plautus (no log) ~Miles Gloriosus (BB) ~Miola article (BB) Friday, January 22 Intro to Shakespeare s World ~Packet (BB) ~Optional but recommended: MacGregor and/or Shapiro Friday, January 29 Julius Caesar as Adaptation; Thomas North s Plutarch Selections from Plutarch s Lives of Caesar, Brutus, and Antony (BB; no log) Friday, February 5 Antony and Cleopatra as Adaptation Plutarch, Antony (BB) Friday, February 12 Discuss Cumberbatch Viewing log Friday, February 19 Plautus & Roman Comedy ~Menaechmi (BB) ~Amphitruo (BB) Friday, February 26 Much Ado About Nothing Acts 4-5 Friday, March 4 Discuss tragic/historical and comic adaptation. Choose your project topic from options on BB (no log)
6 Spring Break Monday, March 7 Wednesday, March 9 Friday, March 11 Week 8 Adaptation projects Monday, March 14 In-class project workshop Wednesday, March 16 (Chiu at CAMWS conference) Work on your projects! Friday, March 18 (Chiu at CAMWS conference) Work on your projects! Week 9 Adaptation projects due; Seneca and Kyd; Week 10 ; Macbeth Outlines (no log) Monday, March 21 Adaptation projects (no log) Monday, March 28 Wednesday, March 23 Seneca & Roman Tragedy; Elizabethan Revenge Plays ~Seneca, Thyestes (BB) ~Kyd, Spanish Tragedy (BB) Wednesday, March 30 in performance Friday, March 25 Act 1-2 Friday, April 1 Macbeth Week 11 Macbeth Acts 3-5 Monday, April 4 Macbeth Branagh and Tennant with viewing log Wednesday, April 6 Lady Macbeth and Livy? Acts 1-3 Friday, April 8 40 th Annual VT Latin Day Acts 4-5 (no log) ~Selections from Livy (BB) ~Philo article (BB) (Work on the viewing assignment for next class.) Week 12 Macbeth; Ovid; A Midsummer Night s Dream Week 13 A Midsummer Night s Dream; Venus and Adonis Week 14 Performance (no logs) Week 15 Research due Monday, April 11 Macbeth in performance Stewart, Fassbender, and Kurosawa with viewing log Monday, April 18 A Midsummer Night s Dream ~Act 3 Sc. 2- Act 5 ~Rudd article (BB) Monday, April 25 Performance project Monday, May 2 Performance addendum Research assignment Introduce performance and research assignments for semester s end Wednesday, April 13 Ovid s Metamorphoses and Arthur Golding Ovid packet (BB) Wednesday, April 20 Venus and Adonis ~Epyllion text (BB) ~Research topic (1 paragraph) Wednesday, April 27 Performance project Wednesday, May 4 Last Day of Class Closing festivities Friday, April 15 A Midsummer Night s Dream Act 1-Act 3 Sc. 1 Discuss Week 14 performance project parameters Friday, April 22 Performance workshop Reading log portfolio (no new log) Friday, April 29 Performance project