CIEE Global Institute London Course name: Art Legacy or Tudor Propaganda? Shakespearean Drama Course number: LITT 3003 LNEN Programs offering course: London Open Campus (Literature and Culture Track) Language of instruction: English U.S. semester credits: 3 Contact hours: 45 Term: Fall 2017 Course Description This course will offer an introduction to Shakespeare s life and work by studying his plays on the page and in performance. We will read and analyse a wide range of Shakespeare s works, focusing on his plays from all dramatic genres but also some of his poetry. You will get a better understanding of his style, his use of other sources for inspiration, and his occasional collaboration with contemporary dramatists. It s impossible to study Shakespeare s plays without knowing more about the times and places he lived in this course will provide a solid socio-historical background to Renaissance England, with particular emphasis on London and the influence of Queen Elizabeth I. s and King James I. s court. You will learn more about the way Shakespeare s texts were published, the rediscovery of Shakespeare (e.g. by David Garrick), and the celebration of his works in other forms of art. Shakespeare wrote his works for performance, hence performance analysis will play a big part in this course. We will see at least 4 live performances of Shakespeare s plays in London and shall closely analyse the different aspects of each performance, e.g. set and lighting design, the use of different stage forms, acting, directing, audience participation and music. Excerpts from other modern interpretations of Shakespeare will be shown on DVD, but we shall also look at additional sources such as photographs, stage models, audio recordings, theatre reviews, academic articles and books. A backstage theatre tour at the Globe Theatre (tbc) will give you a better idea of the tireless efforts of the American Sam Wanamaker and his colleagues that made the recreation of a Shakespearean stage possible. It also explains in detail how the Globe is used nowadays and how performances here might differ from more conventional stages.
There will be at least one acting workshop with a theatre director (tbc) and an actor, followed by a Q&A session in which you will be able to get an insight into practical approaches to Shakespeare and the ways directors and actors manage to re-interpret the old texts in rehearsals. Learning Objectives At the end of this course you should: Feel confident enough to read a play by Shakespeare or one of his contemporaries, and understand the plays in their socio-historical context, showing a critical and selfconfident attitude in your text analysis. Be able to understand and enjoy Shakespeare s language, style, and genres, his wordplay, characters, and plot structures, on the page and in performance. Have gained a better understanding of life in Renaissance England and particularly London as the historical backdrop to Shakespearean drama. Demonstrate a good knowledge of theatre practice in Renaissance London, e.g. how plays were written, published and performed. Show the ability to analyse modern stage interpretations of Shakespeare s plays, taking into account the work of a theatre director, including casting, set, costume and lighting design, the use of different stage forms and venues, as well as the function of music and stage scenery. Know how to research, evaluate and apply relevant secondary sources (e.g. academic articles, performance reviews, theatre data bases, written / audio / video interviews, internet resources) for your presentations and written work Course Prerequisites None required. Methods of Instruction The course will be highly interactive between the instructor and the students. In class we will have a combination of lectures and film screenings. The course includes extra-curricular activities such as theatre visits. We will be looking at a number of Shakespeare s plays and students should ensure they complete the required readings in advance to allow for reflection and the preparation of questions. (see Weekly Schedule below).
Assessment and Final Grade Paper 20% Presentation 25% Final Exam 20% Two Performance Reviews 15% Class Participation 20% Course Requirements Paper You will research and write an essay on one of the following questions: 1. Discuss the portrayal of parents and children in the plays of Shakespeare and consider how these portray and / or challenge the social mores of the sixteenth century. 2. Discuss the function and meaning of the servant class in two Shakespeare plays that you have studied. (You may also refer to the roles of the plebeian crowd or common soldiers.) This paper should be 2000 words long and should be submitted electronically. A printed copy should be brought into class. Presentation Each student should present their final project in class, building on the resources the professor will discuss and point to in the course. The project should include brief segments from Shakespearean plays and performances. Final Exam The exam has two parts: Part one is a quiz that tests your knowledge and understanding of the Shakespeare s Restless World podcast which forms part of your study requirements. In Part two of the exam you will be given several questions to choose from and write an essay on your chosen question. You will have 2.5 hours to write in total. Please note: The best way to prepare for the exam is to listen to the podcasts carefully and take notes for revision, and to have good text knowledge. Please bring your own writing paper and enough pens.
Please don t bring warm or noisy food into the classroom. Don t forget your play texts! Electronic devices such as laptops, tablet computers or Kindles cannot be used during the exam. Quiz At the end of this course you will take a quiz which forms part of your exam. The quiz is based on episodes of Shakespeare s Restless World, a program which accompanied a major Shakespeare exhibition at the British Museum in 2012. We will also talk about the podcast in class. The podcast will widen your knowledge about Shakespeare s time and help you train your selective note-taking skills, as if you had a short introductory lecture accompanying each class. Each episode covers a different aspect of the world Shakespeare lived and worked in. So how does it work? Check the timetable each week to see which episode you have to prepare. Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b017gm45 and find the correct episode. Alternatively, you can download the entire podcast with all episodes on http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/r4shakespeare. Listen to the episode at home and make sure you take detailed notes. DON T copy every single word or copy the transcript! Do this regularly and you won t risk forgetting anything. Bring your notes into class. Two Performance Reviews You will write two 750-word theatre reviews of two performances seen this term. The reviews are to be submitted during the semester, in Week 3 and Week 5. Each review should be submitted electronically and a printed copy should be brought into class. Please note: It is important that you read as many reviews as possible throughout this semester. Most British newspapers can be found online free of charge where you will find reviews, interviews and other theatre-related articles. There is no need to buy papers or pay for
an online subscription (e.g. in the case of The Times and The Sunday Times). In the foyer you will also find a variety of daily newspaper to read. Try to get a feel for the layout, style and contents of reviews. The layout, style and content of your review should be that of a professional review, not a blog. So think of picture material, invent your own rating system, be professional and fair in your criticism and praise. Be creative! Class participation It is essential that you regularly attend both classes and theatre performances. Please make sure you come to class well prepared and willing to contribute to discussions in class your participation will not only make this course more interesting, but it will also contribute to your final grade. Your grade for participation will be negatively affected if you haven t prepared the set texts or don t bring your texts into class, miss or are late for classes or theatre visits, and if you do not contribute to discussions or other activities inside or outside the classroom, including disruptive and rude behaviour. Please don t use cell phones or computers in class, or you will lose points for your participation grade. Class Attendance Regular class attendance is required throughout the program. Students must notify their instructor via Canvas, beforehand, if possible, if they will miss class for any reason. Students are responsible for any materials covered in class in their absence. Students who miss class for medical reasons must inform the instructor and the Academic Director (or a designated staff member) and provide appropriate documentation as noted below. A make-up opportunity will be provided to the extent this is feasible. Due to the intensive nature of the block schedule, all unexcused absences will result in a lower final grade for the course. Each unexcused absence will cause 3 percentage points to be dropped from the final grade. For example, a student with an 88% final grade (B+) and 1 unexcused absence will see it reduced to 85% (B). Students who transfer from one class to another during the add/drop period will not be considered absent from the first session(s) of their new class, provided they were marked present for the first session(s) of their original class. Otherwise, the absence(s) from the original class carry over to the new class and count against the grade in that class. CIEE program minimum class attendance standards are as outlined below. Center-specific attendance policies may be more stringent than the policies stated below. The Center / Resident
Director sets the specific attendance policy for each location, including how absences impact final grades. Such policies are communicated to students during orientation and via Study Center documents. In the event that the attendance policy for host institution courses differs from CIEE s policy, the more stringent policy will apply. Excessively tardy (over 15 minutes late) students will be marked absent. Students who miss class for personal travel will be marked as absent and unexcused. No make-up opportunity will be provided. An absence will only be considered excused if: A doctor s note is provided. A CIEE staff member verifies that the student was too ill to attend class. Evidence is provided of a family emergency. Attendance policies also apply to any required co-curricular class excursion or event. Persistent absenteeism (students approaching 20% or more of total course hours missed, or violations of the attendance policies in more than one class) may lead to a written warning from the Academic Director or Resident Director, notification to the student s home school, and/or dismissal from the program in addition to a reduction in class grade(s). Weekly Schedule NOTE: this schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor to take advantage of current experiential learning opportunities. Week 1 Introduction Topics: Ideals of the Italian vs. Northern Renaissance, The Renaissance Man, the Tudor dynasty, Reformation, text forms (good / bad quarto, Folios), text genres Shakespeare s World The (English)Renaissance Introduction to text analysis: How to tackle Shakespeare s texts (selected sonnets, excerpts from 2 plays in verse and prose) Film: Shakespeare s Sonnets. 2014, dir. John Wyver. Shakespeare in Love. 1998, dir. John Madden. Experiencing Shakespeare s London today:
Walking tour through the City and Backstage Tour Globe & Rose Theatre Podcast: Episode 3 Snacking through Shakespeare Theatre visit 1: Globe Theatre (play tbc) Podcast: Episode 5 Swordplay and Swagger Post-show discussion Podcast: Episode 8 City Life, Urban Strife Prepare reading for next week Week 2 Early Comedies Topics: The Mediterranean as theatre setting, travelling the world, explorers as the new national heroes, playgoers in Shakespeare s London Podcast: Episode 1 England goes global Topics: The role of women in Renaissance society, female courtiers, Shakespeare s sources Royal Reinvention Portraits of Elizabeth I Films: Shakespeare Retold: The Taming of the Shrew. 2005, dir. David Richards. The Taming of the Shrew. 1967, dir. France Zeffirelli. Love s Labour s Lost. 2000, dir. Kenneth Branagh. Theatre visit 2: Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (play tbc) Post-show discussion Q&A with a theatre director (tbc) Prepare reading for next week
. Week 3 Readings: The Comedy of Errors The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Taming of the Shrew Love s Labour s Lost Late Comedies Topics: All male theatre companies then and now, modern adaptations of Shakespeare, two worlds in the later comedies Films: Much Ado About Nothing. 1993, dir. Kenneth Branagh Shakespeare Retold: Much Ado About Nothing. 2005, dir. Brian Percival. Twelfth Night. 1996, dir. Trevor Nunn. Topics: Gaining freedom through disguise, family patterns, political upheaval vs. Arcadia, the role of the fool, pastoral vs. court scenes Films: As You Like It. 2008, dir. Kenneth Branagh. As You Like It (Globe on Screen). 2010, dir. Thea Sharrock. Theatre visit 3: National Theatre (play tbc) Post-show discussion Podcast: Episode 19 The Theatres of Cruelty Prepare reading for next week Please submit your first review today. Readings: Much Ado About Nothing Twelfth Night As You Like It
Week 4 Tragedies Topics: The Spanish Tragedy as blueprint, Wittenberg and the Reformation, Hamlet as a modern model prince, clownery and comic relief, science vs. the supernatural Films: Hamlet. 2012, dir. Gregory Doran. Podcast: Episode 9 New Science, Old Magic Topics: Monarchy vs. anarchy, James I, religion vs. superstition, political witches Films: King Lear. 2008, dir. Trevor Nunn Podcast: Episode 10 Toil and Trouble Podcast: Episode 16 A Time for Change, A Change of Time Prepare reading for next week Paper due. Readings: Hamlet King Lear Macbeth Week 5 Histories Topics: Abdication and divine right, the impact of the Wars of the Roses on the English conscience, Tudor myth, Shakespeare s poetic licence with historical facts, Shakespeare s historical sources, the Essex rebellion, Christian imagery, John Falstaff Films: Richard II. 2014, dir. Gregory Doran. The Hollow Crown: Richard II. 2012, dir. Rupert Goold. The Hollow Crown: Henry IV. 2012, dir. Dominic Cooke Podcast: Episode 4 Life without Elizabeth
Films: Henry V. 1946, dir. Laurence Olivier Henry V. 1989, dir. Kenneth Branagh Richard III. 1995, dir. Richard Loncraine Podcast: Episode 6 Europe, Triumphs of the past Theatre visit 4: National Theatre (play tbc) Podcast: Episode 11 Treasons and Plots Post-show discussion Q&A with a theatre actor (tbc) Podcast: Episode 17 Plague and the Playhouse Prepare reading for next week Second review due. Readings: Richard II Henry IV, part 1 Henry V Richard III. Week 6 Romances, Roman and Problem Plays Topics: Rome as model state, Venice vs. London, discrimination, bowdlerizing Shakespeare after 1660 Films: Coriolanus. 2011, dir. Ralph Fiennes. The Merchant of Venice. 2004, dir. Michael Radford. Podcast: Episode 12 Sex and the City Topics: Open silences, passage of time, stage directions Films: The Winter s Tale. 2005, dir. Gregory Doran.
The Winter s Tale. The Royal Ballet, 2015, choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. Podcast: Episode 14 Disguise and Deception Theatre visit 5: Rose Theatre, Kingston (play tbc) Podcast: Episode 18 London becomes Rome Post-show discussion Podcast: Episode 20 Shakespeare goes global Exam Readings: Coriolanus The Merchant of Venice Measure for Measure The Winter s Tale
Readings We will study the following plays: The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Comedy of Errors Love s Labour s Lost The Taming of the Shrew Much Ado About Nothing Twelfth Night As You Like It Hamlet King Lear Macbeth Richard II Henry IV, part 1 Henry V Richard III The Winter s Tale The Merchant of Venice Measure for Measure Coriolanus You have the choice between two different text versions: single editions for each plays or a copy of Shakespeare s Complete Works. a) Single editions are easy to carry and have footnotes, which help you understand Shakespeare s language more easily. The downside is that they might be more expensive than an edition of the Complete Works. However, it is easy to buy cheap second-hand copies, e.g. on www.abebooks.co.uk or with a bit of luck in one of central London s numerous second-hand book shops (see the list at the end of this paragraph). If you would like to buy single plays, choose from these editions: New Cambridge Arden Penguin b) Editions of Shakespeare s Complete Works are cheap to buy but also heavy to carry around and they don t include footnotes, which makes it harder to understand the full meaning of Shakespeare s language. If you would like to buy a Complete Works edition, choose from these editions: The Oxford Shakespeare (eds. Stanley Wells, Gary Taylor and John Jowett)
Arden Shakespeare (eds. Ann Thompson, David Scott Kastan and Richard Proudfoot) The RSC Shakespeare (eds. Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen) Further reading Andrew Gurr. The Shakespearean Stage. 3 rd edition. CUP, 1992. Jonathan Bates and Russell Jackson (eds.). Shakespeare. An Illustrated Stage History. OUP, 1996. Rosemary O Day. The Routledge Companion to The Tudor Age. Routledge, 2010. Sally Beauman. The Royal Shakespeare Company. A History of Ten Decades. OUP, 1992. Stanley Wells (ed.). Shakespeare in the Theatre. An Anthology of Criticism. OUP, 1997. Bookshops (also for second-hand editions) Oxfam Books 12 Bloomsbury Street, WC1B 3QA www.oxfammarylebone.co.uk/bloomsbury.php Waterstones 82 Gower Street, WC1E 6EQ www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/navigate.do?ppageid=200006 Their second hand books are marked with a red sticker Henry Pordes 58-60 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0BB www.henrypordesbooks.com Skoob 66 The Brunswick, WC1N 1AE www.skoob.com
Samuel French Theatre bookshop 52 Fitzroy Street, W1T 5JR www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk