ENGL 472
Readings in Shakespeare

1. Catalog Entry

ENGL 472. Readings in Shakespeare
Three hours lecture (3).

Prerequisites: Completion of English general education requirements.

Study of representative works of Shakespeare.

2. Detailed Description of Content of Course

This course offers an in-depth examination of the works of William Shakespeare and strategies for enhancing appreciation of these works. Emphasis will be given to a close reading of selected plays with attention to language and dramaturgy. In order to contextualize this primary material, secondary readings may include biographical, historical, and cultural sources.

3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

ENGL 472 uses a wide variety of instructional strategies which may include any number of the following: lecture; discussion; web-enhanced instruction; collaborative group work; oral presentations; group-led discussion; informal writing activities such as in-class focused writing assignments, responsive logs, discussion questions; film and other audio-visual resources related to literary works, authors, and relevant contexts; library instruction to reinforce students’ information literacy and knowledge of available resources; peer writing groups for feedback on drafts of essays; individual or group conferences with the instructor for feedback on drafts of essays.

4. Goals and Objectives of Course

The fundamental goal of this course is to enhance students’ understanding of and appreciation for the works of William Shakespeare. To that end, students who have successfully completed this course will be able to:

• identify and discuss representative themes, genres, and characters in the works of Shakespeare;
• identify and discuss particular components of Shakespeare’s dramatic methods and staging and how these contribute to the overall meaning of Shakespeare’s plays;
• identify and discuss various strategies employed by filmmakers who have adapted Shakespeare’s plays;
• identify and discuss particular aspects of Shakespeare’s use of language and how these contribute to the overall meaning of Shakespeare’s plays;
• identify and discuss particular aspects of Shakespeare’s poetic methods and how these contribute to the overall meaning of Shakespeare’s plays;
• understand and discuss the cultural and political contexts of Shakespeare’s plays;
• identify and apply various critical and theoretical approaches to Shakespeare’s plays;
• identify and use a number of literary critical strategies in the formal analysis of the works of Shakespeare;
• access electronic and printed sources pertinent to the study of the assigned works and apply those sources to the close reading of primary texts.

5. Assessment Measures

ENGL 472 uses a variety of assessment measures, which may include a number of the following:

• informal writing activities such as readers’ logs and discussion questions;
• in-class oral presentations and group-led discussions;
• reading quizzes and examinations on the assigned readings;
• formal critical essays such as explication, analysis, comparison/ contrast;
• research projects on works, authors, or contexts relevant to the course;
• creative options such as imitations or revisions or sequelization of any of the assigned works.
• research projects on works, authors, or contexts relevant to the course;
• creative options such as imitations or revisions or sequelization of any of the

6. Other Course Information

NONE

7. Review and Approval