Course Outline for English 20
Studies in Shakespeare

Effective: Fall 2022
SLO Rev: 10/05/2021
Catalog Description:

ENGL 20 - Studies in Shakespeare

3.00 Units

Readings of the sonnets and representative comedies, histories, tragedies, and romances of William Shakespeare, with attention to the early, middle and late phases of his art and to the historical time period in which he lived. Consideration of recurring themes in his works, along with the political and cultural contexts that shaped these ideas and attitudes. Examination of Shakespeare’s global legacy and diverse adaptations of his plays.
1501.00 - English
Optional
Type Units Inside of Class Hours Outside of Class Hours Total Student Learning Hours
Lecture 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Total 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. recognize differences in approach, style, and technique in Shakespeare's early, middle and late plays;
  2. demonstrate understanding of defining formal and thematic elements of Shakespearean comedies, histories, tragedies and romances and distinguish their differences;
  3. demonstrate understanding of and be able to read and interpret Shakespearean blank verse;
  4. demonstrate understanding of and analyze the plays in performance, with reference to traditional and modern (stage and/or film) adaptations;
  5. analyze Shakespeare's plays in the context of the Elizabethan view of the world;
  6. identify patterns in Shakespeare's work in poetry and drama.
Course Content:
  1. Representative sample of Shakespeare's histories, tragedies, comedies and romances, covering the early, middle and late phases of his career
    1. at least one history
    2. at least one tragedy
    3. at least one comedy
    4. at least one romance
  2. Selected sonnets by Shakespeare; their context and influence
    1. Shakespeare's sonnets, with attention to his innovations in the form
    2. precursors to the Shakespearean sonnet
    3. modern adaptations of the Shakespearean sonnet
  3. Shakespeare's biography and legacy
    1. biography
    2. controversies about authorship
    3. preservation of his works, the First Folio, and lost works
    4. his works' endurance and continued relevance
  4. Theatrical conventions of Shakespeare's time
    1. male performers
    2. traveling theatrical troupes
    3. The Globe and other theaters, layout and sets
    4. playing for audiences of aristocrats and/or commoners
    5. presentational acting style
    6. the use of soliloquys and asides
  5. The historical, political, and socio-cultural contexts of the Elizabethan world out of which Shakespeare's works emerged
    1. The rise of the Tudors and the Protestant Reformation
    2. Elizabeth's reign as female monarch
    3. Elizabeth's advocacy of the arts; the English Renaissance and its Continental influences
    4. The growing English merchant class; increasing social mobility and literacy
    5. European colonialism, contact with and increasing subjugation of other peoples, and the advent of the slave trade
    6. Elizabethan-era beliefs about gender, race, sexuality, and class, and how they compare/contrast to those of our time
  6. Traditional and modern stage and/or film adaptations, with attention to diversity and inclusivity in production and casting
    1. Shakespeare through the ages: how his plays have been interpreted and performed at different times
    2. Shakespeare around the world: how his plays have been interpreted and performed globally, by diverse performers and for diverse audiences
    3. Traditional performances of Shakespeare's plays
    4. Innovative and inclusive adaptations of Shakespeare's plays
Methods of Instruction:
  1. Group work
  2. Lecture/Discussion
  3. Distance Education
  4. Multimedia
  5. Student readings and presentations
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
  1. Short essay assignment (2-3 pages): Write a line by line explication and interpretation of Shakespeare's Sonnet 29, "When in Disgrace with Fortune and Men's Eyes."
  2. Essay assignment (4-5 pages): Character analysis. Choose one of the major characters in The Tempest and analyze their significance in relation to the play's major themes. Why are they here? Do they serve as a foil for another character? Does this character reinforce and/or challenge beliefs and assumptions of Shakespeare's time around race, class, gender, sexuality, age, and/or ability?
  3. 30-minute in-class group performance, explication, and analysis of a scene of your choice from Hamlet, making the case that this particular scene holds the key to understanding the play's core themes.
  1. Quizzes
  2. Oral Presentation
  3. Exams/Tests
  4. Class Participation
  5. Essay Exams
  6. Group Projects
  7. Class Performance
  8. Homework
  9. Journals
  10. Research Projects
  11. Papers
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. analyze Shakespeare's works in relation to their historical and cultural context, with attention to identifying unstated premises and hidden assumptions as well as overt themes and messages;
  2. demonstrate knowledge of the structures of the works studied and analyze them in terms of such literary components as plot, character, tone, style and figurative uses of language;
  3. demonstrate understanding of the particular contributions of Shakespeare to literature in English, as well as his works' diverse resonances in contemporary culture.
Textbooks (Typical):
  1. Shakespeare, William (2018). Richard III ( ). Folger Library Editions.
  2. Shakespeare, William (2018). Much Ado About Nothing Folger Library Editions.
  3. Shakespeare, William (2018). Macbeth Folger Library Editions.
  4. Shakespeare, William (2018). The Tempest Folger Library Editions.
  5. Shakespeare, William (2018). Hamlet Folger Library Editions.
  6. Thompson, Ayanna (2021). The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare and Race Cambridge University Press.
  7. Bryson, Bill (2016). Shakespeare: The World as Stage Harper Perennial.
  8. Smith, Emma (2021). This is Shakespeare Vintage.
  • Video adaptations such as: Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh) 1996; The Taming of the Shrew (Zefirelli) 1967; The Tempest (Helen Mirren) 2010; Much Ado about Nothing (The African American Shakespeare Company) 2014
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
Readings of the sonnets and representative comedies, histories, tragedies, and romances of William Shakespeare, with attention to the early, middle and late phases of his art and to the historical time period in which he lived.
Discipline:
English*