SYLLABUS FOR E432: SHAKESPEARE’S TRAGEDIES AND ROMANCES
CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY, SPRING 2007

*2023 Note. Most links have been removed from this archival version of the syllabus.

COURSE INFORMATION. English 432. Th. 7:00 – 9:50 p.m. Location: Beckman 204. Instructor: Alfred J. Drake, Ph.D. Office hours: Th. 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. in Cyber Café (Beckman). Email: e432_at_ajdrake.com. Catalog: “Prerequisite, Eng. 104 or equivalent. Students study Shakespeare’s plays from mid-career to his most mature plays, exploring his tragedies and romances with some attention to the sonnets and comedies. (Offered spring semester.) 3 credits.”

REQUIRED TEXTS AT CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE

Evans, G. Blakemore et al., eds. The Riverside Shakespeare. 2nd edition. Houghton Mifflin, 1997. ISBN: 0-395-75490-9.

Suggested Guide (Not Required): McDonald, Russ. The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare: An Introduction with Documents. 2nd edition. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. ISBN: 0-312-24880-6.

COURSE RATIONALE AND ACTIVITIES

FOCUS AND OBJECTIVES. This course will cover a selection of Shakespeare’s tragedies and romance plays. We will pay special attention to this remarkable playwright’s linguistic and rhetorical excellence and to the structure of his dramas, but due attention will also be given to cultural and historical background, biography, stage history, acting methods, and other topics as appropriate. As for how we will proceed thematically, I generally avoid imposing claims of universal coherence, thematic unity, etc. on assigned material, preferring instead to let the temporal unfolding of the readings expose themes and issues and thereafter to connect them as appropriate. Still, one thing we will pursue is what I consider Shakespeare’s abiding interest with respect to his tragedies in how, over time or due to some set of shocks, entire societies are torn apart, with no reliable way to make them whole. King Lear is perhaps the most obvious example of this interest, but many of the tragedies involve more thoroughgoing destruction than the mistakes and misfortunes of an individual or a single family. The romance plays present a different perspective on this issue of societal decay or dehiscence, and we will explore several of them towards the latter part of the semester.

Finally, for each play, I will show parts of a film production to illustrate key scenes, but since our available time for in-class viewing is quite limited, please watch a production of each play as your time permits. To that end, I will place DVD productions from my own collection on reserve in the library.

ACTIVITIES. In class, there will be a mix of lectures, student presentations, whole-class and smaller-group discussion, occasional quizzes, an essay, and a final exam. I encourage questions and comments—class sessions improve when students take an active part. Outside class, do the assigned readings before the relevant discussion dates, complete your journal sets as outlined below, start planning and drafting your essay early, and work on your presentation drafts. In literary studies, the aim is to read and discuss actively and thereby to develop your own voice in response to the texts you read. Insightful interpretation and the ability to make compelling connections are central goals. The essay, discussions, presentations, and journal-keeping should combine to help you work towards these goals.

HOW YOUR PERFORMANCE WILL BE EVALUATED

COURSE POLICIES. Please review the Course Policies page early in the semester since it addresses matters such as attendance, late or missing work, and academic integrity.

PRESENTATIONS REQUIREMENT. At the beginning of the course, students will sign up for two or three (depending on class size) three-to-five-minute in-class presentations on authors of their choosing (if possible). I will provide presenters with specific questions to address (from among those on the author questions pages) and within a few days after sign-up I will post a schedule on the Presentations page. Each session will feature several presentations. Required: Several days before you present, email me as full a draft as possible of what you intend to say in class. I will email you back with advice. (20% of course grade.)

JOURNALS REQUIREMENT. Responses to a choice of questions from the study questions page for each author. Three separate journal sets due by email as specified below in reading schedule. Electronic format required. (30%)

PAPER REQUIREMENT. By Thursday of Week 13, a one-paragraph description addressing the topic and argument of the projected paper will be due by email. (Full rough drafts are also encouraged.) Not providing this description on time may affect the final draft grade. Please read the term paper instructions carefully since they contain the general prompt, suggested topics, and advance draft comments. I reserve the right to require proof of the final paper’s authenticity, such as notes or an early draft. Final draft (5-7 pages) due by exam day or as specified towards the bottom of the syllabus page. Follow MLA guidelines. (30%)

FINAL EXAM REQUIREMENT. The exam will consist of substantive id passages, mix-and-match questions (match phrase or concept x to author/text y), and essay and/or short-essay questions. There will be more choices than required responses. Books and notes allowed for all sections, but no laptops. Exam date: see below. (20%)

EMAILING ASSIGNMENTS TO E432_AT_AJDRAKE.COM. Email journals, presentations, and term paper as attachments. Don’t send more than one document in the same email. Label subject lines appropriately: “E432 Journal 1, Jane Doe” etc. You can paste journal sets into a regular email or send them as an attachment. (Journal “sets” include responses to questions about several authors; do not send entries on each author in a given set separately.) Contact me if you don’t receive prompt email confirmation.

QUESTIONS FOR JOURNALS AND PRESENTATIONS

*2023 Note. Visitors may download the following questions in PDF format: SHAKESPEARE QUESTIONS. My LIMBS OF ALARBUS website also offers these questions as well as comments on most of Shakespeare’s plays.

SCHEDULE: WORKS DISCUSSED ON DATES INDICATED

WEEK 1

Th. 02/01. Course introduction.

WEEK 2

Th. 02/08. Richard III.

WEEK 03

Th. 02/15. The Merchant of Venice.

WEEK 04

Th. 02/22. Hamlet. (Film)

WEEK 05

Th. 03/01. Hamlet. (Text)

WEEK 06

Th. 03/08. Troilus and Cressida. Journal Set 1 Due.

WEEK 07

Th. 03/15. Othello. One-paragraph description addressing paper topic and argument due by email.

WEEK 08

Th. 03/22. King Lear. (Film)

WEEK 09

Th. 03/29. King Lear. (Text) Term Paper 1 Due.

WEEK 10

Th. 04/05. Spring Break, no classes.

WEEK 11

Th. 04/12. Macbeth. 

WEEK 12

Th. 04/19. Antony and Cleopatra. Journal Set 2 Due.

WEEK 13

Th. 04/26. Cymbeline.

WEEK 14

Th. 05/03. The Winter’s Tale. One-paragraph description addressing paper topic and argument due by email.

WEEK 15

Th. 05/10. The Tempest.

FINALS WEEK

End Materials Due Date: Sunday, May 20. Due: Journal Set 3 and Term Paper 2. I must turn in grades by 4:00 pm Wednesday, May 23. For your other courses, check the Spring 2007 Chapman Final Exam Schedule.