Texts: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest.

Aims: My overall goal in this class is to communicate to students the intellectual excitement that characterizes the field of Shakespeare studies at this time. To this end we as a class will read, react to, and analyze eight of Shakespeare's plays. We will formulate our own original ideas, acquaint ourselves with some of the body of critical work on these plays, and learn to interrogate both of these.

Format: The format is a blend of lecture and discussion, with more discussion near the end of the semester when we as a group have some experience in analyzing and reacting to these plays.

Organization: The class is organized in three sections. First, we will read A Midsummer Night's Dream , The Taming of the Shrew, and Twelfth Night, over which there will be a take-home essay exam. In this section too there will also be a short, in-class exam on Shakespeare's life and the language of the plays.

Then, we will begin an intensive study of The Tempest, using a new edition that includes a history of the play's criticism and material on the current political controversy surrounding the play. At this point, each student will prepare a report on a current critical article. With this groundwork, students may be able to write a more critically and analytically sophisticated paper than is usually possible.

After this section, we will study King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth, over which there will be a take-home exam.

Assignments and Written Work: There will be two exams, one critical report, and one paper.

Scholarly Materials: In addition to the above plays, you will need to purchase a copy of the criticism on The Tempest.

Film Alert: There are some excellent films in the video stores that I hope you'll be able to see: A Midsummer Night's Dream, with Calista Flockhart, Kevin Kline, and Rupert Everett; A Midsummer Night's Dream, with the Royal Shakespeare Company; Romeo and Juliet, with Leonardo DeCaprio and Claire Danes; and Twelfth Night, with Helena Bonham-Carter.

For More Information: Call me at 745-3634, or e-mail me at elizabeth.oakes@wku.edu.