Course Title and Number: Shakespeare 482/G

Summer 2002 Session

Instructor: Dr. Elizabeth Oakes

Texts: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, Twelfth Night, and Hamlet.

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 six of Shakespeare's plays. We will acquaint ourselves with some readings contemporary with the plays and with some of the criticism of the plays, formulate our own original ideas, and interrogate both of these. Since there has been a revolution in the teaching of Shakespeare in the last ten or fifteen years, we will also discuss current pedagogies.

Format: The format is a blend of lecture and discussion, with more discussion near the end of the session when we as a group have some experience in working (and playing) with these plays.

Organization: The class is organized in four sections. In the first two, we'll study two plays each, over which there will be a take-home essay exam. Early in the summer session there will also be a short in-class exam on Shakespeare's life and language.

In the third section we'll study Twelfth Night in the context of Shakespeare's time. At this point students will be assigned a contemporary reading on which to prepare an oral and a written report. An out-of-class essay will result.

In the fourth section we'll explore Hamlet, bringing in several important critical works on the play as well. Students will then write an out-of-class essay.

Assignments and Written Work: There will be four take-home essays, two in-class reports, an in-class exam on Shakespeare's life and language, and a creative or teaching project.

Scholarly Materials: In addition to copies of the plays, students will need to purchase a small packet of criticism that will be made available to them at Staples.

For More Information: call me at 270-745-3634 or 270-745-5720. You may also e-mail me at elizabeth.oakes@wku.edu or visit my web page at http://www.wku.edu/~oakeset.