Offices and Phones:
l10C Cherry Hall, Phone 270-745-5783
l34 Cherry Hall, Phone 270-745-5720
The main English office number is 270-745-3043
Fax: 270-745 2533
e-mail: elizabeth.oakes@wku.edu
Web page: http://www.wku.edu/~elizabeth.oakes
Office hours: immediately after class on TR and by appointment
Please note that the last day to drop without a grade is June 3, and the last day to drop with a W is June 16.
Required texts: We will be reading, examining, questioning, experiencing, and writing about A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and King Lear.
You will have to have the Bedford edition of The Taming of the Shrew edited by Fran Dolan. For the other plays I have ordered the Folger edition (edited by Barbara Mowat and Paul Werstine), but if you have a copy, you may use it IF it has line numbers and footnotes.
You'll also need to purchase a packet of critical articles on The Taming of the Shrew that I will make available at Staples.
Films: Since film is such an important aspect of Shakespeare today, I would like you to see as many of these as possible outside of class:
Shakespeare in Love, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Judi Dench--a fictionalized account of the young Shakespeare, which gives an accurate, vivid picture of the early theatre and the conditions under which he wrote
Hamlet, with Ethan Hawke--an updated version set in today's Manhattan
Hamlet, with Kenneth Branagh and a host of "stars"--the only uncut version
Hamlet, with Mel Gibson--Franco Zeffirelli chose Gibson for the part of Hamlet after seeing the scene in Lethal Weapon in which Gibson's character contemplates suicide
Hamlet, with Laurence Olivier--the acting is somewhat dated, but then it is Olivier
The Taming of the Shrew, with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton--in some people's opinion, Taylor outacts Burton in the part of Katharina the shrew
Romeo and Juliet, with Olivia Hussey--the 60's version that you probably saw in high school
Romeo and Juliet, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes--the 90's version that's fast, loud, and, to many, exactly what Shakespeare would have done had he had film and rock 'n roll
Macbeth, directed by Roman Polanski--known mainly for its nude Lady Macbeth
Macbeth, with Orson Welles--dated acting and strange costumes (Macbeth looks like he has a funnel on his head) but worth seeing for historical reasons
King Lear, with Laurence Olivier--his last Shakespeare role
A Midsummer Night's Dream, with Calista Flockhart and Michelle Pfeiffer--for some unknown reason, the director gave Bottom a wife; other than that, it's well done
A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Adrian Noble for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1996--beautifully and imaginatively done
Othello, with Laurence Fishburne--an excellent production
Henry V, with Laurence Olivier--done in the 40's as part of the war propaganda but still excellent
Henry V, with Kenneth Branagh--Branagh's first Shakespeare hit
Much Ado about Nothing, with Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Keanu Reeves, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton--gorgeous setting, beautifully done
Titus Andronicus, with Jessica Lange and Anthony Hopkins--in this one a mother eats her sons in a pie, and that's only for starters in this early Shakespeare play
Love's Labour's Lost, with Kenneth Branagh--a weird production set in the 30's with show tunes woven in (what were they thinking?)
A note about the web: if you type in Shakespeare, you'll get thousands of sites. Some are horrible, with simple factual errors, such as naming Edmund as Shakespeare's son instead of his brother or stating that the plays were never published in Shakespeare's lifetime, even that Shakespeare couldn't read and write. On my website I've listed a number that I've either checked out or that are recommended by a Shakespeare source that I trust.
Rank I and Rank II students are required to incorporate pedagogy into the paper on Twelfth Night; please see me for suggestions
Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services, Room 445, Potter Hall, phone: 745-5004
Grading:
Reading exams on five plays; exams on Shakespeare's life, language, and the chronology of the plays; and in-class writing/projects, both group and individual--20%
Two take-home exams--40%
Paper on The Taming of the Shrew--20%
Creative project--l0%
Report on contemporary readings or criticism and on your paper--l0%
Note: If you are between two grades, excellent participation in general can "bump you up" to the higher one.
Policies:
Reading exams--Class starts at 12, and I will be giving the reading exam shortly thereafter. If you miss the entire class, you may make up one reading exam, providing you do so before you sit through a class on the play. Any such make-up exam will most likely be harder. If you are tardy, you will have to finish the exam in the time I have allotted. If you are so tardy that you miss the exam entirely, you will have to take a much harder reading exam at a later time. I don't let students sit outside the door and take a reading exam that the class has already taken.
In-class writing and exercises--These will be short assignments during class that may be either individual or group. There will be no make-up on these.
Tardiness--Anyone can have a reason for being late, say, maybe once--cars break down, etc. However, habitual lateness disrupts the class. If you are late more than once or so, I may ask you to wait until the break to come into the class.
Absences--I assume you will be here. If you miss habitually or for no real reason, I would think your classmates would be justified in not loaning you their notes.
Due dates for out-of-class exams and the paper--If you turn an essay or paper in late, I will have to grade it harder than I did those turned in on time simply to be fair to the others. My standard is five points off the grade per day, counting weekends. Only under extreme circumstances do I bend this rule.
Reports and creative projects--The reports and the creative project must be done on the day allocated for credit. I won't give half credit for the written version.
Bad things happening to good people--I am aware that you have lives and that really traumatic things, things beyond your control, can happen. If one of life's traumatic zaps happens to you, please let me know. I won't ask for personal details even though I will check out your story, and I will work out something with you.
6/1
Introductions
Lecture on Shakespeare's life, the chronology of the plays, and the genres
At break we'll be taking photos for the new graduate brochure!
6/3
Reading exam and discussion, Romeo and Juliet
Workshop on Shakespeare's language
6/8
Reading exam, Macbeth
6/10
Reading exam, The Taming of the Shrew
6/15
Undergraduates give reports on contemporary readings related to The Taming of the Shrew
Out-of-class exam on Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth due from graduate students
Brainstorming for The Taming of the Shrew paper
Possible film
6/17
Graduate students give reports on Shrew criticism
Out-of-class exam due from undergraduate students
More brainstorming on the Shrew paper
Possible film
6/22
Reading exam, King Lear
In-class exam on Shakespeare's life, the language of the plays, the chronology of the plays, the texts of the plays, and the genres
6/24
Reading exam, A Midsummer Night's Dream
6/29
Paper on The Taming of the Shrew due
Individual reports and (for the graduate students) question-and-answer session on the papers
7/1
Creative Projects day
Out-of-class exam on King Lear and A Midsummer Night's Dream due
One of the things we can surmise about Shakespeare is that he loved a party, so we'll celebrate! Bring food if you can!