Shakespeare 583
Spring 2004

Dr. Elizabeth Oakes

Offices and Phones:
110C 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: TBA

Please note that the last day to drop without a grade is January 20, and the last day to drop with a W is March 4.

Required texts: We will be reading, examining, questioning, experiencing, and writing about Othello, Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, Henry V, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, and a selection of the sonnets.
You'll need Romeo and Juliet: Texts and Contexts, edited by Dympna Callaghan. For the other texts, 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 will also need to purchase a xeroxed set of readings on Romeo and Juliet which I will make available later in the semester.

Films: There are several films that I strongly suggest you see--Shakespeare in Love, for a fairly accurate depiction of Shakespeare's world; Romeo and Juliet, with Claire Danes and Leonardo di Caprio; A Midsummer Night's Dream, with Kevin Kline and Calista Flockhart; Othello, with Laurence Fishburne; Hamlet, with Ethan Hawke; Hamlet, with Mel Gibson; Hamlet, with Kenneth Branagh; Hamlet, with Laurence Olivier; Henry V, with Laurence Olivier; Henry V, with Kenneth Branagh; Much Ado about Nothing, with Kenneth Branagh, Keanu Reeves, Michael Keaton, Denzel Washington, and Emma Thompson; Titus Andronicus, with Anthony Hopkins;and Twelfth Night, with Helena Bonham-Carter.

NOTE: Those students who are pursuing Rank II or Rank I are required to incorporate pedagogical principles into their research paper.

NOTE: 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 six plays--10%
Three take-home exams--40%
Paper--30%
Two reports (graduate students only), two film reviews (499 students only), abstract, in-class exams on Shakespeare's life, language, chronology, and genres, in-class impromptu writing/exercises (both group and individual)--20%

Note: If you are between two grades, excellent participation can "bump you up" to the higher one.

Policies:
Reading exams--Class starts at 5:30 p.m., and I will be giving the reading exam shortly thereafter. If you miss the entire class, you may make up one reading exam without much hassle from me, 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 explorations--These will be short assignments during class that may be either individual or group. There will be no make-up on these, but I will drop one at the end of the semester.
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 a test/exam 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.
Critical reports--The creative project, reports and the presentation must be done on the night allocated for credit.
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.

l/12
Introductions
Lecture on Shakespeare's life, the language, chronology, and genres

1/19
No Class-MLK Day

1/26
Hamlet reading exam and discussion

2/2
Hamlet, continued

2/9
The Merchant of Venice reading exam and discussion
Out-of-class essay exam on Hamlet due

2/16
Henry V reading exam and discussion

2/23
Romeo and Juliet reading exam and discussion
Out-of-class essay test on MV and HV due

3/1
Romeo and Juliet reports on contemporary readings, TBA
499 students will not present a report but, of course, must attend
First film review due from 499 students
For the film reviews, choose any two films from plays we're reading this semester

3/8
Romeo and Juliet critical reports, TBA
499 students will not present a report but, of course, must attend
Second film review due from 499 students

3/15
Romeo and Juliet continued
In-class test on Shakespeare's life, language, chronology, and the genres

SPRING BREAK

3/29
Abstract for Romeo and Juliet paper due for workshop

4/5
Othello reading exam and discussion

4/12
Romeo and Juliet paper due
Sonnets--I'll bring these on a handout; you don't need to read them beforehand.

4/19
As You Like It reading exam and discussion

4/26
Othello, As You Like It, and the sonnets, continued
Discussion of all six plays

5/3
Final
Out-of-class essay exam on Othello,AYLI and the sonnets due
Out-of-class exam on all six plays due