English 339-Introduction to Shakespeare
Summer 2006
Professor William Babula
Nichols Hall 380
664-2146
William.Babula@sonoma.edu
M-R 1-5pm
11 Meetings
Salazar 2019
Office Hours By Appointment
TEXTS:
The Necessary Shakespeare, ed. David Bevington
(This edition is recommended but other texts are acceptable)
Shakespeare Reader by William Babula http://www.sonoma.edu/users/b/babula/homepage.htm
Visit the new Globe WEB site in London at www.shakespeare-globe.org
T 5/30 THE TAMING OF THE SHREW – 1593
W 5/31 ROMEO AND JULIET- 1594
R 6/1 A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM- 1596
M 6/5 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE – 1597
T 6/6 HENRY V- 1599
In Class Midterm Exam. Please bring an
exam book and write in pen. You may use your text and notes.
HAMLET – 1601 (For the Final not the Midterm. Discussion etc. after
the test)
R 6/8 HAMLET - 1601
M 6/12 MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING - 1599
T 6/13 OTHELLO-1603
W 6/14 MACBETH – 1606 & Short Paper Due
R 6/15- In Class Final Exam begins at 1:00 pm. Please bring an exam book and write
in pen. You may use your text and notes.
Note:
Journal articles published by the instructor and collected in the SHAKESPEARE
READER will be assigned before the appropriate play is discussed in class.
Plays and articles must be read before the class session when the production
is viewed. There will be a quiz on each play the day it is to be read
and viewed. Late quizzes will be accepted but recorded as late and not
eligible for full credit.
There will be a midterm and a final and a short paper. Grades will be based on the two essay exams, the paper, the quizzes, class participation, and attendance.
Paper Assignment Bay Area and video productions:
A 3-4 page paper typed in double space in which you discuss a Shakespeare play presented in a live stage version or recent film version not viewed in class. Currently available on video are versions of RICHARD III, TITUS ANDRONICUS, TWELFTH NIGHT, LOVE’S LABOURS LOST, SCOTLAND, PA (MACBETH) and HAMLET among others. The library has an extensive collection of BBC Shakespeare videos as well. In addition the California Shakespeare Festival is staging THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR in June. See www.calshakes.org for details. Also Shakespeare at Stinson is staging RICHARD III in June as well. See www.shakespeareatstinson.org for details. There is a lot to choose from out there. The paper should compare Shakespeare’s text to the actual production and discuss how the director handled the text. What was the director’s interpretation? Were there cuts, line changes, scenes shifted, lines moved among characters, time and setting changes etc. to support the director’s intentions? The paper should consider whether the director generally supports or expands on Shakespeare’s intentions or undermines them in some way as far as you can tell. Late papers will be penalized one grade level.
Note: If you choose a different production of a
play viewed in class be sure to
briefly comment on how it differs from the class version as well.
Course Goals:
1) To learn how to read and understand a Shakespeare play
2) To understand the connection between the text and a film or stage version
of a Shakespeare play
3) To understand the social and historical context of a Shakespeare play
4) To understand the evolution of Shakespeare’s dramatic art
5) To understand how our shifting contemporary culture shapes how Shakespeare’s
plays are interpreted by modern directors
Visit the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland for this season’s plays:
Other useful Web sites include:
http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/
http://renaissance.dm.net/compendium/home.html
http://laketahoeshakespeare.com/
http://www.shaksper.net/archives/files/internet.sites.html
If you have a disability that requires accommodation in this class, you must notify the instructor before the end of the first week of class regarding the nature of the accommodation you need. You must register with the Disability Student Services Center, which is located in Salazar Hall, 664.2677. The Center will then provide you written documentation of your verified disability and the recommended accommodation, which you must then present to the instructor.
