Description
To account for the position of Shakespeare in contemporary global culture. Among the issues to be covered are: Shakespeare’s language, dramatic structures and genre conventions; consideration of his work in its original historical and cultural contexts (this includes the Elizabethan and Jacobean performing space and all-male acting companies); the history of Shakespeare scholarship; and the approximate chronology (insofar as it can be determined) of the plays (the next section presents them in what would be a consensually-agreed order of composition).
Teaching method
Two hour seminar per week.
Course objectives
A thorough knowledge of the following plays will have been gained: The Taming of the Shrew, Richard III, Titus Andronicus, Love’s Labour’s Lost, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 1 Henry IV, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, Hamlet, Measure for Measure, Antony and Cleopatra, and The Tempest.
Required reading
G. Blakemore Evans, et al., eds. The Riverside Shakespeare, second edition (New York & Boston: Houghton & Mifflin, 1997).
Recommended editions of individual plasy will appear in due course on Blackboard.
Test method
2,500-3,000 word essay(40%); written test (60%).
Time table
The timetable will be available from June 1st on the Internet.
Information
English Department, P.N. van Eyckhof 4, room 102c. Phone: 071 527 2144, or by mail: English@hum.leidenuniv.nl.
Registration
Students can register through U-twist before 15 July. After 15 July students can only register through the Departmental Office.
Blackboard
There will be a Blackboard site available.