Carol Siegel
English 305 -- Shakespeare
(to 1600) -- TTh
Office MMC 202S, office hours: TTh
'Phone (360) 546-9641 Office, Home
(503) 226-4272 (leave message) E-Mail
siegel@vancouver.wsu.edu
SOME EXPECTATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
Attendance and participation: More than three absences
may lower your grade substantially.
Because we cannot hope to discuss everything read for each meeting, I
rely on you to direct my attention to what interests you. Your participation will be reflected in your
grade.
Reader’s Theater: All students will be asked to give
two short performances, each consisting of reading a part (no less than sixteen
lines) in a scene from one of the assigned texts. Groups will perform together.
Written Work: All written work must be typed or printed, double
spaced with one inch margins all around.
Documentation must conform to
MLA Works Cited style. Our
library has copies of The MLA Handbook and so do most good bookstores.
Late Work: Due dates are set to allow you to do assignments for the
class in ways that will minimize stress.
If circumstances force you to turn work in later than the due date, you
will not receive a penalty in the way of a lowered grade; however, you cannot
expect me to “catch you up,” in the work.
I will grade late papers at my convenience and this may limit your
ability to do the revisions necessary to a good grade in the class. I will
never accept a second paper from the same person whose previous paper I have
not yet graded and returned at least one class period previous. èNOTE: No late work will be
accepted for a grade after December 6 under any circumstances.
Plagiarism: I cannot and
do not intend to pass anyone who turns in someone else’s work. Consult handout on avoiding plagiarism for
guidance, if it isn’t clear, ask me.
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADES:
You will be asked to write two 5-8
page papers following the instructions below and the guidelines in the “Writing
About Literature” handout. The two papers will each count for one third of your
grade and the grades on the two performances, averaged together, will count as
the final third. All your work will be graded on a twelve point scale (A+=12,
F=0). Improvement will also be taken into consideration.
Revision: You may turn in a revision of either paper, or
both. To be considered for a grade
change, the revision must deal with all marked problems. The grade on the revision will replace the
paper’s original grade. Revisions are
permitted, but not required. MARKED
originals must accompany revisions. No
papers turned in without the marked original will receive grade changes.
REQUIRED TEXT:
The Norton Shakespeare
NOTE: Since we
will be using acts, scenes, and lines as reference points, you are welcome to
use any edition of these works that you like.
HOWEVER: You must consult
explanatory notes to avoid misunderstanding words whose meanings have changed
over time. If you are using a text with
no explanatory notes, please consult someone else’s before commenting on the meanings
of passages.
For Your
A Midsummer Night's
Dream
Titus Andronicus
The Sonnets
The Merchant of
As You Like It
Henry IV, Parts One
and Two.
Twelfth Night
Reading Guide.
The Sonnets: Because they can be read as a
narrative (story), I would like you to read all the sonnets. However, as long as you have a sense of how
they are generally understood as a story (which we will discuss in class), I will
hold you responsible only for the sonnets specifically assigned.
The Plays: If you find Shakespeare’s language
difficult, you may want to read the introductions to the plays so that you will
have a clearer concept of what is happening in them. But you may prefer to read the introductions after you finish each play so that the
suspense won’t be spoiled.
SYLLABUS:
Tues., August 23--Orientation and Introduction to Reading Shakespeare.
Thurs., August 25--Read Titus Andronicus, Acts I, II, and III.
Tues., August 30--Finish Titus Andronicus.
Thurs., September 1--In class scenes from Titus film, and
discussion.
Tues., September 6--The Sonnets: Read intro. and sonnets: 1, 2,
6, 12, 15, 17, 18 & 20.
Thurs., September 8--Read sonnets: 21, 29, 30, 33, 34, 42, 43, 71, 73, 94
& 116.
Tues., September 13--Read Sonnets: 126, 129, 130, 134, 135, 138 &
144.
Thurs., September 15--Read A Midsummer Night's Dream, Acts I and II.
Tues., September 20--Finish A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Thurs., September 22--In class scenes from film, and discussion.
Tues., September 27--PAPER #1 Due. The paper should compare two texts (consider
each sonnet, each play and each film to be separate texts). You may focus on
one sonnet, if you like, and a section of a play or film, but whatever your
choices, your discussions of the two pieces of writing you focus on should show
that you are familiar with the whole narrative that each one belongs to. {For example, should you choose to discuss
Sonnet 18, show some awareness that it is in the section praising the young
man. So if you want to argue that the
poem should be read as addressed to a woman, you will have to offer compelling
support for that claim and should probably not expect to be able to do much
more in a paper this length than argue for that reading.} To generate a thesis,
center on the way the two texts (or sections of texts) deal with a similar
theme (for example, the idea that lover and beloved are one, the idea that
literature conveys immortality, or the idea that desire is a form of dementia)
and comment on specific differences in the way(s) these similar ideas are
expressed. Be ready to choose a scene
from any one of the assigned plays that you would like to read a part in. Groups will be formed for performances and
will practice together.
Thurs., September 29--Reader’s Theater performances
Tues., October 4--Reader’s Theater performances.
Thurs., October 6—Reader's Theater performances
Tues., October 11--Read The Merchant of
Thurs., October 13--Finish The Merchant of
Tues., October 18--Read As You Like It, Acts I-III
Thurs., October 20--Finish As You Like It
Tues., October 25-- Read Twelfth Night, Acts I and II
Thurs., October 27-- Finish Twelfth Night.
Tues., November 1--Twelfth Night Film highlights and discussion
Thurs., November 3--Read Henry IV, Part One, Acts I and II
Tues., November 8--Finish Henry IV, Part One.
Thurs., November 10--PAPER #2 Due In this paper you should once again compare
two texts. But this time feel free to
choose a film version of one of the plays on the syllabus, or Shakespeare in
Love, as one of the texts. Here you may focus again on the
treatment/representation of one theme or idea, or you can center your argument
on how Shakespeare depicts a specific type of person or relationship. Remember to keep the focus on HOW ideas
and/or impressions are conveyed. In class: Choose a part and group for the
second round of readers’ performances. Groups can work together in class.
Tues., November 15 Read Henry IV, Part Two, Acts I through III.
Thursday November 17 Finish Henry IV, Part Two
Tues., November 22-- Thanksgiving vacation.
Thurs., November 24-- Thanksgiving vacation
Tues., November 29--Reader’s Theater performances
Thurs., December 1--Reader’s Theater performances.
Tues., December 6-- Reader’s Theater performances. LAST DAY TO TURN IN REVISIONS AND LATE WRITTEN WORK. (Remember you
cannot turn in more than one paper today.)
Thurs., December 8--Last Day of Class. Evaluations and final business.
Reader’s Theater performances.
A Short Guide to Some Poetry Terms
Consult
any handbook of poetry terminology for more help.
Rhythm and rhyme:
Meter:
Words are divided into syllables.
Meter is the number of stressed/accented and unstressed syllables per
line. It creates rhythm.
Foot: When stressed and unstressed
syllables are combined into units to create a pattern, the units are called
feet.
Iambic Pentameter: A five-foot line in which each foot
is composed of two syllables, one unstressed and the next stressed.
Rhyme: Repetition of sounds.
End rhyme, the last sounds of two or more
lines are similar.
Internal rhyme occurs every time sounds are
repeated within lines.
Alliteration: Repetition of consonants.
Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds.
Blank verse: Rhythmic lines that do not end in
rhymes. Often the rhythm is iambic
pentameter.
Form:
Stanza: Lines of verse grouped to create a
pattern, usually through repetition of end rhymes.
Couplet, is a two line stanza
Tercet is a three line stanza
Quatrain is a four line stanza
Sestet is a six line stanza
Octave is an eight line stanza.
Sonnet: Usually a fourteen line iambic
pentameter poem. The most common sonnet
forms are Petrarchan, with an octave and sestet, and Shakespearean,
with three quatrains and a couplet.
Meaning:
Antanaclasis: Word repetition which makes use of
different meanings of the same word.
Generally used for punning. Need
not be comical in intent or effect.
Metaphor: A comparison of two seemingly
different things suggesting a sort of mystical equivalence.
Simile: A comparison of two seemingly
different things, traditionally using the words “like” or “as.” A SIMILE IS A
TYPE OF METAPHOR. There is no need to
use the term “simile” at all, unless you like it.
Metonymy: The substitution of a word
associated with a thing for the name of the thing.
A Short Guide to Some Drama Terms
You may wish
to refer to a book on theater and stagecraft for more help.
Comedy: Traditionally refers to a play that
focuses on romantic love and ends with a marriage, or multiple marriages. Comedies dramatize the integration of
individuals into society as new families are formed. They need not be comical in effect.
Tragedy: Traditionally this term should only
be used to describe a play that depicts the heroic struggle of an individual
whose failure or defeat contains majestic elements.
History Play: Refers to a play that dramatizes
historical events. Shakespeare’s history plays generally focus on creation
and/or destruction of kings. While these
lives can have tragic aspects, it is the plays’ emphasis on the social bases of
power that distinguishes them from classic tragedies.
Protagonist: The main character. A play can have more than one
protagonist. Most love stories have
two. The audience usually is made to
experience some sympathy with the protagonist(s).
Hero: An admirable protagonist. His actions create most of the excitement and
generate most of the plot in the play.
Not all plays have heroes. A play
may be described as having a female hero if the protagonist is female and is
active and admirable not simply in the sphere of love but in the play’s wider
world. You need not call active female
protagonists heroes, but many critics do.
Heroine: The (female) object of the
protagonist’s affection in a love story or the (female) protagonist of a romantic
play. Heroines are almost always
associated with love stories.
Subplot: A story contained within a play but
to some extent detachable from the main story the play tells. Subplots generally involve the interactions
of minor characters with each other.
Comic Relief: Jokes or funny scenes that
interrupt or directly follow depressing or upsetting action or events. Subplots are sometimes used to provide
consistent comic relief.
Physical Comedy: Also called slapstick, in this type
of comedy the humor derives from physical activities the audience sees, or
occasionally hears.
Monologue: A long speech given by one actor.
Soliloquy: A monologue in which the actor’s
speech represents thought or addressing oneself but can be heard by the
audience. The actor delivering a
soliloquy is generally alone on the stage.
Aside: A remark or two made by an actor
who shares the stage with others but does not address them. Usually the actor turns away from the others
and toward the audience, and may even come to the edge of the stage as if
confiding in the audience.
Exposition: The communication to the audience
of background information that will allow them to understand, to some extent,
the relationships between the characters and the context for their
behavior. Exposition is most often
provided by two or more characters talking to each other about past
events. But it can be delivered in
asides.
Blocking: Where the characters are on the
stage in relation to one another and the audience at any particular time. This is planned out in advance to create
effects and to avoid situations in which it’s unintentionally hard to see
what’s going on.
A SHORT GUIDE TO WRITING ABOUT
LITERATURE
Form: To be accepted for a grade, papers
must be either typed or printed on a computer printer. No hand-written or hand-printed papers will
be read for credit. Passing papers must
have all the usual attributes of college essays: a TITLE, an introduction,
unified and coherent body paragraphs, a conclusion, and standard documentation
of quotes (following MLA rules).
Standard grammar and usage are also expected. Any grammar and composition handbook will
most of your questions about grammar and usage. The
The Topic: Choose your own topic, but make it
conform to the following guidelines.
1. The topic should focus
on the assigned reading, not on things in your experience or observation that
the reading made you think about. How
your own life resembles that of Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, for
example, although obviously interesting, would not be an appropriate topic for
an essay on the play. Also
inappropriate, would be an essay on the topic of why The Sonnets depict
an emotion that cannot be considered true love since implied in such a
statement is the idea that ONLY YOU know what TRUE love is. Instead, you might want to discuss HOW the
sonnet sequence creates its portrait of love, what devices it uses to convey the
narrator’s feelings and how it creates impressions of both authenticity and
falsity. An appropriate topic for such a
discussion would be Shakespeare’s use of images from nature contrasted with
images from the mercantile world to create surprising and discordant effects
and to suggest what is real/natural feeling and what is merely self-interested
posing.
2. In coming up with a
topic, you should not treat fictional characters as real people or what happens
in fictional narratives as real events.
Much of our pleasure in reading comes from understanding things this way
as we read. But analysis demands that we
mentally stand back and think about how effects are achieved. That Claudio, in Much Ado About Nothing,
is a tedious sexist is not an appropriate topic for an essay because it
dismisses what the play actually tells us and substitutes a discussion based on
our concept of what should happen in real life.
Instead you might focus on the play’s depiction of appropriate gender
behavior and how the sense of appropriateness is conveyed. Likewise, you should not choose a topic such
as that Capulet in Romeo and Juliet is not a good father. That topic implies that he is a real person
to be judged rather than an effect of fiction to be analyzed. Instead you might focus on how the text both
directly and indirectly defines what a good parent is and how the depiction of
Capulet relates to this definition.
3. The topic should be
limited to fit the scope of the paper and should give your reader
direction. Don’t try to say everything
possible about any text. The title of
the text you are discussing cannot also be the title of your paper since this
implies that you are going to say everything that can be said about the
text. Successful topics are found by
focusing on one particular aspect of a literary work or group of works. You might choose to write about any ONE of
the following: how certain types of relationships between people are depicted,
how social issues are handled, how certain images (from nature, for example) or
colors are used to create specific effects, how material is structured, how two
texts that seem in many ways similar differ in one crucial way--or vice versa,
or tensions in the text where contradictory ideas are presented and seem
unresolved. Many successful papers
explore the ways that content (what the text is about) and form (the way the
contents are presented) either work together or at cross purposes. If you aren’t sure whether your topic will
work, please discuss it with me.
The Thesis: Every successful essay has a clear
thesis. Don’t confuse the topic with the
thesis. Your thesis is the main point
you make about your topic. Your thesis
cannot be “the difference between As You Like It and Twelfth Night.”
That is a topic. A successful thesis
derived from this topic could be something like this: “Although As You Like
It and Twelfth Night both explore the comic effects of gender role
reversal in societies with strongly marked gender roles, the relationships
between the main characters in each play differ in ways that cause one play to
suggest a cynical attitude toward love and marriage while the other is more
romantic. In As You Like It the
hero and heroine are drawn together no matter what roles they play. In contrast, the main characters in Twelfth
Night seem to have no trouble shifting their affections to whomever bears
the correct gender markers.” (Note that a thesis for a paper longer than 4
pages is rarely one sentence long.) Your
thesis must make a different point about your topic than the author makes. That is, if, for instance, your topic is the
way Shakespeare depicts family life in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, your
thesis cannot be that Egeus is wrong to insist on choosing his daughter’s
husband. That is Shakespeare’s own point, so if you were to develop it as your
thesis, you would just be repeating, in your own words, the plot of the
play. Instead, you might look at how
Shakespeare uses imagery to suggest the complexity of the relational bonds in
Hermia’s world. Rather than simply
listing the images in the play, you might explore how they work by paying
attention to symbolic values and commenting on structural elements like
juxtaposition. Keep in mind that your
thesis must be complex enough to give you material for a paper of the required
length. A paper thesis needs to include
two or more subtopics, the development of which will structure your paper.
In choosing a thesis, ask
yourself not only what ideas the text conveys but HOW they are conveyed. Remember that your reader already knows what
is said in the text. In trying to find
something interesting to say about it, ask yourself what details cause you to
interpret the text the way you do and what about the way it is written makes it
give you the impressions it does. For instance, if you like Mercutio better than
Romeo, one reason may be simply that you like cynical wisecracking guys better
than romantics, but that is not a suitable focus for a paper, because it would
be about you not the play. Instead you might look at some of the ways the play
might be understood to be suggesting that Mercutio is more sensible or
realistic than Romeo, and valuing
those qualities.
Supporting Evidence As much as you need to present your
own ideas, you need to convince your reader that they are reasonable and worth
considering. You do this by presenting
supporting evidence for your claims.
There are three ways to do this in an English paper.
1. You may do
research. That is you may look for books
or articles on your topic and find out what professional literary critics (or
experts like historians, psychologists, sociologists, or anthropologists, when
their theories relate to your thesis) have to say about your topic. When you do research, keep in mind two
things:
(A) Expert opinions are
still JUST OPINIONS, consequently they can never prove a point. Therefore, when you quote a literary critic’s
idea about a text, you have NOT shown that this is the correct view to
have. If you agree with the critic that
is very nice, but you still have to explain what in the text being discussed causes
you to agree. Sometimes the critic will
present evidence that supports your idea.
If the evidence is factual, that is, if it consists of a reference to
something that actually occurs in the text or to a verifiable feature of the
text (such as that it is divided into six stanzas each on a different topic)
then you have proof. But if what the
critic does is argue his or her opinion that Shakespeare’s view of life is
always pessimistic, you must sum up the argument and add your own ideas in an
effort to convince your reader. Remember
that you can always include critics’ views that you disagree with in order to
argue with them.
(B) When you
PARAPHRASE other peoples’ ideas, you must give them credit or you have
plagiarized them. If you and a critic say the same thing, mention this in your
discussion. (Publishing an idea equals
owning it.)
2. You may, and in
most cases should, quote from the text you are discussing. When quoting, avoid providing too much
material (words or phrases that are irrelevant to your point) or providing too
little material (so that your reason for thinking this supports your assertion
is unclear). When it is not clear why
you think that a quote supports your claim, you must explain how it does. The most common fear among students in
English classes is that they will explain something that does not need to be
explained. This almost never
happens. When in doubt, explain.
3. You may summarize or
paraphrase. When you do either of these
things remember that you should be doing so in order to support a claim, not in
order to refresh the reader’s memory about what happens in the story. Don’t introduce your idea about a specific
scene with a summary of the events leading up to this scene.