Module ENGL2021: SHAKESPEARE

Department: English Studies

ENGL2021: SHAKESPEARE

Prerequisites

• At least one of the following modules: Introduction to Drama (ENGL1011), Introduction to the Novel (ENGL1061), Introduction to Poetry (ENGL1071).

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• The module aims to introduce students to a broad range of Shakespeare’s work, and to enable students to analyse in detail a selection of works from different periods of Shakespeare’s oeuvre and in different genres. It seeks to foster an awareness of the kinds of scholarly, critical, and theatrical issues which Shakespeare’s work has generated from the seventeenth century to the present. The approach is pluralistic, seeing Shakespeare both as a poet and playwright within the context of his period and a figure of massive influence in the rich history of English literature and criticism to the present. The module thus aims to test students’ ability to engage with Shakespeare in diverse literary and critical ways, encouraging students to situate him among the writers of his own time but also consider issues such as reception, adaptation, afterlife, or legacy.

Content

• The module is taught by a number of lectures (given by several members of staff and assisted by tutorials) which convey a comprehensive and detailed knowledge of Shakespeare’s work with areas of specialisation in depth. The module may cover such topics as:
• A representative range of works across the Shakespeare canon, from his early comedies to historical drama, tragedies, and late plays, as well as his Sonnets and other poems
• Critical approaches in a wider historical perspective
• Reception history and literary legacy
• Textual and editing issues
• The influence of classical, biblical, and medieval texts on Shakespeare
• Shakespeare in comparison to other authors of his period
• Adaptations in literature, theatre, and film

Learning Outcomes

• The student will be expected to gain substantial and systematic knowledge of a diverse body of work by a single author, to be able to analyse texts closely, to show awareness of different critical perspectives, and to compare and connect different issues, to show an awareness of such issues as genre, the development of Shakespeare’s art as a poet and dramatist, theatrical performance, and literary influence.

• Students studying this module will acquire:
• critical skills in the close reading and analysis of texts
• an ability to demonstrate a broad and detailed knowledge of a single author and critical approaches to his works
• an informed awareness of formal and aesthetic dimensions of Shakespeare’s works as literature and, as appropriate, performance
• a sensitivity to generic conventions and to the shaping effects on communication of historical circumstances, and to the affective power of language
• an ability to articulate and substantiate an imaginative response to Shakespeare’s works
• an ability to articulate and communicate knowledge and understanding of concepts and theories relating to this author
• a command of a broad range of vocabulary and an appropriate critical terminology
• an awareness of literature as a medium through which values are affirmed and debated

• Students studying this module will develop:
• an ability to acquire and interpret information of diverse kinds in a structured and systematic way
• an ability to analyse concepts at an abstract level and apply them appropriately
• a capacity for independent thought and judgement, and the ability to assess the critical ideas of others
• an ability to address a variety of questions and contexts with minimal guidance
• a competence in the planning and execution of essays
• information-technology skills such as electronic data access information
• skills of effective communication and argument
• organisation and time-management skills

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Independent but directed reading in preparation for lectures and tutorials provides an opportunity for students to enrich their subject-specific knowledge and enhances their ability to develop appropriate subject-specific skills.
• Lectures: they enable students to gain subject-specific knowledge of cultural, aesthetic and intellectual issues in relation to Shakespeare’s works; they encourage students to be aware of the range and variety of approaches to literary study; they present ideas and information to encourage, on the part of students, further thought and discussion.
• Tutorials: they enable students to explore, in a selective way, through small-group discussion, specific texts and topics (many of which will be addressed by lectures); by focussing on selected literary issues and problems they guide students in developing subject-specific analytical skills and knowledge.
• Formative essay: one formative essay is written on a text or texts, or a literary topic, and it requires the student to demonstrate appropriate subject-specific knowledge and skills as outlined above. Individual one-to-one feedback is offered. A choice of essay topics encourages students to develop their capacity for independent, creative thought and judgement.
• Examination: this tests the student’s ability to present subject-specific knowledge, to select appropriate materials, and to construct and manage clear and effective arguments in a timed period. It further requires that students demonstrate independent thinking, and that they have achieved stated learning outcomes.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Before the first essay, students will have an individual consultation in which they are entitled to show their seminar leader a list of points relevant to the essay and receive oral comment on these points. Students may also, if they wish, discuss their ideas for the second essay at this meeting.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University