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Order and Disorder in Shakespeare's England
These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us. Though the wisdom of nature can reason it thus and thus, yet nature finds itself scourged by the sequent effects. Love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide; in cities, mutinies; in countries, discord; in palaces, treason; and the bond cracked ‘twixt son and father. . . . We have seen the best of our time. Machinations, hollowness, treachery, and all ruinous disorders follow us disquietly to our graves. (King Lear, 1.2.96-101, 103-6 [Conflated Text, Norton Shakespeare])
I. Shakespeare’s Poetics of Order
Week One (March 29 & 31):
Monday: Introduction to Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature
**Wednesday: Read in the Bedford Companion: Chapters 2, 7 & 9 (40-73; 221-50; 297-41).
Week Two (April 5 & 7):
**Monday: Read Venus and Adonis; BC: Chapter 6 (180-201); Wilson & Reynolds (202-5)
Wednesday: Venus and Adonis; BC: Ascham (205-7); Hoskyns (207-9); Puttenham (209-15)
II. Domestic Disorder
Week Three (April 12 & 14):
**Monday: Much Ado About Nothing; BC: Chapter 8 (251-96)
Wednesday: Much Ado About Nothing
Close Reading assignment due in class, Monday, April 12.
Week Four (April 19 & 21):
**Monday: The Taming of the Shrew; Taming: Texts and Contexts, Ch. 2 "Marriage" (160-99; on reserve at the Library)
Wednesday: The Taming of the Shrew; Taming: Texts and Contexts, Chapter 3: The Household (200-243; on reserve at the Library)
Week Five (April 26 & 28):
**Monday: The Taming of the Shrew; Taming: Texts and Contexts, Ch. 4: Shrews (selections: 244-303, 317-326 on reserve at the Library)
Wednesday: The Taming of the Shrew
Bibliography Assignment Due: Wednesday, April 28 in class
III. Civic Discipline
Week Six (May 3 & 5):
**Monday: Measure for Measure; BC: Chapter 5 (151-79)
Wednesday: Measure for Measure; BC: Stow and Nashe on brothels (242-3)
IV. National Disorder
Week Seven (May 10 & 12):
**Monday: King Lear ["Conflated Text"]; BC: Filmer (276-77)
Wednesday: King Lear; BC: Proclamation against Vagabonds (295-96)
Term paper topic and bibliography due in class, Monday, May 10.V. Cosmic Order vs. Magic and Mayhem
Week Eight (May 17 & 19):
**Monday: Macbeth
Wednesday: Macbeth
Term paper thesis due in class, Wednesday, May 19.
Week Nine (May 26 & 28):
**Monday: The Tempest; BC: Chapter 5 (151-79)
Wednesday: The Tempest
Term Paper is due Friday, May 28 by noon in my mailbox (GA 435).
Week Ten (June 2):
Monday: No class -- Memorial Day
Wednesday: Shakespearean Magic and Mayhem. Don’t miss this class!!
Deborah Burks
Email: burks.29@osu.edu
Office: Galvin 410E
Office Phone: 995-8252
Office Hours: M,T,W 9-10:30 am; M, W 3-4pm; M, W 4:45-5:30pm
Home Phone: (419) 222-7652
** I sincerely hope that you will drop by during my office hours to introduce yourself, to ask questions, to seek help in preparing your paper, or simply to be neighborly.
Texts: The Norton Shakespeare. (Required.) It is essential that you use the Norton edition. Shakespearean texts vary greatly from edition to edition: if you use a different edition, you may find you’ve read a substantially different play than the one being discussed in class!
The Bedford Companion. (Optional.) Although I recommend that you buy your own copy, I will not require you to do so; this text is on reserve at the library and you may copy the chapters we are to read if you prefer. You should have a copy to bring to class so we can refer to it during discussion. Note: purchasing the Bedford Companion is optional; reading it is NOT!
Course Objectives:
1. To gain familiarity with a variety of Shakespeare’s works and a critical understanding of the genres he employed.
2. To understand the plays in their cultural and theatrical contexts by reading them in connection with selected artifacts of early modern culture. In this way, we will explore one of Shakespeare’s most persistant themes: order and disorder in the family, the community, the nation, the universe.
3. To develop analytical skills and research methods currently in use in the field of English studies and to frame our own work in this course as a response to recent scholarship on Shakespeare.
Requirements: There will be frequent reading tests; the dates of these tests are marked on the syllabus by a pair of asterisks (**). Written assignments will include a brief bibliography assignment, a 2-3 page close reading exercise, a 2-3 page paper connecting a contemporary text of cultural significance with one of the plays for the course; and an 8-10 page literary critical paper on one of the plays we are studying. You will also be responsible for two presentations to the class: the first will be a "discussion opener" for which you will become our resident expert on the assigned materials for the day; the second will be a group presentation/performance for our celebration of Shakespearean mayhem on the final day of the quarter.
Components of Final Grade:
reading tests: 15%
bibliography 10%
close reading assignment: 15%
term paper: 30%
individual presentation: 10%
final day presentation: 10%
attendance/participation: 10%
Attendance Policy: I heartily recommend that you attend every class. Students with more than three unexcused absences risk being dropped from or failing the course. I keep a written record of attendance. There will be no opportunity to make up missed reading tests or presentations.
** All work submitted for this class must be your own. If you have any questions about what constitutes Academic Misconduct, be sure to ask.
Due: Monday, April 12
Objective: In order to help you develop the skills you will need to read Shakespeare’s works attentively and analytically, your first writing assignment will be an exercise in close reading.
For this assignment, you will select one of Shakespeare’s sonnets. You may find it helpful to photocopy it or type it out on a separate piece of paper so you will have plenty of room to mark up the text. Begin by making notes to yourself about every feature of the sonnet you can discern. Use the following suggestions to get started, but don’t stop here. (For more help with close reading, click here.)
1. Identify the rhyme scheme and structure of the sonnet. Shakespearean sonnets usually divide into three quatrains (four-line units) and a final couplet, and generally rhyme abab cdcd efef gg. What are the rhyme words? Does Shakespeare use them to emphasize key attributes of the sonnet’s main idea?
2. Pay attention to what the sonnet says and how it says it: Shakespearean sonnets often use the three quatrains to present the same idea three different ways, although it is usually the case that the idea grows or progresses through each subsequent quatrain. Often there is a rhetorical turn before the final couplet, so that the final pair of lines is different in approach or argument than the preceding twelve lines. Sometimes these final lines contradict what the sonnet has already said; sometimes they sum up what has gone before. What does your sonnet do?
3. Notice the metaphors and images Shakespeare uses in the sonnet. Do they make common ideas seem extraordinary or extraordinary things seem commonplace? Do they play on particular senses? Do they use nature as a point of reference? or human society? or the supernatural? Is there a pattern of imagery in the sonnet? (For instance, all of the metaphors in a sonnet might offer different ways of thinking about the aging process.) What does each metaphor contribute to our understanding of the thing being described? What is the collective effect of all of the images taken together?
4. Pay attention to word choice. Are there any words that might convey more than one meaning? Is there a pun or a double entendre at work? Is Shakespeare relying on the words multiple connotations to deepen or texture or problematize the sonnet’s meaning? or is he "simply" indulging in humor?
With regard to this last issue, be sure to look up any words you do not know and any words which seem to be used differently by Shakespeare than we use them today. On general principles you should look up all of the words which seem to be important hinges in the argument or imagery of the sonnet. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is the tool you will need. You must be on campus to gain access to this database. Alternatively, you could go to the library and look in the bound volumes of the OED, but the database is a newer edition and is easier to use once you become familiar with it.
After you have excavated all of the formal and artistic aspects of your text, then you will write a short paper (2-3 typed, single-spaced pages in length) discussing how Shakespeare uses his raw materials (rhyme, meter, structure, imagery, rhetorical argument, tone, diction, puns, etc.) to convey the sonnet’s thematic point. You must discuss at least one word’s significant meanings as researched in the OED, but I’d encourage you to discuss as many words in this way as you can. The best papers will have a real argument to make about the sonnet’s theme and will be richly textured in their presentation and treatment of evidence.
Due: Wednesday, April 28
In order to introduce you to the library (real or virtual) and its resources, your second written assignment will be to compile a brief bibliography of the most interesting recent articles written on one of the plays we will read this quarter. From the MLA Bibliography database, select ten journal articles or essays in collections. One of your items may be a book, but I’d prefer that you stick to articles.
Requirements:
1. You must find essays representing at least three of the following critical approaches: formalism/structuralism, new historicism/cultural studies, materialism (Marxist analysis), feminism/gender studies, queer studies, psychoanalytic criticism, theater history, performance studies, post-colonial studies.
2. Most (or all) of your items should have been published since 1970.
3. Your Bibliography must be arranged alphabetically and presented in MLA style as specified in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. If you are an English major, you should own a copy of this reference guide. If you do not own a copy, it is available at the library in the reference section (check OSCAR for details). Note: the MLA database does not put items in bibliography format. You must convert the information into the proper form!
Below are several examples of MLA style bibliographic entries; however, you are likely to find items which are more complicated than these very basic models.
Book:
Author’s name. Title of the book. Editor’s name (if any). Publication information.
Shakespeare, William. The Complete Works. Ed. Gary Taylor and Stanley Wells. Compact
Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987.
Essay in an anthology/collection:
Author’s name. "Title of essay." Title of collection. Editor’s name (if any). Publication info.
Page numbers.
Belsey, Catherine. "Desire’s excess and the English Renaissance theatre: Edward II, Troilus
and Cressida, Othello." Erotic Politics: Desire on the Renaissance Stage.
Ed. Susan Zimmerman. New York: Routledge, 1992. 84-102.
Article in a scholarly journal:
Author’s name. "Article title." Journal title Volume.Issue (Date): page numbers.
Levin, Richard. "Women in the Renaissance Theater Audience." Shakespeare Quarterly
40 (1987): 165-73.
Material/articles from electronic journals:
Author’s name. "Article title." Journal title Volume.Issue (Date): #of pages [or
"n.pag."]. Online. Name of computer network [Internet, BITNET,
etc.]. Date of access. Available: Network address.
Readings, Bill. "Translatio and Comparative Literature: The Terror of European Humanism."
Surfaces 1.11 (Dec. 1991): 19pp. Online. Internet. 2 Feb. 1992. Available
FTP: harfang.cc.umontreal.ca.
English 520: Presentation Assignment
** After you sign up for a presentation, see me and I will give you a copy of the description of your particular assignment.
Not all of the presentations ask for exactly the same kind of work, so I will describe the requirements in general terms. If you have any questions about your particular assignment, consult with me (either during office hours, or by making an appointment, or by e-mail).
Substance/Timing: On your presentation day, I will set aside 10-15 minutes of class time for you to begin the class’s discussion of your topic. You should have 2 or 3 observations to suggest about your text(s) or topic and you should have 3 questions for the class.
Handout: You should plan to use a handout to outline your major points and to distribute your discussion questions. Be sure to include citations if you quote from your texts (a good idea!), so the class can easily find the sections of the texts to which you refer.
If you are reporting on a document from The Bedford Companion, your remarks should draw connections between that document and the Shakespearean play or poem we are currently discussing.
You will be our resident expert on the material you have prepared, so you should anticipate questions the class might have about your text and your reading of it.
The grade you receive will assess your preparedness, the substance and relevance of your observations about the materials, and the effectiveness of your questions in opening up areas for discussion. (You will not be graded on your classmates’ (un)willingness to take up the discussion -- I will help you engage them if they are slow to pick up your lead. However, it would be a mark of your excellence if you could animate the class on a slow day!)
**************
Do not, do not fail to show up for your presentation. Once the day is past, it’s past. Carpe Diem.
English 520: Paper Assignment
Topic and Bibliography
Due: Wednesday, 10 May
Thesis Due: Wednesday, 19 May
Term Paper Due: Friday, 28 May
For this paper you may write about any of the texts we are reading for this course. It is up to you to decide how to focus your paper. You might wish to write on thematic issues or about particular characters; you may write about a single play or treat more than one.
I would encourage you to treat this paper as a cultural study, though I will not require you to do so. A cultural studies approach to this assignment would look at Shakespeare's text in connection with certain relevant primary documents in the Bedford Companion, The Taming of the Shrew: Texts and Contexts (on reserve), the photocopied materials I have placed on reserve (for a list of these, click here), or the many interesting primary materials available on the Internet. These materials are artifacts of early modern English culture capable of shedding interesting light on the plays we have read. For instance, if we had read Othello, you might have chosen to write about that play’s participation in the social debate about how husbands should treat their wives. You might have argued that although Othello directly violates the English church’s official teaching (in the Homily of the State of Matrimony) that husbands should use peaceful means of cultivating their wives’ good behavior, he nonetheless acts in complete accord with the underlying assumptions of that institution that women are corruptible and weak. You would then have looked carefully at the language and action of the play to illustrate the connections between Othello’s behavior and the homily’s instruction. You would, of course, have quoted from each text to support your analysis.
Focusing the Paper: It might be helpful to discuss possible topics with me. I may be able to point you to other relevant (not to mention fascinating) cultural materials. I can also offer tips to help you focus your search for critical sources.
Once you’ve chosen your topic, you will need to further focus your analysis so that you take a definite position in your paper. In other words, you will need to develop a thesis to guide your discussion of the important aspects of the text(s). Again, feel free to consult me if you experience difficulty framing your ideas as an arguable thesis.
Bibliographical Requirement: You must become familiar with what has been written about your play(s). The initial bibliography assignment gave you a head start on this, but you will need to do more. You will need to come up with a 20-item bibliography consisting of articles or essays in books that address your play(s) in ways that are related to your work. Of these 20 items, you must pick the most pertinent 2 or 3 to use in your paper. This is your chance to become a literary critic: you will be adding your work to the work that these other scholars have done on your topic. (For more information about scholarly journals, click here.)
Technical details: This paper should be 8-10 typed, double-spaced pages (use a standard 10- or 12- point font and one-inch margins). Do not settle for fewer pages; however, excessive length is also to be avoided. Do not include a cover page: simply type your name in the top right corner and staple the paper together. Be sure your pages are numbered and are in the right order. Proofread carefully.
Use MLA style for citations: use parenthetical references to specify the Act.scene.line numbers of quotations from the play or author/title & page to direct your reader to quotes from the nondramatic texts. Parenthetical citations should occur at the end of a sentence in which you quote or at the end of an inset block quotation; for example, (III.ii.37-42). Use endnotes only for interesting sidebar remarks and/or suggestions for further reading. Append your bibliography to the end of your text, arranging it in two sections: "Works Cited" and "Further Critical Works."
Contemporary ConTEXTS Materials
(These may help you as you work on your term paper.)
* Renaissance Women On-line (Brown Women Writers Project) Includes several of Queen Elizabeth's speeches, as well as several women's contributions to the ongoing debate about women's position in society (see, for instance, Jane Anger and Constantia Munda), and a tremendously influential work on breast feeding by Elizabeth Clinton, the Countess of Lincoln (might be interesting in connection with Lady Macbeth, yes?) Note that some of these texts are too late to really be of relevance to our project.
* Voice of the Shuttle This site includes links to many on-line texts and resources for the study of early modern literature.
Shakespearean Magic and Mayhem
June 2, 1999
Your final assignment for this course is to make a formal contribution to our final class celebration. In Shakespeare's time, an afternoon at the theater meant a lot more than an occasion for sitting and watching five acts of drama. Before and after the play there were other entertainments: music, singing, comedy sketches, juggling, dancing, etc. For our celebration you may choose to entertain us with a short scene from Shakespeare's oeuvre, a recitation of one of the famous soliloquies, a dramatic reading of a series of sonnets, an appropriate (or inappropriate) ballad, a jaunty jig, feats of juggling, skillful demonstrations of slight of hand, or with witty jests zestfully performed. Two restrictions: You may not use live animals or do anything that would constitute a violation of the laws of the State of Ohio or of the United States.
You may work independently or in groups. You must let me know in advance what you plan to do. I encourage you to employ props and costumes where you are able. Remember that this is a graded assignment, but also remember that it is meant to be fun.
I will provide food and libations.
English Prose Drama Database search form
English Verse Drama Database search form
English Poetry Database search form
ArdenNet: The Critical Resource for Shakespeare Studies (links, listings of Shakespeare organizations and conferences, teaching resources, articles, news and reviews, discussion. The site requires registration but is currently free) (Thomas Nelson and Sons, Ltd.)
Shakespeare and the Globe on the Web: a research links page compiled by the Renaissance Texts Research Centre of the U of Reading, UK.
Shakespeare in Performance Database (U of Reading, UK) includes information about performance practices (early modern and modern) related to the playing of Shakespeare.
Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet (Site maintained by Terry A. Gray)
For a longer list of web resources for early modern literary and cultural studies, see the Links page on my website.
Syllabus for 520 * Course Policies * Assignments * Professor Burks' home page