2CR3 Shakespeare: Comedy, Play, Rom (C01) Academic Year: 2021 Term: Fall Day/Evening: Evenings Instructor: Michael Angell Email: angellm@mcmaster.ca Office Hours: TBA Course and Learning Objectives: Course Description Comedies have traditionally been defined as plays that deal with “common people,” often young, in conflict with the social order. And they usually end in marriage. In this course we will develop an understanding of the conventions of the comedic genre and consider deviations from the standard: city comedies, problem plays and romances. The plays we will be looking at, despite their lighter tone, challenge audiences to face important questions about the organization of society. A major focus of our reading will be the relationship of justice to social constructions of race, sexuality, and gender. As these plays explore social conflicts, we might ask what makes certain resolutions “fair” or “just.” How are our views of a just and moral resolution perhaps different from Early Modern ones? Do these plays reinforce dominant and oppressive ideas of gender and race, or do they contest them? How did dominant Early Modern views of gender, sexuality, and race differ from contemporary perspectives? How can performance choices impact the way we experience these plays? How have others interpreted these plays historically? We also will be challenging the centrality of Shakespeare to the narrative of Early Modern theatre. Shakespeare still dominates our course, but I have included two other playwrights as well. Ben Jonson was, until the mid 18th century, considered the most influential comedic playwright of the Early Modern period. We will also be reading a play by Aphra Behn, written over 60 years after Shakespeare’s death. Behn’s play helps us think about the significant role of the material conditions of theatre production on how plays are written. We might ask how readers and critics decide on “literary periods” and whether those divisions might impede certain insights that come from reading different texts together. Does Behn’s play represent a different genre, or does it have strong continuity with the comedies of Shakespeare and Jonson? Learning Goals - Improve close reading and writing skills. Develop important skills for contextualizing and understanding Early Modern drama. Introduce students to important context for Early Modern theatre studies. Develop skills for analyzing performances and adaptations of plays. Familiarize students with the generic elements of Early Modern comedies. Critically analyze elements of cultural texts related to gender, sexuality, and race. Course Delivery: Lectures: Synchronous lectures on Tuesdays 7:00-8:00 PM with supplementary asynchronous materials. Tutorials: 1 hour weekly synchronous tutorials. This course will be conducted entirely online but will include synchronous elements. Synchronous lectures will be conducted every Tuesday from 7:00 to 8:00 PM on Microsoft Teams. These lectures will be supplemented by additional materials and video lectures that can be completed at your own pace during each week on Avenue to Learn. Details about TAs will be forthcoming in September. Textbooks, Materials and Fees: Required Readings: These plays are all available online for free, but without significant editorial glosses that can help with understanding. I recommend ordering physical copies of the plays to make things a little easier. During lecture I will be using these editions, so a physical copy can make following along easier. Ben Jonson, The Alchemist and Other Plays. Ed. Gordon Campbell. Oxford World’s Classics, 2009. ISBN: 9780199537310 Aphra Behn, The Rover and Other Plays. Ed. Jane Spencer. Oxford World’s Classics, 2008. ISBN: 9780199540204 William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure. Eds. B. Mowat & P. Westine. Simon & Schuster, 2020. ISBN13: 9781982157418 —. The Merchant of Venice. Eds. B. Mowat & P. Werstine. Simon & Schuster, 2010. ISBN13: 9781439191163 —. The Tempest. Eds. B. Mowat & P. Werstine. Simon & Schuster, 2015. ISBN13: 9781501130014 Method of Assessment: Method of Assessment: Tests (x5) 10% Participation 15% Discussion Questions 5% Short Essay 3-4 pages 15% Long essay 5-6 pages 25% Final exam 30% Tests: Five quizzes will be scheduled during the course, the best 4 out of 5 will count for 2.5% of your grade each, for a total of 10%. Quizzes will be composed of short answer questions. Participation: Participation grade will be determined by your attendance and participation in tutorial meetings. Coming to tutorial having read the material and prepared to discuss will have a positive impact on your participation grade. Part of the grade may be determined by activities assigned by your TA in tutorial. Students who are unable to participate in real-time classes can contact the professor or TA about alternate forms of participation. Discussion Questions: You will be required to submit a discussion question on Avenue to Learn five times during the class. The question should be submitted by Monday so there is time for me to read it before lecture the following day. This is a pass/fail assignment, each question is worth 1%. Any serious question will receive a pass, while if a question is a clear copy of another person’s or is not related to the materials for that week it may not receive full marks. Short Essay: The short essay will be an analytical essay responding to a prompt provided a few weeks in advance. The essay should be 800-1000 words double spaced and conform to MLA style rules. Secondary sources are not allowed for this essay, though you may use ideas and information from class materials as though they were common knowledge. If you would like to write on a topic of your choosing please consult with me or your TA by October 10th. Long Essay: This essay should be roughly 1500 words long. The long essay can either be a performance analysis of one of a select few performances that will be provided to the class for optional viewing, or a comparative essay between two of the plays covered in the course. Prompts will be given for the comparative essay option a month ahead of the due date. Secondary sources may be used for this essay but it is recommended because of its relatively short wordcount to limit secondary sources as much as possible. Final Exam: The take-home final exam will consist of a few close reading passages for analysis (long answer) and an essay component. You will have a week to complete the exam once it is made public. 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Students should submit their request to their Faculty Office normally within 10 working days of the beginning of term in which they anticipate a need for accommodation or to the Registrar's Office prior to their examinations. Students should also contact their instructors as soon as possible to make alternative arrangements for classes, assignments, and tests. Copyright and Recording Students are advised that lectures, demonstrations, performances, and any other course material provided by an instructor include copyright protected works. The Copyright Act and copyright law protect every original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work, including lectures by University instructors. The recording of lectures, tutorials, or other methods of instruction may occur during a course. Recording may be done by either the instructor for the purpose of authorized distribution, or by a student for the purpose of personal study. Students should be aware that their voice and/or image may be recorded by others during the class. Please speak with the instructor if this is a concern for you. Extreme Circumstances The University reserves the right to change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances (e.g., severe weather, labour disruptions, etc.). Changes will be communicated through regular McMaster communication channels, such as McMaster Daily News, A2L and/or McMaster email. Schedule Week of Sept. 7 Lecture – Introduction to the course and Early Modern Comedy Asynchronous Modules: - The Early Modern Theatre Space How to Read Early Modern Literature Introduction to Close Reading Assignment Week of Sept. 14 Lecture – Epicoene Part 1 Tutorials begin. Asynchronous Modules: - Early Modern Ideas of Gender and Sexuality - History of “boy companies” - Case History: Epicoene in the Restoration - Week of Sept. 21 – Quiz 1 Ends this Week. Lecture – Epicoene Part 2 Asynchronous Modules: - Intergenerational conflict in Early Modern Comedy (Frye Youngs vs. Olds) - Power and justice - Gender in Epicoene Week of Sept. 28 Lecture – The Merchant of Venice Part I Asynchronous Modules - Early Modern attitudes towards Judaism - Law and Religion - Introduction to Short Essay - Week of October 5 – Quiz 2 ends this week. Lecture – The Merchant of Venice Part II Asynchronous Modules - Race and Shakespeare (Ian Smith) Jewish responses to MoV in performance Recess Week of October 19 Lecture – Measure for Measure Part I Asynchronous Modules: - Introduction to the idea of a “Problem Play” Sex and the law in the Early Modern Period Short Essay Due Sunday October 24th by midnight. Week of October 26 Quiz 3 Ends this Week Lecture – Measure for Measure Part II Asynchronous Modules - Production History: Silence and the ending of the play. Morality vs. Justice Week of November 2 Lecture – The Tempest Part I Asynchronous Modules: - What is a Romance? Magic in the Early Modern Period. Historical Contexts. Week of November 9 – Quiz 4 Ends This Week Lecture – The Tempest Asynchronous Modules: - Post-colonial responses. Production History. Week of November 16 Lecture – The Rover Part I Asynchronous Modules: - Changes to the theatre. Women’s authorship. Week of November 23 Quiz 5 Ends This Week Lecture – The Rover Part II - Marriage and female agency. Libertinism and gender. Long Essay Due Sunday November 28th by midnight. Week of November 30 Lecture – Shakespeare’s Legacy in Performance Week of December 7 Lecture – Exam Review
