Instructor: Dr. Steve Cirrone
Office: RS322
Phone/Voice Mail: 916-650-2608
Email: cirrons@scc.losrios.com
Class Location:___________
WELCOME TO SHAKESPEARE!
OVERVIEW
The sonnets and five plays chosen for this course illustrate Shakespeare's remarkable
range and variety, and show the development of his art from the relatively early tragedies
to his latter comedies. Despite the broad range covered by these works, you will discover
how they are linked by common issues and dramatic techniques; at the same time, you
will learn how Shakespeare's art developed during his career.
REQUIRED TEXTS and MATERIALS
Shakespeare’s Sonnets –New Cambridge Shakespeare—ISBN 0521294037
Macbeth—Folger Shakespeare Library—ISBN 0743477103
King Lear—Harold Bloom/Riverhead Trade—ISBN 1594480893
Measure for Measure—Oxford University Press—ISBN 0198320108
The Merchant of Venice—Norton Critical Edition—ISBN 0393925293
The Tempest—Bedford/St Martins—ISBN 0312197667
Packet of Photocopied Materials
A Folder with Pockets
Note: For good background information about the time period, it is recommended that
you also view within the first few weeks of class the recent two-episode mini-series
Elizabeth I, starring Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons.
ASSIGNMENTS and EVALUATION CRITERIA
There will be six in-class comprehensive quizzes based on lectures and readings, worth
5% each, total 30% of final grade
There will be one analytical 7-8 page essay worth 20% of final grade. (You must meet
with me twice during the semester during my office hours, once to discuss your paper
topic, and the second time to show me an outline/intro paragraph and thesis
statement/sources—if you plan to use them.)
There will be one in-class group presentation, worth 20% of grade
There will be an in-class final exam, worth 20% of final grade
You must attend a play relevant to this class (ask me if you are unsure) and write a 350500 word (1 ½ to 2 pages), typed reaction and bring in ticket stub(s), worth 10% of your
final grade. (You are welcome to attend this play with a friend or other class mate(s), but
each one of you will be responsible for your own reaction essay.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED and THERE IS NO EXTENSION OR
MAKEUP FOR THE GROUP PRESENTATION
IF YOU MISS A QUIZ, YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHATEVER
MAKE-UP QUIZ I ASSIGN YOU. THE MAKE-UP QUIZ WILL BE MUCH
HARDER, AND WILL PROBABLY CONSIST OF AN ORAL EXAM TO BE
CONDUCTED IN MY OFFICE DURING MY OFFICE HOURS.
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ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE TYPED, DOUBLE SPACED
ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE DONE
ALL ASSIGNMENTS DUE BY DATE INDICATED BELOW
NO CEL PHONES, PAGERS or BEEPERS PLEASE
ALL ATTEMPTS WILL BE MADE TO HELP STUDENTS WITH
LEARNING DISABILITIES. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO LET ME
KNOW IF YOU HAVE A LEARNING DISABILITY AS CLOSE TO THE
START OF THE COURSE AS POSSIBLE.
 IF YOU MISS CLASS, YOU MUST FIND OUT ABOUT AND MAKE UP
MISSED WORK
Classmate Name and Number:
_______________________________________________
Classmate Name and Number:
_______________________________________________
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
 COME TO CLASS ON TIME—I rarely take attendance, but if I do, and you
are late, you will be marked absent. If you are consistently late, you will be
interrupting the class, and my lectures, and that will be noted and will result in a
grade reduction.
 THREE CONSECUTIVE ABSENCES WITHIN THE FIRST THREE WEEKS
OF CLASS RESULTS IN AUTOMATIC DROP
 IF YOUR ABSENCES EXCEED SIX, FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU
WILL BE DROPPED FROM THE COURSE OR RECEIVE AN “F” FOR THE
CLASS IF AFTER DROP DATE
 IF YOU WISH TO DROP THIS COURSE, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
TO DO SO
SPECIAL NOTE ON PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:
As it is defined in the SCC Student Code of Conduct, Plagiarism is
representing the work of someone else as your own and submitting it for
any purpose. Plagiarism includes the following: Incorporating the ideas,
works, sentences, paragraphs, or parts of another person's writings,
without giving appropriate credit, and representing the product as your
own work; Representing another's artistic/scholarly work as your own;
Submitting a paper purchased from a research or term paper service.
Note: It is my policy to fail anyone for the course if I suspect that person of
having committed plagiarism or academic dishonesty.
SHAKESPEARE – DR CIRRONE – SYLLABUS MWF
January 17: Introductions/Overview: Aristotelian TRAGEDY and COMEDY
19 Lecture: What was the English Renaissance?
22 GROUP PROJECT EXPLAINED and GROUPS FORMED
(Please come into class with your first and second choices, see attached Group
Presentation information.)
24 The Sonnets: The Cycle, The Fair Youth and The Dark Lady
Close attention in class may be paid to
Sonnets 1, 5, 6, 10, 12, 18, 19, 20, 23, 30, 35, 40, 41, 42
26 The Sonnets: Fair Youth, continued
Close attention in class may be paid to
Sonnets 43, 47, 48, 49, 54, 55, 56, 60, 62, 64, 66, 71 73, 76,
82, 87, 90, 91, 94, 97, 99 102, 106, 107, 110, 111, 115, 116, 119, 124
29 The Sonnets: The Dark Lady
Close attention in class may be paid to
Sonnets 127, 128, 129, 130, 132, 137, 138, 141, 144, 145, 146, 147,
148, 150, 151, 152 and 154 (Envoi)
31 The Sonnets
Quiz 1
February 2 Macbeth—Lecture: Renaissance Witchcraft
5 Macbeth – Exposition
7 Macbeth – Rising Action
Note: The play should be read in its entirety by this date.
9 Macbeth – Climax
12 Macbeth – Denouement and Resolution
14 Macbeth Quiz 2
NOTE: DAYS OFF
21 Macbeth – GROUP PRESENTATIONS A
NOTE: THIS WEEK, YOU MUST MEET WITH ME DURING MY OFFICE HOURS
TO DISCUSS YOUR ESSAY TOPIC
23 In-class Movie: Hamlet (Gibson-Close)
26 In-class Movie: Hamlet (Gibson-Close)
28 In-class Movie: Hamlet (Gibson-Close)
March 2 Hamlet (Gibson-Close)
5 King Lear—Background and What to Look for
7 King Lear— Dividing the Kingdom
Note: The play should be read in its entirety by this date.
9 King Lear—The “O”
12 King Lear—The King/The Fool
NOTE: THIS WEEK YOU MUST MEET WITH ME TO DISCUSS THE OUTLINE
AND SHOW ME THE SOURCES OF YOUR ESSAY
14 King Lear—GROUP PRESENTATIONS B
16 King Lear Quiz 3
19 Measure for Measure—The Nature of the Tragicomedy
21 Measure for Measure—Your Chastity or Your Life!
Note: The play should be read in its entirety by this date.
23 Measure for Measure—The Bed-trick
26 Measure for Measure—Angelo, Angel or Devil?
28 Measure for Measure—GROUP PRESENTATION C
30 Measure for Measure Quiz 4
SPRING RECESS April 2-8
April 9 OFF
11 The Merchant of Venice—Suitor Question
13 The Merchant of Venice—Anti-Semitism
Note: The play should be read in its entirety by this date.
***ONE PAGE REACTION TO STAGED PLAY and TICKET STUB DUE***
16 The Merchant of Venice—Pretty Portia, in Drag?
18 The Merchant of Venice—GROUP PRESENTATIONS D
20 The Merchant of Venice Quiz 5
23 In-class Movie: Much Ado About Nothing (Brannaugh—Thompson)
25 In-class Movie: Much Ado About Nothing (Brannaugh—Thompson)
27 In-class Movie: Much Ado About Nothing (Brannaugh—Thompson)
30 Much Ado About Nothing (Brannaugh—Thompson)
May 2 The Tempest—The System of Renaissance Magic
4 The Tempest—Oratory Conception
Note: The play should be read in its entirety by this date.
** ANALYTICAL ESSAY DUE on MAY 4**
7 The Tempest—Caliban and Ariel
9 The Tempest—The Ends of Temptation
11 The Tempest—GROUP PRESENTATIONS E
14 The Tempest Quiz 6
16 Final Review
18 Final Exam, Part I
21 Final Exam, Part II
Please Note: The Instructor reserves the right to modify this syllabus at his discretion.
GROUP PROJECTS—SHAKESPARE—DR CIRRONE
THIS IS GOING TO BE A FUN AND EXCITING PROJECT, NO MATTER
WHICH ONE YOU ARE ASSIGNED!
NOTE—THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF PERSONS IN A GROUP IS 4, EXCEPT
WHEN NOTED BELOW.
Each Group MUST have a Group Leader, the duties of which include:
This person should not mind taking on a little extra work, but this person in no
way can or will carry the burden of the entire project. If you read below, the
projects DEMAND group activity, so one person—even the most capable
person—could not complete the Group Project by himself or herself. To
compensate for the extra work, GROUP LEADERS WILL HAVE THEIR
LOWEST QUIZ SCORE DROPPED AND REPLACED WITH AN “A”
This person is the project coordinator and should be the most organized member
of your group, someone who understands how to create and implement deadlines.
It is the responsibility of the Group Leader to keep everyone else in the group on
track, to motivate individuals when necessary, and to make sure that all sections
of the project are completed on time, thoroughly and thoughtfully.
If and when a Group Member fails to perform or meet a deadline as set by the
Group, it is the Group Leader’s responsibility to let me know immediately.
The Group Leader is also responsible for distributing a short survey (though the
Group Leader is not responsible for creating this survey on his or her own) to the
class which will serve to evaluate/assess the success of the Group Project
The Group Leader is also responsible for assessing the survey information and
typing a one-page reaction to that assessment. In other words, evaluate the
effectiveness of your group’s presentation.
The Group Leader is also responsible for typing a short evaluation of each Group
Member and his/her activities within the Group.
The Group Leader is also responsible for gathering and getting to me the final
project elements in a clear-cover folder, in this order:
1) Cover Page with the name of your Group Project, the names of your
Group Members and their contact information, and their designated
functions.
2) A chronological outline of duties to be performed to meet the demand
of the Project.
3) A copy of the distributed in-class survey
4) Five surveys filled out by your peers
5) The written response that addresses the Group Members’ individual
activities.
NOTE: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ONE PERSON OTHER THAN THE
GROUP LEADER BE DESIGNATED A NOTE TAKER/CONTACT LIST
CREATOR DURING ALL GROUP MEETINGS.
**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR GROUP LEADERS BY JANUARY 29th**
Although any member of your group is welcome to speak with me during office
hours about the Group Project, I will conduct most conversations and
directions/explanations through your Group Leader.
Below are the instructions for each group project. They differ vastly from each other.
Please take the time to review these before we talk about the group project in class, and
choose your first and second choices by JANUARY 22. I will do my best to
accommodate the entire class, but know the minimum and maximum number of persons
required for some projects may mean that you will be placed into a group not your first or
second choice. If you do not make a request on JANUARY 22 or have no preference,
then I will add you into a group at my discretion.
A: MACBETH:
1) More than any other play in the history of the English language, Macbeth, or
“The Scottish Play,” has been riddled with drastic difficulty during its
staging—so much so that the play was considered “cursed” by thespians for
two centuries and avoided like the plague! Write a 4-5 page paper that
examines the efficacy of the play’s “curse.” Then, with your group members,
create a multi-media presentation that shares with class the “curse” claims of
the past and speculate on how and why this play had the reputation it did.
Create a handout for the class that documents “cursed” performances. Finally,
you may wish to connect the staging of this play to the development of the
theatre in general, if you have the time. Intended for 3 or 4 persons. You and
your group will have 25 minutes to present and survey the class.
2) Witchcraft, anyone? In its final folio form, Macbeth presents us with some of
the more pronounced aspects of Renaissance black magic. With your group,
investigate: where common concepts of witchcraft came from; what elements
Shakespeare (or other writers) incorporated into the play text; and how the
Renaissance audience would have reacted to these representations on stage.
Write a 4-5 page documented paper outlining one of the issues above. Put
together a multi-media representation that presents these connections critically
and thoughtfully. Might there have been any other explanation for the play
being written the way it is? Intended for 3 or 4 persons. You and your group
will have 25 minutes to present and survey the class.
B: KING LEAR:
1) Lear is, among other possibilities, a highly complex play when it comes to
figuring out the motivation of the characters in this dysfunctional family. With
your group members, research and write a 4-5 page documented essay that
considers the psychological motives of the Lear family, or of Lear himself.
Then, armed with your research and your reading of the play, imagine that one
of you is Lear, one Regan, one Goneril and one Cordelia. Confront each other,
as well as yourself. Each one of you map out a “motivational chart” that
shows connections between what you say/do as a character and the other
members in your family. Then, each of you write a “confessional letter” in
which you outline why you do what you do in the play. These letters should
be specific to play text and scene. In class, the four of you will “manifest” the
psychology of the Lear family for us by reading aloud your letters to one
another. Distribute a survey to the class asking them for reactions to the way
in which your group interprets the motivations of the main characters. You
will have 25 minutes to present and survey the class. 4 persons required for
this project. The survey may be collected the next class period.
2) Like to act, direct or write plays? First, with your group, choose a key scene or
two from Lear that presents us with the dynamics of the Lear family. Then
re-write this scene, updating it into contemporary English and contemporary
English family structure. Perform your mini-play before the class. One person
in your group should function solely as director and also function to lead the
class through the choices he or she has made in staging the mini-production.
Need extra room? A real stage? Let me know early so we can secure you the
right space. Up to FIVE people (recommended) may join this group—four
of which, then, must be on stage. You will have 25 minutes to perform for
the class. The survey may be distributed afterwards and collected the next
period.
C: MEASURE FOR MEASURE:
1) Just how difficult on Isabel is the choice imposed on her by Angelo? With
your group members, investigate concepts of morality as they existed during
the time period(s) relevant to the play’s initial staging. Write a 4-5 page
documented research paper connecting the moral questions introduced in the
play to Shakespeare’s world. Then, in presentation of your choosing, inform
the class of the moral relevance of the play and speculate on what
Shakespeare may have been doing for his audience when he side-steps the
dilemma with the bed-trick. Distribute a survey to the class that asks us to
react to the moral questions raised in the play and assess this information. You
will have 25 minutes to present and survey the class. Intended for 3 or 4
persons. The survey may be collected the next class period.
2) With your group members, come up with an alternative ending for this play,
starting with III.iv.156. Make sure you consider the elements of plot
introduced in the first “half” of the play. Then, write up the ensuing plot line,
paying strict attention to consistency of character. Write up six soliloquies
based on your new plot line/ending (50 line minimum apiece). Three of
soliloquies should be delivered from Isabel, three from Angelo, and should
represent in small the progression of the plot/design of the new play you and
your group members have created. In class, distribute your soliloquies and
lead us through the second half of the play to its new conclusion, with specific
references to the soliloquies you create. Strict attention MUST be paid to
poetic/verse principles (ie: the formal elements of poetry and drama). You will
have 25 minutes to present and survey the class. Note: This is a project
intended for the would-be and actual poets in class, and not a project for the
layman. Intended for 1-3 persons. The survey may be collected during the
next class period.
D: THE MERCHANT of VENICE:
1) You and your group members will be responsible for choosing several key
scenes that elucidate the gender-power relationship depicted in this play and
performing them before the class. Scenes TBA after I meet with the Director
of the group, which should take place as soon as possible. You will also create
the perfect “Set” to compliment your interpretation of this gender-power
relationship. Present this set design to the class before your group performs.
One member of the group should function as Director. One person will
function both as an actor and as a “set designer.” One person will be
responsible for costuming/props—if available and appropriate. Need extra
room? A real stage? Let me know early so we can secure you the right space.
Up to FIVE persons (recommended) may join this group—four of which,
then, must be on stage. You will have 30 minutes to conduct this project in
front of class. The surveys may be collected the following class period.
2) The title of this play is intriguing. Why “Merchant?” What, exactly, is being
bought and sold, bartered and traded, throughout the play? There are many
ways to show how the title of this play is manifested dramatically here. With
your group, first determine the different meanings of the title as it applies to
this play. Then, represent those relationships in a hand-out/grid to be
distributed to the class during the presentation. Next, choose ONE of those
relationships to explore more closely. Research the way in which Shakespeare
uses contemporary ideas of commerce, culture and politics to infuse this play
with deeply significant meaning behind the use of his title. Write up a short
(2-3 pages) close examinations of this dramatic instance of commerce. Then,
think about the way in which our contemporary world continues or refutes
these instances; find evidence to support or deny the claim(s) made in the
initial paper, and write a short (2-3 pages) paper clearly explaining your
group’s position. In class, present the handout lead us through your
comparison/contrast—has much changed over the past five hundred years
concerning the “trade” your group investigated? This is intended for 4
persons. You will have 25 minutes to present and survey the class. The
surveys may be collected the following class period.
E: THE TEMPEST:
1) Prospero’s Island has been the focus of much criticism and debate—especially
in terms of how it relates to colonization of the New World. Your text
contains several historical, as well as critical, sources that deal with this issue.
With your group members, read the source texts and critical material about the
source texts/play and write a synopsis of each (4-5 page total). Each member
of your group must write at least one synopsis. Then, get together with your
group members and share what you’ve learned by reading the contextual and
critical material. Discuss how Prospero’s Island may or may not function as a
metaphor for the period’s major cultural, social, political and religious
representations; also discuss how Caliban and Ariel function within these
representations. Design an in-class information sheet/grid that outlines these
representations and lead the class through some of the more interesting points
concerning Caliban and Ariel, and Prospero himself. 3 person minimum
required for this group; 4 person maximum. You will have 25 minutes to
present and survey the class. The surveys may be collected the following class
period.
2) The Tempest is considered Shakespeare’s fare-well to the stage and stagecraft. It is, in many ways, his salute to both—while at the same time
exploiting the purposes of both. With your group, research Shakespeare’s
career and examine Prospero’s character in this context—do you find
similarities between Prospero and Shakespeare? Between dramatic elements
of the play and stage-craft? Write a 4-5 page documented paper that attempts
to answer these questions, and then create a multi-media presentation that
provides critical insight into these and related issues, and share this with our
class. This project is intended for 3 or 4 persons. You will have 25 minutes
to present and survey the class. The surveys may be collected the following
class period.