Introduction to Shakespeare
Literature 80, PEMS
Emily Sloan-Pace
William Shakespeare is often described as the greatest dramatist of all time, and
his plays maintain enormous popularity around the world. His work undergoes numerous
revisions and reinterpretations every year, and phrases from his plays have become
commonplace in everyday discourse. The goal of this class is to understand
Shakespeare’s work as more than theatrical drama. How does Henry V function as
historical object, trope and as a reflection of larger socio-political concerns? What do
Midsummer Night’s Dream or The Tempest say about the hierarchy of a Renaissance
family? What do Othello and Macbeth depict about monarchy and good government?
Through an examination of five of Shakespeare’s plays from multiple genres, students
will improve their analytical and critical skills as well as achieve a better understanding
of the historical, political and social world that generated these texts.
Course Requirements: Regular attendance at all lectures is mandatory. Students may
miss 2 classes without adversely affecting their grade. A student who misses four or
more lectures will not be able to pass the class. Reading should be completed on the day
it is assigned, and students should come prepared to participate in class discussions. All
papers must be submitted on the due date, and late papers will not be accepted. Papers
must be formatted according to MLA style.
Required Texts:
The Pelican editions have been ordered for the class and are available at the Bay Tree
Bookstore, but alternative editions are also acceptable.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Henry V
Macbeth
Othello
The Tempest
Grading Rubric:
Attendance and Participation: 20%
Paper 1: 15%
Paper 2: 20%
Paper 3: 30%
Quizzes: 15%
Week 1:
Day 1: Introduction
Lecture Topics: Early Modern England: A Political and Cultural Primer
The Early Modern Theater and a Biography of Shakespeare
Day 2: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (MSND), Acts 1 and 2
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Ovid’s “Pyramus and Thisbe” (eres)
Lecture Topics: Revision and Intertextuality
Renaissance Printing: The Rise of the Book
Day 3: MSND, Acts 3 and 4
Lecture Topic: The Play’s The Thing: Meta-Theatricality
Week 2:
Day 4: MSND, Act 5
The Tempest, Act 1
Lecture Topic: No Man is an Island: The Empire and the Individual
Day 5: The Tempest, Acts 2 and 3
Lecture Topic: The Raw and the Cooked: Colonialism and Post-Colonialism
In Class Quiz on MSND
Day 6: The Tempest, Acts 4 and 5
Lecture Topic: The Play’s The Thing, Redux: The Masque Tradition
4 Page essay due on MSND
Week 3:
Day 7: Henry V, Acts 1 and 2
Lecture Topic: The Genre of History
In Class Quiz on the Tempest
Day 8: Henry V, Acts 3 and 4
Lecture Topic: Monarchy and Masculinity in Early Modern England
Day 9: Henry V, Act 5
Othello, Act 1
Lecture Topic: Fathers and Daughters: Patriarchy and Possession
Week 4:
Day 10: Othello, Acts 2 and 3
Lecture Topic: Conceptions of Race in Early Modern England
In Class Quiz on Henry V
Day 11: Othello, Act 4 and 5
Lecture Topic: Aristotle and Theories of Drama
5-6 Page Paper due in class on Henry V and The Tempest
Day 12: Macbeth, Acts 1 and 2
Lecture Topic: Witchcraft and Magic in the Renaissance
Week 5:
Day 13: Macbeth, Acts 3 and 4
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Lecture Topic: The King And I: James I as Spectator
Day 14: Macbeth, Act 5
Conclusions: Shakespeare and the Human Condition
10-12 Page Paper due on Macbeth and Othello at NOON due the day of the final.
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