Ann Tippett, Assistant Professor
of English
Monroe Community College, Rochester, NY
 |
Course Information SheetEnglish 218: Introduction to Shakespeare WR (Writing Intensive) |
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt."
-- "Measure for Measure" Act i, Sc.5
Welcome! Why study Shakespeare? Well, he is considered a genius. And the joy of this class will be exposing ourselves to that genius. Drama is a magical art and part of his appeal lies in his ability to uniquely blend the familiar and strange on stage. Our starting point will be to simply enjoy him, to savor his imaginative richness, to take pleasure in his infinite delight in language and then also explore his outstanding contributions to the development of the English language, literature and drama.
Course Description/Objectives: "Reading and discussion of eight or nine plays that have been considered the greatest ever written. Buffoons, gravediggers, shrews, kings, and tender lovers express themes of power, revenge, love, jealousy, ambition, betrayal and mysticism." MCC Catalog
In this course you’ll
- Read and discuss 7 plays and selected sonnets
- Research and present, with a group, information on a relevant topic
- Research and analyze in writing specific aspects of his plays
- Analyze different aspects of dramatic performance
- Prepare and present, with a group, assigned scenes and acts of plays
Participation: This is an interactive class; by that I mean we are all here to learn from each other so the focus will be on discussion, not lecture. So, to do well in this class, you must keep up with the reading. You will be asked to respond to all readings, complete formal and informal writing assignments, work in small groups, lead discussions, prepare presentations for the rest of the class and watch and respond to videos. Periodic quizzes will given as well.
Requirements/Evaluation:
| Midterm in-class essay | 15
pts |
| Final paper | 20
pts |
| Group projects/presentations (2) | 15
pts |
| Quizzes/Homework | 30
pts |
| Journal | 10
pts |
| Class participation | 10
pts |
100 pts |
|
100 - 93 = A |
86 - 83 = B |
76 - 73 = C |
66 - 65 = D |
|
92 - 90 = A- |
82 - 80 = B- |
72 - 70 = C- |
64 - 0 = F |
|
89 - 87 = B+ |
79 - 77 = C+ |
69 - 67 = D+ |
-- "All's Well That Ends Well" Act i, Sc.2