English
3123: ShakespeareÕs Comedies Tanya
Pollard |
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2150 Boylan TR 11:00-12:15 E-mail:
Tpollard@brooklyn.cuny.edu
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Office:
3108 Boylan Phone: 718-951-5000 x 6216 Hours:
T 12:15-1 & 5:45-6:30, Th 10:30-11, and by appointment |
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Although ShakespeareÕs
tragedies carry more prestige, comedies have historically enjoyed more
popular demand. This course will
explore their attractions for audiences, while asking questions about early
modern conceptions of the genre.
ShakespeareÕs comedies have been described as festive, romantic, and
pastoral, in contrast with the dark, satiric city comedies also popular in
the period, but in practice they frequently involve disaster, jealousy,
betrayal, apparent deaths, and ambivalent endings. What sorts of pleasures might these
versions of comedy have held out to audiences? We will consider comedyÕs relationship
to tragedy, tragicomedy, satire, and parody, alongside topics such as shipwreck,
disguise, deceit, confusion, recognition, reversal, master-servant relations,
marriage, appetite, and pleasure. Readings will include Comedy of Errors, Midsummer NightÕs Dream, Twelfth Night, Pericles, WinterÕs
Tale, and Tempest. |
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Week |
Date |
Assignment |
Presenters |
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1 |
8-29 |
Introduction |
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2 |
9-3 |
Comedy of Errors, Acts 1-2 |
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9-5 |
No class |
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2 |
9-10 |
Oxford English Dictionary exercise; Library room 383 |
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9-12 |
Comedy of Errors, Acts 3-5 |
1 |
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3 |
9-17 |
Midsummer NightÕs Dream, Acts 1-2 |
2 |
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9-19 |
Oxford English Dictionary
research |
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4 |
9-24 |
Midsummer NightÕs Dream, Acts 3-4 |
3 |
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9-26 |
Midsummer NightÕs Dream, Act 5 |
4 |
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5 |
10-1 |
Twelfth Night,
Acts 12 N, 1-2 |
1 |
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10-3 |
Twelfth Night,
Acts 3-4 |
2 |
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6 |
10-8 |
Twelfth Night,
Act 5 |
3 |
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10-10 |
Exam |
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7 |
10-15 |
No class |
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10-17 |
Pericles,
Acts 1-2 |
4 |
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8 |
10-22 |
Pericles, Acts 3-4 |
1 |
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10-24 |
Pericles, Act 5 |
2 |
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9 |
10-29 |
WinterÕs Tale, Acts 1-2 |
3 |
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10-31 |
WinterÕs Tale, Acts 3-4 |
4 |
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10 |
11-5 |
WinterÕs Tale,
Act 5 |
1 |
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11-7 |
Tempest,
Acts 1-2 |
2 |
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11 |
11-12 |
Tempest,
Acts 3-4 |
3 |
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11 |
11-14 |
Tempest, 5 |
4 |
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12 |
11-19 |
Exam |
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11-21 |
Research presentations and
responses |
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13 |
11-26 |
research presentations and
responses |
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11-28 |
No class |
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14 |
12-3 |
research presentations and
responses |
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12-5 |
Research paper due;
peer-editing workshop |
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16 |
12-10 |
Revised research paper due |
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Course Requirements
and Expectations: |
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Attendance Because
your contributions to class discussion are a central part of your work for
this course, attendance is crucial.
If you miss more than three classes, your overall grade will drop; at
six absences, you may fail the class. Arriving late to class will count as
one-third of an absence. |
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Texts I
have ordered Signet Editions of the plays on our syllabus at Shakespeare
& Co.; you may purchase them elsewhere if you prefer, and other editions
are acceptable as well. Bringing
a hard copy of the play to each class session is a requirement: if cost is an
issue, you will find copies in the library, and in an emergency can borrow
copies from me. |
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Participation Learning
is a collaborative process, which works best when each of you engages fully
with the texts and with each other.
To this end, I will expect you to participate actively in class
discussions, and you will be required to present ideas for class discussion
on a rotating basis. Your
contributions will determine a significant portion of the semesterÕs grade.
In order to build a classroom atmosphere of courtesy and concentration,
please avoid behavior that is disrespectful and interferes with othersÕ
learning, including rudeness, talking while others are speaking, and ringing
from cell-phones, pagers, watches, etc. |
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Writing Over
the course of the semester you will write four short (2 page) papers
accompanying in-class presentations, as well as one longer (8-10 page)
research paper. All written work
should have a central claim that is well argued, clearly written, and
directly supported by close readings of textual passages; the research paper
will also incorporate, and respond to, at least three secondary sources. All papers should be typed,
double-spaced, in a 12-point font, with one-inch margins on all sides. Written work is due at the start of
class, and lateness will result in lowering of the grade by one-third of a
grade per day. Any use of othersÕ
ideas must be fully acknowledged in footnotes; speak to me if you are unsure
about what this means. Plagiarism
is a serious offense, and will result in failing the class and being reported
to the DeanÕs Office.
In both short papers and your final paper, please make use of the Oxford English Dictionary and a Shakespeare Concordance; in your final paper, please also research academic articles on your topic in the MLA International Bibliography and Google Scholar. |
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Coursework
and grading:
Return to Tanya Pollard's web page |
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