English
3123: Illegitimate Shakespeare Tanya
Pollard |
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4113 Boylan Hall TR 9:30-10:45 E-mail:
Tpollard@brooklyn.cuny.edu
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Office:
3108 Boylan Phone: 718-951-5000 x 6216 Hours:
T 10:45-11:15, R 9-9:30, and by appt. |
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As one of the most
canonical writers in the English language, Shakespeare is often identified as
a figure of authority, establishment, and legitimacy. His plays, however, frequently dwell
on questions of illegitimacy, with a particular focus on the problem of
illegitimate children. Many of
his plays feature characters described as bastards, and many others feature
anxieties about sexual infidelity and its consequences. This class will explore intersections
in ShakespeareÕs plays between anxieties about illegitimate children and
unauthorized literary production, especially the scandals associated with
hybrid literary genres. |
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Week |
Date |
Assignment |
Presenters (& Responders) |
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1 |
8-29 |
Introduction |
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8-31 |
Much Ado About Nothing, Act 1 |
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2 |
9-5 |
Much Ado About Nothing, Acts 2-3 |
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9-7 |
Much Ado About Nothing, Acts 4-5 |
1 (3) |
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3 |
9-12 |
Measure for Measure, Acts 1-2 |
2 (4) |
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9-14 |
Measure for Measure, Acts 3-4 |
3 (1) |
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4 |
9-19 |
Measure for Measure, Act 5 |
4 (2) |
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9-21 |
No class |
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5 |
9-26 |
Troilus and Cressida, Acts 1-2 |
1 (3) |
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9-28 |
Troilus and Cressida, Acts 3-4 |
2 (4) |
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6 |
10-3 |
Troilus and Cressida, Act 5 |
3 (1) |
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10-5 |
Exam |
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7 |
10-10 |
Pericles,
Acts 1-2 |
4 (2) |
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10-12 |
Pericles, Acts 3-4 |
1 (3) |
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8 |
10-17 |
Pericles, Act 5 |
2 (4) |
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10-19 |
Cymbeline,
Acts 1-2 |
3
(1) |
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9 |
10-24 |
Cymbeline,
Act 3-4 |
4
(2) |
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10-26 |
Cymbeline,
Act 5 |
1
(3) |
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10 |
10-31 |
WinterÕs Tale, Acts 1-2 |
2
(4) |
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11-2 |
WinterÕs Tale, Acts 3-4 |
3 (1) |
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11 |
11-7 |
WinterÕs Tale,
Act 5 |
4 (2) |
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11-9 |
Review |
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12 |
11-14 |
Research workshop |
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11-16 |
Exam |
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13 |
11-21 |
No class (Friday conversion day) |
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11-23 |
No class |
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14 |
11-28 |
research presentations and
responses |
1, 2 (3, 4) |
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11-30 |
research presentations and
responses |
2,3 (4, 1) |
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15 |
12-5 |
research presentations and
responses |
3,4 (1, 2) |
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12-7 |
Research paper due;
peer-editing workshop |
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16 |
12-12 |
Last day of class; revised
research paper due |
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Course Requirements
and Expectations: |
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Hybrid/online component This
course, like all English Department electives, is hybrid/partially online. This means the course counts for 4
weekly credit hours, 3 of which will take place in live classroom meetings,
and 1 of which will take place online, in Blackboard. Our online work-hours will consist of
regularly posting short essays on BlackboardÕs discussion boards Š 4 close
reading essays, and 1 research essay proposal, per student Š as well as
posting brief responses to other studentsÕ essays and proposals. Further details on these assignments
will be provided in handouts, which are also available on Blackboard. 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 will fail the class. Missing part of class Š whether
through arriving late, leaving early, or leaving the room during class Š 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 Akademos, the online college bookstore; you may purchase
them elsewhere if you prefer, or you may use other editions. 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. |
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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. Uses of electronic devices will not
be allowed in class; you may read texts online out of class, but you must
bring hard copies to class for easy reference for discussion. |
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Writing Over
the course of the semester you will write four short essays (500-600 words
each) and one research paper proposal, all to be posted in Blackboard and accompanied
by in-class presentations; you will also write five short responses to other
studentsÕ essays and proposals, consisting of one observation and one
question, also to be posted in Blackboard. In addition, by the end of the
semester you will write 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. 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. |
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Coursework
and grading:
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