ENGL 4165: Shakespeare I Mr. Radcliffe
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In this course we will consider Shakespeare's early career as a playwright and his after-career as literary icon. Both involved history and fanstasy: the early history plays contained large admixtures of fiction and the comedies admixtures of history, while Shakespeare's reception quite as much as the plays was colored by the imaginative imperatives of the hour. If Shakespeare's characters come across as larger-than-life, so does the Bard himself. Since the plays and the criticism alike involve copious amounts of rhetorical display, we will pay particular attention to wordplay and audiences. Course requirements consist of class participation (20%), a mid-term examination (20%), a 15 pp. research paper (30%) and a final examination (30%). Participation involves regular attendance, joining in discussion, and responses to occasional email assignments. Students are expected to abide by Virginia Tech's Honor Code: all writing done for this class must be your own or clearly sourced. Since this course is based in lecture and discussion, frequent and protracted absences will be penalized. Texts: You'll need a good college Shakespeare: one with a modern text (that is to say, one that hasn't been modernized!) good annotations and glossaries, and helpful prefatory material. I have ordered the Norton Shakespeare, but Riverside, Pelican, and Oxford will do. What will not do is a cheap facsimile reprint from Books-R-Us, or your family's heirloom Shakespeare. You want one with all the naughty words intact and glossed. Digital texts of the criticism are supplied below. It is important that you bring a printed copy to class for discussion. The research paper can be on a wide variety of topics related to Shakespeare and Shakespeare criticsm. It should focus on a particular topic and report on what several writers have had to say about the subject as well as providing your own original insights. Narrow and seemingly arcane topics often work best; they are more fun to research and you'll be amazed at the depth of criticism there is to work with. Discuss the topic with me ahead of time. Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays at 2:00, and by appointment. Come by to chat about literature, your essays, future plans, whatever. Supplemental Texts:
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Schedule:
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