EN3D7-30 Shakespeare & Selected Dramatists of his Time
Introductory description
EN3D7-30 Shakespeare & Selected Dramatists of his Time
Module aims
- To survey and analyse a range of early modern plays, primarily by Shakespeare, but also by some of his most significant contemporaries
- To study these plays in their historical context and as texts for performance, which involves reference to the original staging conventions and to modern productions. Where possible, plays are studied in performance – on stage or on the screen.
- To consider the relationship between dramatic form, intellectual debate and cultural conditions, as reflected in the plays in question.
- To introduce students to a number of theories of the drama, with reference to their practical application in playtexts and production.
- To develop students’ ability to analyze dramatic texts both as literature and as texts for performance.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Unit 1 (Weeks 1-5)
Shakespeare: Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Titus Andronicus.
Marlowe: Tamburlaine the Great, Part One; Dr Faustus (Read the B-Text)
Lecturers and seminars range across these plays in the first five. After reading week we will be adding (in most weeks) one new play a week in the following three Units:
UNIT 2 (weeks 7-10, Autumn Term): KINDS OF HISTORY
7 - Richard II
8 - Henry IV, Part 1
9 - Antony and Cleopatra
10 - King Lear
UNIT 3 (weeks 1-4, Spring Term): COMEDIES
1 - Two Gentlemen of Verona
2 - Twelfth Night
3 - Measure for Measure
4- Troilus and Cressida
UNIT 4 (week 5, and 7-10, Spring Term): TRAGEDY TO/AND ROMANCE
5 - Othello
7 - Macbeth
8 - Coriolanus
9 - The Winter’s Tale
10 - Tempest
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Formulate their own essay titles and creative projects in a way that prepares them for the type of independent research undertaken at postgraduate level
- Have consolidated their skills in reading narrative, poetry and drama
- Comment illuminatingly on a passage of dramatic poetry
- Analyse the dramatic structure, appearance and effect of a scene
- Comment on the ideas in a play and the way they are presented
- Know enough about Elizabethan and Jacobean conditions of performance to think about how the dramatists use the resources of the stage and how the ensemble nature of theatrical companies influenced play composition and production
- Have sufficient experience of live and film performances of the plays to be able to talk about the impact of particular scenes today
- Know a group of plays well enough to understand how the separate scenes and speeches of the play contribute to the whole
- Know some plays by Shakespeare, Marlowe and Jonson/Webster/Middleton so that they can address the issue of connections and dependencies between them
- Have some critical awareness of the traditions of Shakespeare criticism
- Use their knowledge of Shakespeare to think about problems which concern them
- Have the chance to respond creatively to the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries and to submit this response in the form of a creative project to be assessed
- Understand how some of the major issues and themes dramatised in Shakespeare’s plays – love, war, sexuality, religion, law, civilization, race, etc – function in an early modern context while continuing to challenge readers and spectators today.
Indicative reading list
Generic Reading lists can be found in Talis
Subject specific skills
No subject specific skills defined for this module.
Transferable skills
No transferable skills defined for this module.
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 36 sessions of 1 hour (12%) |
| Seminars | 18 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Practical classes | 18 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Private study | 228 hours (76%) |
| Total | 300 hours |
Private study description
Reading & research
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Students can register for this module without taking any assessment.
Assessment group A
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
|||
| Close reading exercise | 40% | No | |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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| Essay OR Creative Project + Reflective Essay | 60% | Yes (extension) | |
|
5000-word essay OR Creative Project plus a 2500-3000 word reflective essay |
|||
Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
Written Feedback
Courses
This module is Core for:
- Year 3 of UTHA-QW34 Undergraduate English and Theatre Studies
- Year 4 of UENA-QW35 Undergraduate English and Theatre Studies with Intercalated Year
This module is Optional for:
- Year 3 of UENA-Q300 Undergraduate English Literature
- Year 3 of UENA-QP36 Undergraduate English Literature and Creative Writing
- Year 4 of UENA-QP37 Undergraduate English Literature and Creative Writing with Intercalated Year
- Year 4 of UENA-Q301 Undergraduate English Literature with Intercalated Year
- Year 3 of UENA-VQ32 Undergraduate English and History
-
UFIA-QW25 Undergraduate Film and Literature
- Year 2 of QW25 Film and Literature
- Year 4 of QW25 Film and Literature
- Year 4 of UFIA-QW26 Undergraduate Film and Literature (with Study Abroad)
This module is Option list A for:
- Year 3 of UCXA-QQ37 Undergraduate Classics and English
- Year 3 of UFIA-QW25 Undergraduate Film and Literature
This module is Option list C for:
- Year 3 of UPHA-VQ72 Undergraduate Philosophy and Literature
- Year 4 of UPHA-VQ73 Undergraduate Philosophy and Literature with Intercalated Year