Literature CS 110, Section 2: Shakespeare and the Creation of Character

Instructor(s): James Donelan
Enroll Code: 29207
Time(s): Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30 am - 11:00 am
Place(s): The Old Little Theater, Rm. 160B

Course Description: This course will explore selected works of Shakespeare with particular attention to his ability to create characters of extraordinary depth and complexity. Entire theories of human identity and consciousness have developed from his portrayals of Hamlet, Lear, Falstaff, Iago, and Leontes, and other characters as well as from the psychological portrait in the sonnets. We will read both these works and literary criticism of them from both theoretical and practical different perspectives, all with the objective of understanding Shakespeare's remarkable achievement and how it continues to affect our view of human nature.

Requirements:
The course requires regular attendance, active participation in class discussion and activities, and timely completion of all assignments. All assignments must be completed by the end of the quarter for full credit. They include:

· A short (1500-word) close reading essay

· Two 250-word peer reviews

· A five-entry annotated bibliography

· A long (3600-word) scholarly essay, with a prospectus, outline, and draft due in advance (see syllabus for details)

In addition, please note:

• Every written assignment should be carefully edited and proofread.
• Your classmates and your instructor depend on your full participation.
• Late or missing assignments will result in failure of the course.
• No more than one unexcused absence is permitted.
• Students with disabilities may contact me via email, during office hours, or after class to discuss special accommodations.
  
  
• Required Texts:
  Shakespeare, W. Complete Works, Modern Library
  Greenblatt, S. Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare, Norton & Co.
  Bloom, H. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human, Riverhead Books
  Vendler, H. The Art of Shakespeare's Sonnets, Belknap Press

Syllabus

I: Hamlet and Consciousness

1/5: Introduction: Shakespeare and His World

1/7: Hamlet, Acts I-III; Bloom on Hamlet

1/12: Hamlet, Acts IV-V; Greenblatt, “The Great Fear”

1/14: Hamlet, cont.; Greenblatt, “Speaking with the Dead”

II: King Lear and Self-Awareness

1/19 Lear, Acts I-III; Bloom, “Shakespeare’s Universalism”

1/21 Lear, Acts IV-V; Bloom on Lear; Close Reading Essay Due

III: Macbeth and the Human Conscience

1/26 Macbeth, Acts I-III; Bloom on Macbeth

1/28 Macbeth, Acts IV-V; Greenblatt, “Bewitching the King”

IV: The Sonnets, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Love

2/2 Sonnets 1-3, 15, 17, 18, 57, 58, 60, 64; Vendler; Greenblatt, “Master-Mistress”

2/4 Sonnets 66, 81, 84, 105, 116, 121, 130, 135, 138, 154; Vendler; Peer Reviews due.

2/9 Dream, Acts I-III; Bloom on Dream

2/11 Dream, Acts IV-V; Greenblatt, “Primal Scenes”; Anno. Bib. due.

VI: The Winter’s Tale, Othello, and Reflection

2/16 Winter’s Tale, Acts I-III; Greenblatt, “Wooing, Wedding, and Repenting”

2/18 Winter’s Tale, Acts IV-V; Bloom on Winter’s Tale; Prospectus Due.

2/23 Othello, Acts I-III; Bloom on Othello

2/25 Othello, Acts IV-V; Greenblatt, “Crossing the Bridge” Outline of Final Essay Due.

V: Henry V and Leadership

3/2 Henry V, Acts I-III; Bloom on Henry V

3/4 Henry V, Acts IV-V; Greenblatt, “Shakescene”; Rough draft due.

VII: The Tempest and the Creative Mind

3/9 The Tempest, Acts I-III; Greenblatt, “The Triumph of the Everyday”

3/11 The Tempest, Acts IV-V; Bloom on The Tempest

3/15 Final Essay Due.