Course Syllabus

ENGL 2300 Introduction to Shakespeare

Course Description

Shakespeare remains one of the most popular playwrights in the English Language. This course introduces who he is, why he is considered so important, what meaning his works had in his own time, and how they are applicable to today's culture. This course will examine a sampling of Shakespeare's plays and poetry from a variety of critical perspectives.

Justification

An introduction to Shakespeare is standard at most colleges and universities. This course will transfer as General Education, elective, or major credit. It fulfills General Education credit within the Humanities category (HU) and major requirements for English majors.

General Education Outcomes

1. A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. Through close reading and analysis of representative texts, upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to examine how the works of Shakespeare reflected the contemporary culture from which they were produced, as well as how they have dramatically impacted subsequent cultures and their understanding of the natural world.
2. A student who completes the GE curriculum can read and research effectively within disciplines. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to critically read and analyze a variety of untranslated Shakespearean texts compiled from the folios and quartos. They may also research the biographical, historical, and cultural context of representative texts.
3. A student who completes the GE curriculum can draw from multiple disciplines to address complex problems. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to draw from relevant disciplines such as history, sociology, philosophy, economics, and geography, among others, to effectively understand Shakespearean literary works in the context of the history of the time, the social and racial issues of the time, and the scientific understanding of Elizabethan England.
4. A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason analytically, critically, and creatively. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to critically analyze and evaluate the rhetorical choices Shakespeare makes in order to understand and creatively interpret the representative texts. Students will be able to understand the development of ideas, movements, and genres in the works of Shakespeare as reflected through representative texts.

General Education Knowledge Area Outcomes

1. Through analysis and synthesis of a representative selection of Shakespearean literary texts, upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to identify and discuss questions about the human condition, which may relate to the themes of love, friendship, complex family relationships, and the nature of statesmanship. Shakespeare's work is well-known for its poignant depictions of human beings struggling with the human condition across a wide variety of circumstances. Through analysis and synthesis of a representative selection of Shakespearean literary texts, upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to identify and discuss questions about the human condition, which may relate to the themes of love, friendship, complex family relationships, and the nature of statesmanship. Shakespeare's work is well-known for its poignant depictions of human beings struggling with the human condition across a wide variety of circumstances.
2. EXPLAIN: Explain how humanities artifacts take on meaning within networks or systems (such as languages, cultures, values, and worldviews) that account for the complexities and uncertainties of the human condition. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to recognize and appreciate the ways in which the works of Shakespeare are part of the larger cultural systems of his time. They will be able to critically read these texts as examples of the complexities and uncertainties within the human condition.
3. ANALYZE: Analyze humanities artifacts according to humanities methodologies, such as a close analysis, questioning, reasoning, interpretation, and critical thinking. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate critical thinking through the methodologies of close reading, interpretation, critical inquiry, and analysis of representative Shakespearean works, paying attention to language, poetic and dramatic structures, themes, and other literary devices.
4. COMPARE AND CONTRAST: Compare and contrast diverse humanistic perspectives across cultures, communities, and/or time periods to explain how people make meaning of their lives. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to compare and contrast (synthesize) the works of Shakespeare within proper historical and cultural context to understand how people make meaning of their lives throughout time.
5. APPLY: Using humanities perspectives, reflect on big questions related to aesthetics, values, meaning, and ethics and how those apply to their own lives.  Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to reflect on, and apply, Shakespearean texts and associated ideas and questions within the contexts of their individual experiences and larger community. They will be able to examine relevant ethical complexities and values in representative texts and explore how they connect with their contemporary experiences.

Course Content

English 2300 covers at least six of Shakespeare's plays, including sampling from at least two categories (comedy, tragedy, history, and the "problem plays"), demonstrating Shakespeare's development over time. Readings should also include selections from the sonnets and narrative poems. The specific choices vary from semester to semester. Concepts that may be covered in class include poetic structures, the Unities, the four humours, the Great Chain of Being, and issues related to Elizabethan and contemporary culture.