Required Texts:
The Norton Shakespeare, ed. Greenblatt et al.
Readings posted on Blackboard course site (print out and bring to class)

Course description:
Shakespeare's tragedies and romances depict intense human experiences: loss and death, redemption and restoration. No wonder they have had such a lasting impact. Yet we should also keep in mind that Shakespeare, as a working playwright, was writing particularly to the experiences--and fears and fantasies--of his contemporary audience. Indeed, both a fascination with and an anxiety about the historical changes occurring in Renaissance England are in part responsible for the greatness of these plays--and of Renaissance drama more generally. We'll consider Shakespeare's tragedies and romances in terms of these changes and also attend to the way in which the Renaissance theater as a form and an institution gives Shakespeare a distinctive perspective on his world. In addition, we'll learn about the history of Shakespeare's theater and his texts.  And we'll see what promises to be a striking all-male performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Washington Shakespeare Theatre.

Course requirements:
Blackboard postings, quizzes, three essays, attendance at the Washington Shakespeare Theater's Romeo and Juliet, a midterm and a final.

Shakespeare's sonnets 3, 18, 20, 26, 42, 127, 129

James Shapiro, from A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599 (Blackboard)

 K-L

Postings: Threads: Each student is responsible for two approximately 250-word postings that make an argument about the relevant text in order to initiate discussion about some aspect of it.  By relevant text I mean that the posting should not make a general point about Shakespeare or his plays, but a specific interpretive point or question about the reading with which the posting is associated.  Responsibility for these postings is designated by the first letter of your last name. See the schedule of readings above for your specific dates. These postings should be posted on Blackboard by 9:00 pm the day before the designated class.

Postings: Responses: Each student is also responsible for 10 responses to the above. You must provide at least five responses by Wednesday October 15.  Responses can be to the original posting or to other responses about it. If you post after we've had a class on the particular text, you can also bring in class lecture or discussion, but make sure you are responding to the online dialogue, not to class alone. Discussions will close one week after they start. Postings should be around 50 words--you don't need an extended argument, but "you're wrong" or "great point" will not qualify. Please treat fellow posters with the same respect and seriousness on line as you would in class.

Postings: Evaluation: I will evaluate postings--both originating threads and responses--based on your consistent and rich participation in the online dialogue. I will not grade individual postings, however. Here is the scale I will use, based on 100 points total.

For each of 2 originating threads missed: -20 points
For each of 10 responses missed: - 4

For example, someone who missed no originating threads and 3 responses would score 88 or 88%, a B+. I also reserve the right to adjust grades up or down based on the quality of what's posted.

Quizzes: There will be 6-8 in class quizzes, given at random. Quizzes cannot be made up. The quizzes will test that you've done the reading and achieved a basic understanding of it.

Essays: There will be three 5-page essays.  For each I'll assign essay topics, which will cover subjects discussed in class and in supplementary readings.  You must write about one of the assigned topics.  Each essay will be due twice: in a first version due one week after the topics are assigned, and then in a final version one week after that.  You will exchange your first version with another student in order to give and get feedback on your work at the course's paper exchanges.  Note that "first version" is not "first draft" (or any draft) but a finished paper, one you could conceivably hand in to me.  Drafts are what you produce in order to come to this first version.  I will not grade your first version.  However, first versions not done, not typed, or obviously incomplete will result in a half-letter grade reduction in the final version of your essay. Please keep your first version of the essay and the comments it received in order to hand them in to me with your final copy. 

Midterm: The midterm will test your knowledge of the plays and the ideas presented in class about them. It will cover all the reading up October 6. If you do not consistently do the reading and come to class, you will be unlikely to earn a satisfactory grade on the midterm.

Final: The final will test your knowledge of the plays and the ideas presented in class about them. It will cover all the reading up to the end of class, and be given on Wednesday Dec. 10 from 1:30 to 4::15 pm.   If you do not consistently do the reading and come to class, you will be unlikely to earn a satisfactory grade on the final.

Here is how I will weight the assignments:

Essay 1 = 12%
Essay 2 = 16%
Essay 3 = 16%
Postings = 12 % (see above for how grade is calculated)
Quizzes = 10% (based on points achieved/total points of all quizzes)
Midterm = 16 %
Final = 18 %

Paper Standards:
Final and first versions of essays should by typed with standard margins, spacing and type size. They should be carefully proofread and neatly presented. Blackboard postings can be more informal (abbreviations, some proofing errors) as long as they remain readable and substantive in content.

Paper Helps:
I encourage you to come see me at my office hours or to make an appointment to see me. When we meet, try to have a draft of the paper you are working on. This will give us something more concrete to talk about. There is also available a Writing Center at Robinson A114 that can provide you with further individual attention to your writing. I encourage you to take advantage of this excellent facility.

I would also suggest that you give yourself plenty of time to work. Writing a paper at one sitting is, for most people, unpleasant, and the results are not likely to be satisfactory. Start early!

Plagiarism:
Since this class emphasizes the development of your own close reading and interpretive skills, you are not encouraged to consult secondary sources. If you do choose to look at such work, however, you must cite, using a standard citation format, all the articles, books or other sources that your own writing draws on, either directly or indirectly. Such sources include (but are not limited to) introductions to editions of the texts we're reading, secondary readings for the course, or any kind of study aid or Internet resources.

Also note that uncited sources will constitute plagiarism even if they ended up in your work without your conscious knowledge (e.g. you forgot you read the material; you confused your own notes with notes on a source), since part of the scholarly responsibility that comes with using secondary sources is keeping track of which words or ideas were yours and which came from a source. If you do not wish to take on this responsibility then you should not consult secondary sources.

I will take all suspected cases of plagiarism to the Honor Committee.