Required Materials
The eight Shakespeare plays listed in the Daily Syllabus. You can get Shakespeare's works and supporting materials online at a variety of sites. Among the best are Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet, The Shakespeare Classroom, Internet Shakespeare Editions, Life in Elizabethan England, and the Luminarium Renaissance site. If you're having trouble understanding a word or phrase, try the Shakespeare Dictionary (annoying ads, but a decent resource) or the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Eric Partridge's Shakespeare's Bawdy (not available online, but on reserve at the main library) will let you in on all the naughty bits. You can even see teeny-tiny movie versions of some Shakespeare plays online (with great bit banner ads). You should explore these sites to get a sense of what resources are available on each of them, however, I don't recommend that you use online resources for the plays themselves. As you will discover, there are so many textual and editing problems with Shakespeare's works that a reliable scholarly edition will serve you better than a web site that may provide only one (flawed or incomplete) version of the play. I have ordered each play we will be reading in paperback Signet editions through ASUA Bookstore. There are also a number of fine editions of Shakespeare's plays which you can find in local new and used book stores (including the Norton and Riverside collections). Some small variation will not matter; in fact, such differences may provide us with some interesting discussion.
Electronic Reserve readings available online. You will need a user name and password to access these readings and Adobe Acrobat and a fast internet connection to view them. I recommend that you download or print out these articles at a campus computer lab. (Check first to learn the lab's policy on printing electronic reserve readings.)
Writer's Handbook. Though I provide links here to online sources (developed by the University of Wisconsin), you may prefer to use a print version such as the MLA Handbook or Turabian's Manual for Writers of Term Papers. Handbooks are widely available in new and used book stores, including the ASUA Bookstore. (Make sure you have the most recent version.) You may use MLA or Chicago (Turabian) style for your class assignments.
You might find it helpful to practice these Critical Reading Strategies as you grapple with difficult readings, vocabulary, and concepts.
Policies
Regular attendance and preparation are expected. I will take attendance regularly and will count it towards your Participation credit. Non-attenders and non-participatants may be dropped from the course.
Assignments are due on the date listed in the syllabus. Do not ask for an extension on an assignment until/unless you have developed a track record in this course of responsible and timely scholarship.
You may not make up a quiz that you have missed. If you know that you will have to miss a class, you may arrange to take your quiz in advance. I will drop your lowest quiz score of the semester to allow for emergencies.
You are expected to check your email at least once a week and more often if assigned. The syllabus may change during the semester. Expect to review and/or update your printed version as changes are announced.
Plagiarism will result in a grade of E.
Grades will be calculated on the following scale: 90-100%=A, 80-90%=B, etc. I do not curve. You may be required to revise some assignments. Revised work will be graded by the same standards as first versions.
You must complete all assignments to receive credit for the course.
Assignments
| Quizzes: | 25% |
| Midterm Exam | 10% |
| Group Presentation (oral and written) | 10% |
| Term Paper (including Prospectus): | 30% |
| Final Exam (comprehensive): | 25% |