Subversion and Authority in
Shakespearean Drama

Required books

William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Signet edition

William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Signet edition

William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure, Signet edition

William Shakespeare, King Lear, Signet edition

William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Signet edition

Recommended Books

Joseph Gibaldi. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Fourth Edition. New York: MLA, 1995.

Rodrigues, Dawn and Myron C. Tuman, Writing Essentials, 2nd ed., W.W. Norton

Course Objectives

1. To read, study, discuss, and appreciate a range of five Shakespeare plays (including comedies and tragedies) with a theoretical and thematic focus on the ways these plays depict, enact, support, and/or implicitly critique exercises of authority and challenges to it.
   
2. To examine character, dialogue, action, and formal features of the text as well as performance choices to question how these plays, in performance, and in different situations, uphold dominant forms of order and ideology, question or subvert them, or complexly participate in combinations of challenge and domination.
   
3. To question how issues of difference may provide insight into achieving goals of social injustice and to work collaboratively to use the study of Shakespearean drama toward such ends.
   
4. To learn to recognize the ways that authority and dominant patriarchal institutions and the construction of white supremacy in Shakespeare's period expose their faultlines and expose practices of inequality.
   
5. To attend to the ways that intersections of gender, class, color, Orientalism, and other forms of subordination and exoticization expose constructions of ideologies of domination.
   
6. To learn how to consider Shakespeare texts as scripts and explore them with an eye to performance issues; to learn how performance choices can shape a range of meanings.
   
7. To experiment with performance choices through scene work (putting on impromptu scenes in class as well as using prepared scenes) to learn how ideas can be expressed using scripts and physical choices, interpretative acts. To use performance and examine performance in light of other objectives of the course.
   
8. To study scripts in relationship to video and live representations of the scripts. Everyone will be required to attend a Great Lakes Theatre Festival production of Twelfth Night at the Ohio Theatre on Sunday, March 19, 1:30 p.m.
   
9. To develop a critical and theoretical sensibility by reading a variety of critical, historical, and theoretical essays on politics, power, and other issues in these works.
   
10. To develop writing skills in critical, interpretative, and analytic discussions of particular plays as well as in comparing and synthesizing views of several works.

Course Requirements

1. Attendance and participation, 10%
   Attendance is required and more than three unauthorized absences will result in a lowered grade. Absences may be accepted if they are due to serious illness or a family emergency. Any more than five absences will result in a significantly lowered grade. Any more than 8 absences will place someone in danger of failing the course. Participation will be graded on the basis of strength and consistency of prep papers, contributions to in-class discussions and impromptu scenes, fine questions, helpful comments, responsiveness to others, helping to build a community of learning and other collective efforts.
   
2. One in-class scene and scene journal 20%
   The scenes will be fully memorized, and involve costumes, props, a set, and other production values. The scene journal will be due one or two classes following the scene performance. The journal will include a log of activities, actually written after each rehearsal, and a long commentary containing the following elements:
   1. A character study -- as much as you can possibly know from the entire script about your character; what the others say about the character; gender, sexuality, age, ethnicity, color, class, status, experiences, education, occupation, views, personality, etc. Consider ways to develop your character: what do they wear most of the time; how do they move, sit, smoke, use their voice, etc. Figure out why your character says every word they say, uses the meter or prose they do, chooses particular images and metaphors, moves at particular moments, has particular gestures, wears their hair a particular way, etc. What makes your character change their mind, change their course of talk, reason, or action? What are your character's objectives in the scene, beat by beat, and overall in the scene; in the play? How do all your character's choices relate to how they are trying to achieve their objectives?
   2. Scene analysis -- what are the given circumstances in your scene, what conditions obtain for the characters (what has happened and what is the situation); what problems face the characters. In your scene, what are each character's objectives and how are the character's objectives pursued, frustrated, redefined, re-pursued through the course of the scene. Where are the conflicts and accords, discoveries and changes? What does this scene accomplish for the play, in terms of plot, character, situation, and theme?
   3. Finding signals for performance choices: where are the major scripted signals you must observe? What kinds of signals demand definite, specific choices? What signals indicate an optional choice must be made but do not show exactly how to make the choice? What other signals do you find for choices you need to make about costume, props, blocking, line readings, characterization? What choices do you make that can be supported by the script although the script does not indicate such choices? Are you making choices for your scene that work there but would not work if the scene were performed with the rest of the play? What is your justification for doing that?
   4. Issues of authority and subversion: how does your scene explore ideas, themes, and issues at the core of the course?
   5. Learning from the performance and discussion: what did you learn further about the scene, the course issues, your group's choices, your own choices and performance, from the performance itself and from the discussion? What would you add to your participation now?
3. Midterm paper, 20%
   The midterm should be 5-7 pages and can be on one or more of the plays from the first half of the course, but not one in which you performed a scene. The midterm should address some of the key issues of the course, and should include some attention to particular critical readings or theory that addresses the course issues. At some point, the paper should also attend to the ways performance choices can highlight issues of authority and dissidence. All topics need instructor approval.
   
4. Final project, 25%
   The final assignment may be a final paper (10-12 pages), final scenes (two scenes for each person) or other group or individual project on the plays from the second half of the semester. If you do not write a paper and want to do a scene or project, you must rewrite your midterm paper if it earned less than an A-. You must turn in your rewrite by May 1, having discussed the rewrite you will do beforehand with the instructor. You must make a proposal for your final paper or project by April 21. All scenes will include a scene journal, a report and discussion must accompany all projects, and all papers must include some research using theory or practical criticism. Scenes must be at least 20 min. and papers must be 10-12 pages.
   All papers must conform to the rules for format and documentation as laid out in the MLA Handbook.
   Many instructor comments and corrections will use the abbreviations and refer students to relevant passages in Writing Essentials. Be sure to buy and use these optional books if you have any problems with either format or rules of grammar and punctuation.
   
5. Preparation papers, 20%
   Several 2-3 page position papers will be used for in-class discussion of designated scenes or assigned articles; the instructor will aim to return them to you within 2-3 weeks, with a brief evaluation. These papers will be kept in a packet by your, and handed in together at the semester to be graded as a collective product at the end of the semester. There will be interim evaluative numbers (1-3) when they are handed in. 1= poor; 2= okay; 3=very good. The entire packet will be graded with an eye to completeness (how many were done), timeliness (on time), quality, and consistency of work.
   Every week there will be one prep paper required; you may choose among various options most weeks; occasionally there will be only one option. Try to balance options for discussing scenes with options for discussing essays. You might write on essays that give you the most trouble, in fact, just to work on them further or raise questions for class discussion!

Schedule

Date	Assignment	Due on this date
M Feb 7	Introduction to Course
W Feb 9	Analyzing a Shakespearean text: meter in Julius Caesar, Act I
F Feb 11	Analyzing a Shakespearean text: scripted signals in Julius Caesar, Act II
M Feb 14	Historical contexts Reader: Greenblatt, "General Introduction" Reader: Amussen, "Chapter 5; The Ordering of Society"	Prep paper 1: Discuss three major ways that changes, challenges, and dissonance's in dominant systems created openings for subversion, resistance, dissidence in Shakespeare's England.
W Feb 16	Theoretical contexts Reader: Kavanagh, "Shakespeare in Ideology" Reader: "Introduction: Shakespeare, cultural materialism and the new historicism"	Prep paper 1: Discuss how cultural materialists and new historicists study literature in relation to historical events and discursive practices and how these approaches might be limited or restrictive.
F Feb 18	Julius Caesar: lecture	Read the whole script by this date. $10 for play ticket due.
M Feb 21	Julius Caesar, discussion of designated scenes
W Feb 23	Julius Caesar, readings, Rose, Baines. Wilson	Prep paper 2 on readings
F Feb 25	Julius Caesar, prepared scenes
Su Feb 27	Julius Caesar video	050 Mudd, 2-5 p.m.
M Feb 28	Twelfth Night, lecture	Read the whole script by this date.
W Mar 1	Twelfth Night, discussion of designated scenes	Julius Caesar scene journals due
F Mar 3	Twelfth Night, readings, Krieger and Callaghan	Prep paper 3 on readings
M Mar 6	Twelfth Night, discussion of designated scenes	Prep paper 4 on designated scenes
W Mar 8	Twelfth Night, readings, Malcolmson and Relihan	Prep paper 4 on readings
F Mar 10	Twelfth Night, prepared scenes
Su Mar 12	Measure for Measure, video	050 Mudd, 2-5 p.m.
M Mar 13	Measure for Measure, lecture	Read the whole script by this date.
W Mar 15	Measure for Measure, discussion of designated scenes	Twelfth Night scene journals due
F Mar 17	Measure for Measure, readings, Cacicedo, Aers and Kress	Prep paper 5 on readings
Su Mar 19	Twelfth Night, Cleveland Playhouse	Attendance required, $10 ticket
M Mar 20	Discussion of Twelfth Night show
W Mar 22	Measure for Measure, discussion of designated scenes
F Mar 24	No class	Midterm paper (on one of first three plays) due by 6:00 p.m.
M Apr 3	Measure for Measure video p.m. Measure for Measure, readings, Little, and two pieces by Friedman	Mudd room TBA, 7-10
W Apr 5	Measure for Measure, prepared scenes	Prep paper 6 on designated scenes
F Apr 7	No class
M Apr 10	King Lear, lecture	Measure for Measure scene journals due
W Apr 12	King Lear, discussion of designated scenes	Prep paper 7 on designated scenes
F Apr 14	King Lear, readings, Dollimore and Markels	Prep paper 7 on readings
Su Apr 16	King Lear, video	050 Mudd, 2-5 p.m.
M Apr 17	King Lear, discussion of designated scenes	Prep paper 8 on designated scenes
W Apr 19	King Lear, readings, Strier and Thornton	Prep paper 8 on readings
F Apr 21	King Lear, prepared scenes	Assignment of final scene groups and decision about who will do finals
M Apr 24	The Tempest, lecture
W Apr 26	The Tempest, discussion of designated scenes	King Lear scene journals due Prep paper on designated scenes
F Apr 28	The Tempest, readings, Ronk and Barbour	Prep paper 9 on readings Final paper proposals due; scene groups designate scenes
Su Apr 30	The Tempest, video	050 Mudd, 2-5 p.m.
M May 1	The Tempest, discussion of designated scenes
W May 3	The Tempest, read Aimé Césaire, A Tempest	Prep paper 10 on A Tempest
F May 5	The Tempest, readings, Scheie and Nixon
S May 6	Make up class for 3/24 and 4/7	Final Scene presentations
M May 8	The Tempest, discussion of designated scenes	Drafts of final papers due by 9 p.m.
W May 10	The Tempest, prepared scenes
F May 12	Wrap up and evaluation	The Tempest scene journals due
T May 16	Last day of reading period	Final papers and final scene journals due