Memory in Shakespeare

Course description

Through the art and figure of Shakespeare, we will explore some of the fundamental conceptual metaphors of memory--whether envisioning the brain as a kind of storage facility or a tablet to receive physical impressions. The semester commences by reading (and memorizing) the sonnets most preoccupied with memory; we then move on to Henry V, which ends with a sonnet anticipating future remembrance.  Our analysis of Henry V will focus on the literary reconstruction of history by examining Holinshed's sixteenth-century chronicles as well as another, earlier version of the play.  While studying Hamlet (a character and play obsessed with memory), we will survey more theoretical accounts of memory, from early passages by Plato, to elaborate Renaissance memory systems, to Freud's studies of forgetting.  Finally, we encounter one of Shakespeare's most moving studies of memory and regret, The Winter's Tale.  All along we will be keeping in mind the remembrance of Shakespeare's own works, whether in celebratory poems by Jonson and Milton, or in suggestive narratives by Borges, James, Joyce, and Wilde.  The course is designed as a seminar-style discussion, with frequent writing assignments due in advance of our meetings.

Required texts

For ease of reference, the following editions are strongly recommended; they are both inexpensive and available at the Oberlin Bookstore:

• Shakespeare's Sonnets, ed. Katherine Duncan-Jones (Arden 1997)
• Henry V, ed. John Russell Brown (Signet 1998)
• Hamlet, ed. Sylvan Barnett (Signet 1998)
• The Winter's Tale, ed. Frank Kermode (Signet 1998)

Additional course materials will be distributed throughout the semester.

Requirements:

Participation is mandatory, since this course will be primarily discussion-based; it won't work if all students are not participating equally.  (Your writing will suffer as well if you are not engaging with your fellow students' thoughts.)  Ideally, everyone should try to contribute at least one observation to the ongoing discussion each meeting.   We might experiment with different arrangements, break into small groups, or designate discussion leaders/rotating chairs in order to facilitate this general conversation.  'A'-level participation requires consistently thoughtful comments which remain, nonetheless, considerate (dominating the discussion or failing to engage with other students' contributions will not be helpful).  More than three absences from the course (regardless of excuses) will be grounds for failure.   Please arrive in class on time so that I can let you leave on time.  Eating in class and leaving to go to the bathroom are both disruptive to our conversations.

Preparation: Have the poems and plays read before our discussions each week; ideally, you will read plays once (poems multiple times) over the weekend, and then re-read them during the week; good reading always entails re-reading.  If it becomes clear that not all of the class is keeping up with the reading, quizzes will be given.

Preliminaries: Each week preceding the papers,  a preliminary assignment will help you to start collecting your thoughts in advance of the full essays.  These preliminaries are brief (one page single-spaced), and somewhat less formally written and graded--letter 'grades' won't be given on them, but they will be marked for a general evaluation of quality.

Drafts: Drafts of papers are strongly encouraged in advance of deadlines.  We have a writing tutor designated for our section who will be able to help you with your work throughout the semester.  We will also schedule occasional draft conferences to discuss work-in-progress, and strategies for writing.

Papers are due in class on the day assigned.  The first essay is a close reading of one of Shakespeare's sonnets; this assignment is limited in length (2 pages) and scope (a short poem) to encourage focused observation.  The essay on Henry V requires a comparative analysis of the sources for the play (4 pages).  Our reading of Hamlet will culminate in a longer paper (6 pages) in which you apply a theory of memory to your analysis of the play.  Many Oberlin courses assign open topics, which require much more initiative and imagination than simply choosing from a list of suggested themes; the final paper (4 pages) asks that you develop your own thesis based on multiple texts from the course.

Deadlines: Deadlines are firm; I do not accept late work or grant extensions.  Late work causes problems for both students and teachers, and frequently results in inferior writing and evaluation.

Email: Papers may not be submitted via email; I need copies placed in my mailbox instead.  I am happy to receive queries by email about your writing, but I may not be able to reply immediately.

Format: These are some simple guidelines which make grading papers more uniform:

put your last name on each page in the top right corner, followed by the page number

use Times Roman 12-point font

double-space the text of your essay

staple all pages together

margins should be an inch on top, bottom, and sides

put the following information, single-spaced, in the top left corner:

Your Name
ENG 188: Memory in Shakespeare
Month Day, Year

your title follows this heading, centered on the next line

If at any time throughout the semester you are curious about your progress in the course, you should feel free to request an evaluation of your current standing (a rough 'grade').