ENGLISH 225

INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE
MW 4:00-5:20// PMH 304
Fall 2015

Prof. Andrew Bozio

abozio@skidmore.edu
TTh 3:40-5:00 // PMH 317

COURSE DESCRIPTION
The purpose of playing, Hamlet tells us, is to hold as twere the mirror up to nature. In this
moment, as so often happens in early modern drama, Hamlet becomes metatheatrical. That is, the
play begins to think explicitly about the nature of performance, asking what it means to act, when
acting requires that you represent yourself as something you are not, and what effect this
misrepresentation has upon the social order. In this class, we will take up these questions by
learning, first, how plays were staged in the early modern period. What difference does it make, for
example, that Ophelia was played by a boy or that the actor playing Othello would have worn
blackface? Our answers to these questions will inform the way that we think about Shakespearean
drama as a space of cultural negotiation, in which ideologies of gender, power, history, and desire are
reimagined at the moment that they are performed. Our readings will include A Midsummer Nights
Dream, 1 and 2 Henry IV, Henry V, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Othello, and The Winters Tale, as well as
secondary sources that will help us to place these plays within the cultural landscape of early modern
England. To gain greater insight into the way that plays make meaning, we will watch some
performances in class and, occasionally, stage moments of the plays ourselves. Students will also be
expected to write two short essays and one longer research paper.

LEARNING GOALS
Through this course, you will learn to
study Shakespeares plays in relation to early modern culture
analyze the ways in which performance makes meaning
read and analyze a work of literature independently
use criticism to develop your interpretation of a literary text
conduct research to support a sustained analytical paper
advance discussion in class through active listening and appropriately informed contributions

TEXTS
The Norton Shakespeare, eds. Stephen Greenblatt et al (ISBN 978-0393934991)

GRADE DISTRIBUTION
Participation
Essay One
Essay Two
Research Paper
Exam

20%
15%
20%
30%
15%

Bozio // EN 225 Syllabus (Fall 2015)

COURSE POLICIES
Attendance
You are allowed two absences with no questions asked. For each subsequent absence, your final
grade will drop one-third of a letter grade, and excessive absences may result in failure of the course.
Repeated lateness will also be construed as absence, so please come to class on time and stay for the
duration.
Participation
Because this course is a collaborative effort, participation will be essential to your success. By
participation, I mean both active listening and thoughtful contributions to class discussion that show
your preparation for class, your willingness to engage your peers in conversation, and your ability to
be respectful. More specifically, good participation might involve:

Asking a specific question or making a specific comment about the reading

Building upon something that another person has already said
Making a specific comment about what you find useful or interesting about another persons
point
Asking a question or making a comment that encourages another person to elaborate on
their point
Making a comment that connects two points or two strands of our conversation
Disagree with what someone has said in a respectful and constructive manner

It helps tremendously to take notes while you are preparing for class, using the writing process to
develop your thoughts about the material. In this course, our aim is not only to learn more about the
nature of literary studies; it is also to develop your skills as a critical thinker and writer, and engaged
participation is one of the most direct ways of ensuring that development. For this reason, I would
also encourage you to take notes during class.
Digital Etiquette
You are encouraged to bring laptops and tablets to class, provided that they are used for referencing
the assigned material and/or for taking notes. To minimize distractions, I would encourage you to
turn off your WI-FI while in class. Failure to adhere to this policy may result in being counted as
absent for the day, and I reserve the right to ban laptops and tablets if they become a distraction to
you or to your classmates. Use of cellphones is not permitted.
Submission of Work
All written work should be presented professionally: typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New
Roman or Garamond, and with one-inch margins. Be sure to include your last name and the page
number in the footer. When uploading your file to Blackboard, submit it as a Word Document,
using this format for the title: [Your last name], Essay [One, Two, or Three].docx.

Bozio // EN 225 Syllabus (Fall 2015)

Late essays will lose one-third of a letter grade each day until they are submitted, and, after a week, I
will no longer accept your work.
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism is the representation of another persons words or ideas as your own. It is not only
counter to the ethics of the academic culture in which you participate, but it is also detrimental to
your progress in this course, insofar as it does nothing to develop your own skills as a thinker and a
writer. You must give proper credit, according to your chosen citation guidelines, to all words or
ideas that are not your own. In cases of a serious violation of academic integrity, you will fail the
assignment. Visit http://www.skidmore.edu/advising/integrity/index.php for more information.
Accessibility
Anyone who anticipates difficulties with the content or the format of this course should arrange to
meet with me so we can create a workable plan for your success. Skidmore College also offers
several forms of academic and non-academic accommodation through the Office of Student
Academic Services. Visit http://www.skidmore.edu/accessibility/index.php for more information.

ASSIGNMENTS
Short Essays
Over the course of the semester, you will write two short essays of five to seven pages in length. In
your first essay, craft an argument about the nature of performance in A Midsummer Nights Dream,
discussing the way that metatheatrical elements or the conditions of performance (such as crossdressing) alter our sense of the play and its thematic content. In your second essay, offer an analysis
of a performance of 1 Henry IV, 2 Henry IV, or Henry V (versions of different performances can be
found in the Scribner Library or through Shakespeares Globe, at globeplayer.tv). Focus your
analysis upon a specific element of the performance such as the use of the playing space, the
choices of a particular actor, or the effect of double-casting. Then, craft an argument about the way
that this element of performance makes meaning, drawing upon the text to show what possibilities
are being actualized or foreclosed. I will circulate more detailed prompts well in advance of the due
date of each essay.
Research Paper
To conclude the course, you will write a research paper of ten to twelve pages in length, focusing
upon one of the four final plays that we read (Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Othello, or The Winters Tale). The
topic of your research will be up to you, although I expect you to draw upon some of the questions
and research methods that we encounter in this course. That is, you might ask how Shakespeares
plays respond to the ideology of early modern England, using EEBO to develop your analysis. Or,
you might research early modern staging practices, considering the implications that those practices
have for our sense of a particular play. Or, you might ask how Shakespeares plays cite one another,
drawing upon the concept of intertheatricality to guide your analysis. Proposals for your research
papers will be due several weeks before the end of the semester. As with the short essays, I will
circulate a more detailed prompt well in advance of the due date of the research paper.

Bozio // EN 225 Syllabus (Fall 2015)

Exam
At the end of the semester, you will take a final exam designed to help you synthesize the knowledge
and develop the skills that you have acquired in this course.

SCHEDULE
Reading that are not available in the required text can be found on Course Reserves or on
Blackboard.
Sept.

Introduction to the course

14
16

Holger Schott Syme, The Theatre of Shakespeares Time

A Midsummer Nights Dream

21
23

A Midsummer Nights Dream

A Midsummer Nights Dream

Essay One due on Friday, September 25 at 5:00 pm

Oct.

28
30

1 Henry IV
1 Henry IV

5
7

1 Henry IV
Stephen Gosson, excerpts from The School of Abuse and Thomas Lodge, excerpts
from A Reply to Stephen Gossons School of Abuse [Course Reserves]
2 Henry IV

12
14

2 Henry IV
Henry V

19
21

Henry V
Henry V

Essay Two due on Friday, October 23 at 5:00 pm

Nov.

26
28

Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night

2
4

Twelfth Night
Hamlet

9
11

Hamlet
Hamlet

Bozio // EN 225 Syllabus (Fall 2015)

16
18

Othello
Othello

Proposals for your Research Paper due on Friday, November 20 at 5:00 pm

23

Dec.

25

Othello
Michael Witmore, Data-Mining Shakespeare [Blackboard]
Thanksgiving // No Class

30
2

The Winters Tale

The Winters Tale

7
9

The Winters Tale

Review Session // Evaluations

Research Paper due on Friday, December 11 at 5:00 pm

Final Exam held on Friday, December 18 at 9:00 am

Bozio // EN 225 Syllabus (Fall 2015)