We will read five representative plays by Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s language is difficult for present-day readers, so you will have to be prepared to read slowly and repeatedly, or you will not understand what is being said. You may use any text of Shakespeare that you want, including online, but whatever text you use had better have footnotes that explain the difficult words, and you will need to pay very close attention to these notes.
In order to encourage you to keep up with the reading, we will have near-daily reading quizzes, which will count 50 per cent of your final grade. There will in addition be a mid-term and final papers, approximately 1250 words in length, which will each count 25 per cent of your final grade. There will be no mid-term or final exams.
We will read these plays in this order, spending roughly two weeks on each. You should start reading the first play before our first day of class, because there will be a reading quiz on the first day, covering the first act.
Measure for Measure
The Tragedy of Richard the Third
The Merchant of Venice
Othello
The Tempest