1. Home
  2. ENGL
  3. ENGL 324: Shakespeare I (Rev. 5 & 6)

ENGL 324: Shakespeare I (Rev. 5 & 6) Report a Broken Link

ENGL 324 is an introduction to the age of Shakespeare and his plays. It begins with an introduction to the following topics: a brief biography of Shakespeare; a crash course in the origins of Western theatre and the evolution of Shakespearean drama; an introduction to Shakespeare’s political and cultural milieu; a survey of certain mysteries and critical questions about Shakespeare; and an overview of Shakespeare’s English. Students are then introduced to seven of Shakespeare’s earlier plays and will participate in close readings and thematic investigations in order to gain a greater understanding of Shakespeare's enduring relevance and a deeper understanding of the plays themselves.

Course Description

Introduction [video]

Unit I: Introduction

Required Readings
Sutherland, Julie. “Drama.” Encyclopedia of Tudor England. Eds. John A. Wagner and Susan Walters Schmid. Vol. 1. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2012. 365–368.
Jane Kingsley-Smith. “Sources.” The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. Eds. Michael Dobson and Stanley Wells. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. 441–43.
Bryson, Bill. "The First Thousand Years." The Mother Tongue: English & How It Got That Way. NY: William Morrow & Co., 1990. 59–66.
Johnson, Mary. “Shakespeare’s Language.” RSC Education. Ed. Suzanne Worthington. n.d. Web. 21 Apr 2016.
Useful Websites and Videos
"William Shakespeare: The life and legacy of England’s bard." BBC. 2016. Web.
"The Sources Shakespeare Used for his Plays." Internet Shakespeare Editions. 2011. Web.
Cole, Nicki, L. "Full Transcript of Emma Watson's Speech on Gender Equality at the UN." about.com. 25 Sep. 2015. Web.

Unit II: Titus Andronicus

Online Quiz
Good Reads Quiz: Titus Andronicus
Useful Websites and Videos
Ovid. "Tereus Rapes Philomela." The Metamorphoses. Book 6: 486-548. poetryintranslation.com. 2000. Web.

Unit III: Richard II

Online Quiz
Cliffs Notes Quiz: Richard II
Useful Websites and Videos
Alexander, Justin, ed. Richard II: Thomas of Woodstock. thealexandrian.net. 14 Sep. 2010. Web.
Watt, Nicholas. "Royal Equality Act Will End Succession of First Born Male - Rather Than Older Sister." The Guardian 28 Oct. 2011 Web. 14 Jan. 2016.

Avenue Q Schadenfreude (Original Broadway Cast Performance)

Unit IV: Henry IV, Part One

Useful Websites and Videos
Holinshed, Raphael. "Interview between the prince and the king." Ed. Rosemary Gaby. Internet Shakespeare Editions. University of Victoria. Web.
"Look at me" Dustin Hoffman on Laurence Olivier - Inside the Actors Studio
Online Quiz
Spark Notes Quiz: Henry IV, Part One

Unit V: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Required Reading
Gay, Penny. “Introduction: Comedy as Idea and Practice” The Cambridge Introduction to Shakespeare’s Comedies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 1–15.
Useful Websites and Videos
Photo gallery: Peter Brook's 1970 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Tam Lin Ballad  
Thomas the Rhymer Ballad

Judi Dench A Midsummer Night's Dream Pt 2

Online Quiz
ShortList.com Quiz: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Unit VI: Richard III

Useful Websites
Now: In the Wings on a World Stage
“New Battle of Bosworth Field site revealed.” BBC News. 19 Feb. 2010. Web.
“Richard III dig: DNA confirms bones are king’s.” BBC News. 4 Feb. 2013. Web.
Treble, Patricia. “Canada’s connection to King Richard III: The inside story.” Maclean's. 22 Mar. 2015. Web.
Seneca. Troades. Theoi E-Texts Library Copyright © 2000 – 2011, Aaron Atsma. Theoi.com. Web.
"Donald Trump calls John McCain 'not a war hero'." CBC News. 18 Jul. 2015. Web.
Online Quiz
Spark Notes Quiz: Richard III

Unit VII: The Merchant of Venice

Videos
Basil Gives Manuel a Language Lesson - Fawlty Towers - BBC

The Merchant of Venice 2004

Online Quiz
Spark Notes Quiz: The Merchant of Venice

Unit VIII: Twelfth Night

Useful Websites and Videos
Quilter, Roger. Shakespeare's Songs, Op.6. imslp.org. 23 Jan. 2015. Web.
Online Quiz
Spark Notes Quiz: Twelfth Night

Assignments

Oxford English Dictionary
Crystal, David and Ben Crystal. "Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary & Language Companion." shakespeareswords.com. 2008. Web.