Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "EN 243"
COURSE NAME: "Shakespeare And Italy"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2016

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Lewis Samuel Klausner
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 3:00 PM 4:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS: BY APPOINTMENT

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course entails the study of five of Shakespeare’s plays in order to assess how he located and historicized his Italian-based drama. Thanks to the Rome location, students will be able to directly compare the archaeology of Shakespeare’s creativity with the splendors of ancient and Renaissance Italy that are integral to the works covered by the course. Throughout, the course will track the intersections of Shakespeare’s dramatic narrative with the notion of Italian ‘cultural difference’ in Shakespeare’s time, allowing students to learn how he dramatizes the Italian ‘Other’. In doing so, they will read his primary sources and evaluate how Shakespeare’s creative brilliance responded to the writings of historians such as Plutarch and Macchiavelli and story tellers such as Ovid, Matteo Bandello and Giovanni Fiorentino. The course will also attempt to gauge whether, within Shakespeare's Italian plays, there exists a veiled critique of the Elizabethan and Jacobean courts in which his work was widely circulated. The course will also explore how filmmakers have documented Shakespeare’s obsession with Italy, and how their work both subverts and confirms Shakespeare’s imaginative settings and Italianate compulsions.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Throughout his writing career, William Shakespeare revealed a considerable artistic debt to Italy and Italian culture. Though there is no evidence to suggest he left England, Italian settings feature in more than a third of his plays. From his first tragedy, the blood-soaked Titus Andronicus, via the love-stricken Romeo and Juliet and on to the racially-charged The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare’s Italian plays contain intriguing dramatic obsessions regarding the role of power, family, war, treachery, revenge and love.

This course entails the study of five of Shakespeare’s plays in order to assess how he located and historicized his Italian-based drama. Given that we are in Rome, we will be able to compare directly the archaeology of Shakespeare’s creativity with the splendors of ancient and Renaissance Italy that are integral to the works we will read. Visits to the Colosseum, The Forum, The Capitoline Museum and to Rome’s Jewish Ghetto will vivify our perceptions of these plays.

Throughout, we will track the intersections of Shakespeare’s dramatic narrative with the notion of Italian ‘cultural difference’ in Shakespeare’s time. In this way we will learn how he dramatizes the Italian ‘Other’. In doing so, we will read his primary sources and evaluate how Shakespeare’s creative brilliance responded to the writings of historians such as Plutarch and Macchiavelli and story tellers such as Ovid, Matteo Bandello and Giovanni Fiorentino. We will also attempt to gauge whether within his Italian plays there exists a veiled critique of the Elizabethan and Jacobean courts in which Shakespeare’s work was widely circulated.

Moreover, we will see how filmmakers such as Joseph Mankiewicz (Julius Caesar; 1953), Michael Radford (The Merchant of Venice; 2004) and Julie Taymor (Titus; 1999) have documented Shakespeare’s obsession with Italy, and how their work both subverts and confirms Shakespeare’s imaginative settings and Italianate compulsions.

This will require primary and secondary source readings, a solid attendance record, active engagement in class, and total commitment to the scope of the course.

Please be sure to arrive with the following Complete Works:

http://www.amazon.it/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/279-9430882-6131744?__mk_it_IT=%C5M%C5Z%D5%D1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=The+RSC+Shakespeare%3A+The+Complete+Works+&x=0&y=0

Bring ONLY this version please. It is available from Amazon (UK, USA, Italy) and will prove cheaper than purchasing the individual plays. You can also purchase this edition at JCU’s partner stockist, The Almost Corner Bookstore.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will learn to analyse and appreciate the writings of Shakespeare. They will deepen their knowledge of the historical, artistic, and cultural context of the plays, particularly as they relate to Italy and Rome. They will read and analyse primary and secondary sources. They will improve their skills in critical writing and reading.

TEXTBOOK:

NONE

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
IN CLASS QUIìZZES		15
THREE PAPERS		30
IN CLASS PRESENTATION		10
RESEARCH PAPER		25
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION		10
FINAL EXAM		10

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the cours
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Students are required to attend all scheduled class meetings and to participate in all classroom activities. Students are allowed only two absences (no questions asked, no excuse needed). However, each additional absence beyond the two allowed will result in the reduction of the final grade for the course by 5%. Students with more than five absences will fail the course.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Session	Session Focus	Reading Assignment	Other Assignment	Trip
Week 1 -3	The Horror of Rome: Titus Andronicus	Titus Andronicus	Quiz on Titus Andronicus	Chiesa di San Giovanni del Fiorentini / Renaissance Tour
Week 3-5	Family Feuds: Romeo and Juliet	Romeo and Juliet	Quiz on Romeo and Juliet on Paper due	: Tempio Maggiore di Roma
Week 5-7	Outsiders: Merchant of Venice	Merchant of Venice	Quiz on Merchant of Venice; Paper due	Largo Argentina / Teatro Pompei
Week 7-10	Politics: Julius Caesar	Julius Caesar	Quiz on Julius Caesar on	The Colosseo / Foro Romano.
Week 10-13 -	Love: Antony and Cleopatra	Antony and Cleopatra	Quiz on Antony and Cleopatra	The Capitoline Museums
Week 14	Research Paper due in class