JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY COURSE CODE: "EN 243" COURSE NAME: "Shakespeare And Italy" SEMESTER & YEAR: Summer Session II 2016

SYLLABUS INSTRUCTOR: Lewis Samuel Klausner EMAIL: [email protected] HOURS: MTWTH 9:00-10:45 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: If one discounts Shakespeare's ten English History Plays all of which, obviously, are set in Britain, of the remaining twenty-eight plays, twelve are  situated, in whole or in part, in Italy. It is clear, therefore, that even from a purely numerical viewpoint, Shakespeare was drawn to, perhaps even fascinated by, Italy. By carefully reading and analyzing five of these twelve plays, we will try to discover what it was about Italy, which, as far we know, Shakespeare never set foot in, that drew England's greatest playwright to it. Among Shakespeare's contemporaries, there was no single or unambiguous view of Italy. Some, perhaps the majority, saw Italy in the vanguard of a movement that became known as the Renaissance, a word often used in the same breath as "re-birth." In very general terms, and in a gradual way, the Renaissance turned its back on the more otherworldly Medieval period that is usually seen as preceding it.  The Renaissance, whose orientation was firmly rooted in this world, came to appreciate and privilege the wisdom contained within the recently re-discovered literature of classical Greece and Rome. In addition, by reading these classical texts, contemporary scholars came to recognize the important place of  humankind living in this world in the here and now. Life and humanity now had an importance in its own right and was no longer seen, as it was in the Medieval period, simply as an arduous pilgrimage along a  dangerous and perilous road to a more glorious afterlife. This re-discovery of the glories of Classical literature and the new focus on the inherent value and dignity of humankind, came together  to define the term "humanism." But not everyone shared this rosy view of a new  world whose origins many saw as residing in Italy. Stephen Gosson, for example, in his tract "The School of Abuse," 1579 excoriated Italy, focusing in particular on its immorality and what he called its "wantonness," no where more evident, according to Gosson, than in English drama. Still others, English Protestants in particular, who broke with the Roman Catholic Church in 1534, saw Italy as the home of  diabolical "popishness" and moral decadence, and, in a spirit of zealous religious reform, referred to Italy as the home of "anti-Christ." The question is, where did Shakespeare, writing near the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th, situate himself in these conflicting views about Italy? Or did he ignore these diametrically opposed opinions altogether and adopt a subtler and more nuanced view of Italy? Whatever the answer, it is clear that Shakespeare owes a large cultural and artistic debt to Italy, a debt that we will examine by closely reading five plays set in Italy, and by supplementing our textual study, time permitting, with films of some of these plays. and by visits to some sites in Rome mentioned in some of the plays.. In addition, because Shakespeare was on of the literary world's great "borrowers," we will also look at the sources of a few of the plays and assess the ways in which Shakespeare distorts and re-shapes his source materials to bring them in line with his dramatic purposes.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will read the plays carefully and closely and learn how to analyze their content and significance.  They will develop an appreciation of the importance of setting and come to appreciate how Shakespeare's use of Italian settings contextualizes and influences the contours of plot and story. They will sharpen their reading and writing skills and gain confidence in expressing their opinions during in-class discussions.

TEXTBOOK: Book Title Author Publisher ISBN number Library Call Number Comments Format Local Bookstore Online Purchase Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare Simon and Shuster Paperbacks FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY 978-0-7434-7756-7   Book available at the Almost corner Bookstore       Romeo and Julet William Shakespeare Simon and Shuster Paperbacks FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY 978-0-1514-8980-00   Book available at the Almost corner Bookstore       Titus Andronicus William Shakespeare Simon and Shuster Paperbacks FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY 978-0-671-72292-0   Book available at the Almost corner Bookstore       Othello William Shakespeare Washington Square Press (Simon and Shuster)FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY 978-0-7434-7755-0   Book available at the Almost corner Bookstore       Antony and Cleopatra William Shakespeare Washington Square Press (Simon and Shuster)FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY 978-0-7434-82-85-1   Book available at the Almost corner Bookstore

REQUIRED RESERVED READING: NONE RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING: NONE

GRADING POLICY -ASSESSMENT METHODS: Assignment Guidelines Weight       4 two page papers written at home . Details to be discussed 60       a content quiz at the start of study of each new play   25 an in-class senimar presentation Topic: either a presentation on sources for a particular play or another topic approved in advance by me 10 Attendance and Participation Students are expected to ask questions and make comments in class 5 -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 c 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: ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________

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 Meeting Place/Exam Dates WEEK 1 (5-7 July) Introduction and Titus Andronicus Titus Andronicus Quiz on Titus 7 July   WEEK 2 (11-14 July) The OTHER and Venetian Values in Merchant of Venice Merchant of Venice Quiz on Merchant 11 July   WEEK 3 (18-21 July) Parental Pressure and Young Love in Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet Quiz on R and J 18 July   WEEK 4 (25-28 July) The OTHER in Othello: Venice vs. Cyprus Othello Quiz on Othello 25 July   WEEK 5 (1-5 August) Rome vs Egypt in Antony and Cleopatra Antony and Cleopatra Quiz on Antony and Cleopatra 1 August)