Shakespeare

Tuesday and Thursday, 11:30-12:50, Merrill 220.

Office Hours: 15 Johnson Chapel, Thursday 2-4 and by appointment.

Phone: Home, (413) 253-9166. Johnson Chapel office, (413) 542-5408

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E-mail (pberek@mtholyoke.edu).

Assistant: Elizabeth Ballinger-Dix '13.  E-mail (eballingerdix13@amherst.edu).

Text (available at Amherst Books): The Norton Shakespeare, ed. Stephen Greenblatt et. al., 2nd edition.

Films: Film performances of Shakespeare plays are an important part of this course. All students are responsible for seeing each of the assigned films and should be prepared to discuss them in class. Films will be available on-line; there will also be occasional optional opportunties to view films on a large screen. You should view films and videos by the day indicated on the syllabus.

Each student will be part of a small group responsible for selecting and preparing a brief scene or sequence to perform in class. (You are not expected to memorize the speeches you perform.) Students will explain to the class the interpretive choices they made in performing the sequence. Groups will prepare their presentations with the help of the Assistant for the course, Elizabeth Ballinger-Dix '13. After class the instructor will offer comments and grade the group's presentation.


Writing: There will be one or more brief writing exercise early in the semester, two 4-5 page papers and a final exam. While most of the final exam will consist of essays, one section will ask students to identify passages from plays we have read or episodes from films we have seen.