Subject: Literature Course: Shakespeare Drama and Poetry Course Code: Programme: Secondary Year: 3 Semester: 1 Pre‐requisites: Introduction to Drama (Year 1) Caribbean Prose and Drama (Year 2) Credit Hours: 3 Duration: 45 Hours RATIONALE Introduction to Drama provided the opportunity for students to be exposed to Elizabethan literary conventions and a Shakespearean play. This course provides the opportunity for students to be exposed to the 3 genres of Shakespeare’s plays and some of his poetry. Shakespeare Drama and Poetry should engender in students a simultaneous appreciation of the relationship between Elizabethan socio‐political realities and Shakespeare’s plays and poetry and the student‐teacher’s/pupils contemporary realities. The course aims to help student‐teachers achieve this by being engaged in learning methodology which they can utilize in their own teaching of Shakespeare which proves very challenging for the inexperienced teacher. OBJECTIVES Students should be able to: i. Appreciate and enjoy Shakespeare’s texts ii. apply literary theory to elucidate varying interpretations of Shakespeare’s texts. iii. identify distinctive aspects of Shakespearean dramatic genres e.g. history, comedy, tragedy. iv. relate theme and characterization of texts being studied to contemporary local and global situations v. experience activities/methodologies which they can employ in teaching Shakespeare drama to their own pupils. vi. devise strategies to relate themes of plays to local/global social, economic and environmental concerns in order to promote awareness of and action for sustainable development. CONTENT The three plays (close reading of two and a less detailed study of the other) plus the selection of sonnets should be incorporated/represented in the relevant units. Unit 1: 3 Hours Why Shakespeare? Relevance in the 21st century  Explorations of students’ experiences with studying Shakespeare  Discussion of purpose/relevance of studying Shakespeare  Exploratory approach to excerpts seen from varying theoretical perspectives e.g. feminist, historical‐biographical etc. Unit 2: 3 Hours Socio‐Political Factors Influencing the “Production” of Shakespeare’s Plays  national concerns ‐ (Shakespeare as patriot)  social class structure of Elizabethan society  sources of Shakespeare’s plots  values—the “Elizabethan man”  the Elizabethan stage General Characteristics of Shakespeare’s Language (ideal for the study of sonnets)  its role as creator of setting and mood  linguistic devices – antithesis, alliteration, parody …  Shakespearean imagery  rhetorical figures – types of repetition etc.  changing language/word meanings  invented language  accepted – Shakespearean expressions which are now “stock” phrases Unit 4 – Detailed Study of a Shakespearean Tragedy Themes and Technique in Shakespearean Tragedy  Exploration of themes – insights, relation to contemporary society  Exploration of play in performance – modern vs traditional performances (gains, losses)  protagonist – social status, hamartia  shape of play – exposition, rising action, climax, falling action dénouement – traditional climactic Act III etc. Exploration of language Unit 5 ‐ Comedy Detailed Study of a Shakespearean Comedy Themes and Technique in Shakespearean Comedy 
Exploration of themes – insights, relation to contemporary society, how effected  Exploration of play in performance –  protagonist – social status ‐ foible  shape of play – disguises, happy ending – marriages Unit 6 ‐ History Detailed Study of a Shakespearean History Themes and Technique in Shakespearean Historical Plays  Exploration of themes – insights, relation to contemporary society  Exploration of play in performance –  protagonist – national figure  shape of play – relationship to historical facts Prescribed Texts (3 plays and 6 sonnets) a) Close study of one tragedy and one history or comedy b) Less detailed study of either one history or one comedy c) Appreciation of 6 sonnets SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES  stage the same scene from different theoretical perspectives  write alternative ending to play based on relationship to contemporary Jamaican situations  watch video version of text  enacting scene from perspectives of different characters  presenting a character/characters based on individual’s interpretations  hot – seating of characters to reveal motivation, to justify actions etc./meeting the media  cast the play based on well known figures e.g. a politician as Macbeth; Romeo and Juliet as a couple they know; a nationalistic figures etc.  apply for a job attaching a c.v. based on the play’s characterization of the applicant e.g. the nurse in Romeo and Juliet  writing obituaries  create tableaux to show emotional/physical progress of specific character/characters through the play  relating universal themes to local situations e.g. father‐daughter relationship, deception – appearance and reality, order and disorder  radio/television commentary of a scene  diary entries of main character to show state of mind, conflicts etc.  design a checklist for studying a Shakespearean play  write a poem using the format/structure of the Shakespearean/Elizabethan sonnet 

role play interviews with characters speech‐making—motivational, persuasive capturing theme of play EVALUATION Coursework 3 pieces – 60% Examination 2 questions – 40% Suggested Course Work Activities 1) essay on aspect of play/literary conventions related to one play. 2) group presentation/interpretation of extract from another play (outside the syllabus). 3) comparison of 2 film/video versions of the same play to determine presentation of character, theme etc. (essay) 4) research on critics interpretations of a given play based on at least 2 different theoretical perspectives. 5) activity booklet for teaching different stages/aspects of a Shakespeare text on the CXC C‐SEC syllabus. 6) Choose a scene from one of the plays and design a set that captures its theme and mood. (group activity) Bibliography Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean Tragedy. London: Macmillan, 1975 Gibson, Rex Teaching Shakespeare. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.