SYLLABUS

ENGLISH 280--INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE

Fall 2009

Section 1: Tuesday-Thursday 9:10-10:25 a.m. (Room N129)

Instructor: Greg Ahrenhoerster

Home Phone: (414) 961-3297

Office Phone: (262) 521-5479

Electronic Mail: gahrenho@uwc.edu

OFFICE: W131 (office hours 9:00-10:00 MWF, 10:30-11:30 Th, and by appointment)

Course Webpage: <http://waukesha.uwc.edu/eng/gahrenho/280syllabus.htm>

HANDOUTS:

Summary of Richard II (which comes before Henry IV, part 1)

Paper Topics

Mechanics of writing about Shakespeare

Group Presentation

REQUIRED TEXTS: We will be reading the following plays, which are available in very affordable paperback form in the bookstore (but I don’t care if you use other editions):

• Henry IV, Part One
• Much Ado About Nothing
• As You Like It
• Hamlet
• Othello
• Macbeth
• The Tempest

We will also be reading a selection of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. A copy of Poems and Sonnets is also available in the bookstore.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:  The departmental objectives for this course are as follows:

·         To increase the student’s understanding and appreciation of William Shakespeare as a dramatist and poet. 

·         To give the student an understanding of the dramatic, intellectual, historical, and social milieu of Shakespeare’s work.

As with any humanities course, in this class we will be thinking about what insights these plays and poems give us into the human condition.  Shakespeare writes about love, friendship, families, politics, war, justice, and other issues that are still important to us today. I think you will find he had a keen understanding of human beings and has much to teach us about ourselves and other people.

Another thing I want us to think about is what has changed in the 400 or so years since Shakespeare wrote these plays. These plays give us a window into the world of Renaissance England.  Through them we can learn something about the values, fears, and beliefs of the culture from which these plays sprang.

REQUIREMENTS: 

• Four papers (including draft review day for each)
• In-class quizzes and exercises
• Group Presentation
• Regular attendance and class participation

The out-of-class papers must be computer generated, double-spaced, with one-inch margins.  You are all welcome and encouraged to use the computers in the Study Center or Computer Center. 

GRADING: (4) Papers (400 points)

(4) draft review days (40 Points)

(10) In-class Quizzes and assignments (100 points)

Group Presentation (60 points)

Discussion/Participation (100 points)

As you can see, there are 700 possible points available; I will assign final grades based on the following scale: 

        93-100% = A   80-82% = B-   67-69% = D+

        90-92% = A-   77-79% = C+   63-66% = D

        87-89% = B+   73-76% = C    60-62% = D-

        83-86% = B    70-72% = C-   below 60% = F

ATTENDANCE:  A significant portion of your grade is based on participation and discussion; obviously, you can do neither of these things if you are not in class.  Please also note that in-class quizzes and assignments cannot be made up, and papers will be deducted five (5) points if they are one class late and ten (10) points if they are two or more classes late. 

Please contact me as soon as possible if you anticipate missing classes or being unable to complete an assignment on time.

ACADEMIC HONESTY:  The Board of regents, administrators, faculty, academic staff, and students of the University of Wisconsin system believe that academic honesty and integrity are fundamental to the mission of higher education and of the University of Wisconsin System.  The University has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic dishonesty.  Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect for others’ academic endeavors.  Students who violate these standards must be confronted and must accept the consequences of their actions.

Essentially, this means that you are not allowed to cheat on quizzes, and when you are writing papers you MUST document any outside sources that you use.

ASSESSMENT: The UW Colleges-wide assessment program was established to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the curriculum, programs, and services of the institution.  The institution-wide assessment activities focus on analytical, quantitative, communication, and aesthetic skills because they are of primary importance in the general education of our students.  This semester, students in some English courses will be assessed on analytical skills, specifically the ability to construct an argument in support of a conclusion.

Each department also conducts assessment activities that address discipline-specific learning goals.  This year, the English Department is researching the effect that quizzing has on student learning.  As a part of this project, students may be asked to complete a survey.

HELP:  Please see me if you have any questions about an assignment or need help. 

You are strongly encouraged to make use of the writing tutors in the Study Center, who will gladly read a draft of your essay and give you helpful feedback.  You can also work with a writing tutor via e-mail with the UW-Waukesha Online Writing Lab; instructions are located at http://waukesha.uwc.edu/academics/owl/.

If you have a disability that will in any way affect your work in this class, please let me know so that I can work with you. Also, Judy Becker in Student services would like to talk to you to make sure that if you need special parking, or any other services, she can arrange them for you.

CALENDAR:  This schedule is subject to change and is provided primarily to give you an idea of the subjects we will be covering and let you know when major assignments are due so you can plan your life accordingly.  Many days there is a scheduled reading; I will expect that you will have the assigned items read before class by the day on which it appears. 

This entire class is about the readings.  It will be a boring class if you haven’t read the assigned material. DO YOUR READING!