Major Concepts/Content: The Shakespeare course is designed to familiarize, and, in many cases, introduce the student to in-depth and extended study of the writings, life, times, and art of Shakespeare and the theory and practice of literary criticism. 

Major Instructional Activities: Reading and discussion of "The Taming of the Shrew", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Merchant of Venice", "Henry IV Part l", the 'Sonnets", "Twelfth Night", "Othello", and "The Tempest". Position papers of 3-5 typewritten pages will be required on three of the plays. The students will participate in group activities, presentations of scenes, analyzing the plays and the major themes and techniques employed by Shakespeare, learning about English history, and researching and employing various modes of literary criticism.

Major Evaluation Techniques: Students will be evaluated through unit tests, oral reports, quizzes, presentations, quality and quantity of research, journals, theory and practice of literary criticism, and quality of position papers. 

Essential Objectives: Upon completion of the Shakespeare course, students should be able to:

• Show understanding of literary terms and devices by recognizing them in Elizabethan poetry and drama.
• Identify criteria used to forma personal evaluation of types of Shakespearean drama.
• Identify and analyze relationships in the works of Shakespeare.
• Identify the techniques Shakespeare employed in comedy or tragedy and then distinguish the major characteristics of both types of drama.
• Analyze components of drama using techniques of literary criticism.
• Analyze components and relationships in central conflicts between characters and/or ideas.
• Analyze the relationships of intellectual and social implications in literature.

Last Revised: July 18, 2005