 Class
Meetings: T/Th 7-9 AM (ENGL
339-01) and T/R 9-11 AM (ENGL 339-02) in 2-13
Office: 47-35G, tel. 756-2636 (email me rather than leaving a voicemail; I am not usually in my office outside my T 12-1 office hour) Office Hours: T 12:10-1:00 PM in 47-35G; Th 11:10 AM - noon in 2-13; F 10:10 AM - noon in 2-13; and by appt. |
 Dr.
Debora B. Schwartz e-mail: dschwart@calpoly.edu Main ENGL Dept. Office: 756-2597 |
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PREREQUISITES:
GE area A (esp. expository writing,
e.g. ENGL 134, and reasoning, argumentation and writing,
e.g. ENGL 145); AND GE area C1 (ideally a 200-level
literature class, e.g. ENGL 230 or 231 or 251 or 252
or 253). Students enrolled in this class are expected to
have the basic writing, argumentation and analytic skills
taught in the Prerequisite classes and to have prior experience in
reading and analyzing literature at the 200-level.
A WRITING-INTENSIVE, G.E. AREA C4 CLASS. As a writing-intensive class, ENGL 339 requires a minimum of 3000 words of writing over the course of the quarter, and at least 50% of the course grade must be based on writing assignments. As a G.E. area C4 class, it provides historical perspective on a significant literary period; covers a range of literary genres and conventions; helps you understand both individual works and their relationship to the social, cultural, and historical context in which they were written, including attention to relevant issues of gender and diversity; and aims to foster an appreciation of the connections between literary works and non-verbal forms such as the visual and/or performing arts. Course readings, lectures and writing assignments aim to help you develop the skills necessary to read with insight, engagement, and detachment; to analyze and evaluate works from cultures which are unfamiliar to you; and to write clear, effective textual analysis that is firmly grounded in close reading of literary texts.
GWR: As a C4 literature class, ENGL 339 may be taken by students wishing to fulfill the Graduate Writing Requirement (GWR). However, please be aware that successful completion of the course does not guarantee GWR certification. To achieve GWR certification, you must 1) have junior or senior standing; 2) pass the class with a grade of "C" or better (a C- is not adequate); and 3) write a GWR-certifiable essay on the essay portion of either the midterm or the final exam. A GWR-certifiable essay must conform to the standards for formal analytic writing about literature: a valid argument (appropriate and adequate content), logical organization, appropriate and adequate textual support, and reasonably correct mechanics and style (grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, etc.) See Tips for Writing a GWR-Certifiable Essay; consult the formerly used Paper Writing Guidelines and Essay Evaluation Sheet if you are unsure about the conventions of formal analytic writing about literature.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES:
ENGL 339 is designed to introduce both General Education students and students with a more specific academic interest (e.g. English or Theatre majors and minors) to representative plays of all genres by William Shakespeare, perhaps the finest poet ever to write in English. ENGL 339 aims to encourage YOUR interaction with and enjoyment of Shakespeare's plays. The primary emphasis is on the interpretation of the text, not historical background or scholarly debate, but some familiarity with the historical context is essential to an understanding of the plays -- so historical and cultural context will be covered in online background readings, in lectures, and on exams. By the end of the course, you should:
REQUIRED
TEXTS:
The SIGNET CLASSICS editions of A
Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry V, Macbeth, Hamlet,
and The Tempest. Do NOT substitute
another edition! During class discussions, we will refer
to page and line numbers in these editions; there are
required background reading assignments in these editions;
the text of passages on Reading Quizzes and Exams will be taken from
from these editions; and you are required to cite the text as
printed in these editions in your written work. ALWAYS
BRING THE TEXTBOOK WITH YOU TO CLASS MEETINGS!
NOTE: As You Like It has been dropped from this class because of reduced class meetings due to university holidays, but I highly recommend this gender-bending pastoral comedy.Other required readings will be accessed electronically: Online Readings are found in .HTML files accessible through links on this website and E-reserve readings in the form of .PDF files on "electronic reserve" in PolyLearn. Please note that you must have access to ALL required electronically accessed readings in class; ideally, they should be PRINTED OUT, PLACED IN A COURSE BINDER, AND BROUGHT WITH YOU TO CLASS.
FILM SCREENINGS / PERFORMANCES: Shakespeare's plays were written to be performed -- they were originally seen, not read. Because there was no such thing as "copyright" in the sixteenth century, playwrights kept their plays from publication to protect themselves (and their acting troupes) from unauthorized productions. Thus, the written text was not "sacred," as it seems to us today; variations and changes occurred from production to production and from performance to performance. Also, keep in mind that ANY production of a play -- in Shakespeare's time or in our own -- is an interpretation of the text. We will pay close attention to this interpretive layer through the analysis of selected performances (video screenings) and by performing scenes and speeches from the plays.
FILMS: You are strongly encouraged to
watch filmed versions of the plays read in this class. Some DVDs
from the library's collections have been placed on reserve for
ENGL 339 at the Kennedy Library Circulation Desk; additionally,
the BBC
Shakespeare Series can be streamed through the
Library Website (Cal Poly Log-In required).
Three SPECIFIC film productions are REQUIRED viewing for the class: the film adapted from the
-- 
STUDENT
PERFORMANCES: the last week of class, each student will
present a group scene or a monologue from a play
read in class. The text should be memorized and
acted with as much dramatic flair as you can muster (costumes and
props are encouraged but not required). Scenes and monologues
should be chosen carefully to illustrate key issues in the work;
the significance of the scene must be briefly explained prior to
the presentation. This REQUIRED oral exercise will be graded
pass/fail. Quality of the performance (and of the memorization)
will be recorded only as a plus or minus
used to decide borderline grades. However, failure to
present a scene or monologue will result in a
zero as half of your Participation, Intellectual
Engagement and Collaboration grade (i.e., 10% of your
final course grade = 0, making it impossible for you to
earn an A in the class). You may not present a scene
or monologue that has already been claimed by another
student. As specific speeches and scenes are claimed (first
come, first served!), I will post the list in the Announcements
section of Polylearn.
NOTE: Yes, seeing Shakespeare performed well is
fun, but remember that performances / screenings are NOT 1) a
substitute for reading the plays or 2) a free-ride that gets you
out of doing "real" work. You will be expected to ANALYZE and INTERPRET required
performances with a critical eye and to fill out and
post a Video Analysis Worksheet for each required video in
your PolyLearn Discussion
Group. To do this assignment, you will need to
note specific details from the production that
reveal the textual interpretation behind it and to
identify important textual passages upon which this
interpretation is founded. Remember that your opinions must
always be justified textually -- based not upon whim but upon your
solid knowledge of the play and informed interpretation of its
meaning. Note: A SECTION ON THE REQUIRED VIDEOS WILL BE INCLUDED
ON THE MIDTERM AND FINAL EXAMS!!
CLASS
EMAIL
ALIAS: Important announcements concerning
this class will be sent over the class
email alias. The class email alias is
automatically generated using the email address found in the Cal
Poly Directory server for each enrolled student. If your Cal Poly
email account is NOT your preferred email address, you must
.
Participation, Intellectual
Engagement, and Collaboration
together count for 20% of your final course grade.
YOUR active participation is essential to the success of ENGL 339! For these reasons . . .
Participation 1: Attendance Policy. Due to the twice-weekly class meetings, any absence causes you to miss a substantial chunk of material. Regular and punctual attendance is required. Please note that EVERY absence will affect the 20% of your course grade that is based on Participation, Intellectual Engagement, and Collaboration.
Each student starts out with a 4.0 (A) for Participation, Intellectual Engagement and Collaboration. This component of your final grade drops by .1 for the first EXCUSED absence (4.0 to 3.9) and .2 for the second excused absence (3.9 to 3.7). Additionally, it drops .3 for the first UNEXCUSED absence; the Unexcused Absence penalty increases by .1 for each subsequent unexcused absence (from .3 to .4 to .5, etc.). Please note that excused absences in excess of two (a full week, 10% of the class) count the same as unexcused absences.
Please note that only absences due to illness, family crisis,
or circumstances which are truly beyond your control
count as excused. Deadlines for other courses,
work conflicts, and job interviews are NOT valid reasons for
missing class. FOR AN ABSENCE TO BE EXCUSED, YOU MUST NOTIFY
ME IN WRITING (email preferred). On the subject line,
put your class section (ENGL 339-01 -- I teach more than one
class!), the word absence, and the day and date when
you missed class (for example, "339-01 absence T
4/3/18"). Please repeat that information in the body of your
email and provide a full explanation of the circumstances leading
to your absence. (I must understand why you needed to miss
class in order to evaluate whether your absence qualifies as
excused.)
Please note: work conflicts and job interviews are NOT valid
reasons for missing class; you are responsible for keeping
work commitments from conflicting with academic ones.
Exception: if you are a graduating senior and must travel
out of town for a final interview, ONE such absence will count as
excused. Please do not schedule local interviews or other
appointments during class hours.
Participation
2: Online Conversations; Engagement with the Texts and with
Each Other. Attendance is not the
sole measure of your participation; I am also interested in your
intellectual engagement with the material and your willingness to
collaborate with your peers as demonstrated by regular
participation in class discussion, an online PolyLearn
Discussion Group and through peer-editing of written
assignments.
While I notice and appreciate active participation
in class discussions, I don't like to penalize students who are
less comfortable speaking up in class. I therefore measure Intellectual
Engagement and Collaboration primarily based on out-of-class
participation in your assigned Discussion Group Forum,
to which you will submit 5 (ungraded) Mini-Essays (MEs), 10
(ungraded) Classmate Responses, and a series of three (ungraded)
film analysis worksheets. While these assignments are
not graded as Written Work, each ungraded assignment that is not
submitted to the Discussion Group Forum counts as an
Unexcused Absence and will negatively impact the 20%
of your course grade that is based on Participation,
Intellectual Engagement, and Collaboration.
COME TO CLASS ON TIME AND PREPARED!! Readings are to be completed before class on the date assigned. Reading Quizzes PRECEDE discussion of the play on the first day for which the full text is assigned (see Calendar). You are expected as a matter of course to read the "Textual Note" and "Note on the Source(s)" following each play in the required Signet Classics edition, as well as all assigned online or e-reserve readings (.PDF files accessible through PolyLearn). Ideally, background material should be read BEFORE reading the play, but if you are short on time, read the plot synopsis and the text of the PLAY first (by quiz day, using the relevant Study Guide and Plot Summary as reading aids) and complete the background readings ASAP thereafter (before the last class meeting on that play).
ONLINE
STUDY GUIDES and PLOT SUMMARIES
are provided to facilitate reading the plays. USE THEM!
Familiarize yourself with study questions before you
begin to read, and refer to guides as you go, noting relevant
passages. After completing the play, I recommend that you reread
the questions and write up a summary of your ideas. (This summary
is FOR YOU. It will not be collected or graded, but
you may be asked to share responses in class.) You are not
expected to read the Introductions in your textbook, although you
may well find them interesting and useful. But it IS
important that you consult the notes in the text itself; they will
provide guidance on points that might otherwise be hard to
understand.
Remember: THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE
FOR READING THE PLAYS!! You will NOT pass this course by
watching videos, reading Cliff or Spark Notes, or merely by
knowing "what happens." Plot synopses are assigned reading
tools for each play, so you are ASSUMED to know "what happens"
even before you begin to read the text. Plot alone will NOT be
sufficient to pass reading quizzes.
Finally: allow yourself enough time to read thoughtfully--
it will greatly enhance your comprehension (and enjoyment!) of
Shakespeare's plays.
Class will begin with a READING QUIZ on the first day for which the full text is assigned. Quizzes will consist of nine significant passages from the play. You will choose six of these nine passages and answer four short questions about each. For example, you may be asked to state if the passage is in blank verse, rhyme or prose; identify the speakers and people spoken to (know NAMES!!); identify persons/things referred to by pronouns (e.g. "he," "she," "it," "we," "they"); explain when and where the scene takes place. You will not need to know the act or scene numbers of the passage; instead, you should be able to explain in general terms what is going on (e.g. what just happened or what is about to happen). Because the Study guides are designed to draw your attention to important passages, if you use them and read with care, you should recognize most or all of the passages on the quizzes.
Scaffolded Writing
Assignments
As a writing-intensive GE class, at least 50% of your course grade must be based on written work. Each student will complete a series of written assignments starting with lower-stakes, ungraded assignments that help you explore the assigned texts and which prepare you for the higher-stakes, graded writing assignments that count for approximately one half of your final course grade (a three- to four-page expanded and revised Essay and the essays on the Midterm and Final Exams).
Out-of-class writing assignments will be of two sorts: a set of five two-page Polylearn Discussion Group Mini-Essays (one per play) of which must be revised and expanded into a 3-4 page essay submitted in hard copy for a grade and instructor feedback) and ten 1-2 paragraph Classmate Responses (ungraded, but counted towards your Participation, Intellectual Engagement, and Collaboration grade AND required in order to be eligible to receive credit for your graded 3-4 page essay). Both sorts of writing will require close reading of and analysis of supporting quotations from the assigned plays.
Failure to submit any ungraded assignment counts like an "Unexcused
Absence" and will impact the 35% of your course grade
based on Participation,
Intellectual Engagement and Collaboration.
Both ungraded and graded writing assignments will require close
reading of the assigned plays.
Assignment details:
MINI-ESSAY RATIONALE AND POINTERS: These short, ungraded
assignments are designed to make you attentive to Shakespeare's
text and prepare you to do well on "higher-stakes"
writing assignments. that together count for 40% of your
course grade. MEs should be narrowly
focused on topics that can be covered within the
two-page
target length. The two-page target length
will also oblige you to get
to the point (lead with your conclusion; articulate
your claims fully and explicitly; avoid broad statements and
generalities; no "hook!"); to cut out unnecessary wordiness ("dead
wood"); and to express your ideas clearly and
concisely.
MEs may be a response to a study question, an analysis of a
specific scene or image, or an argument about a character's
motivation or purpose. Regardless of the topic you choose,
mini-essays MUST include analysis
and interpretation of carefully chosen citations from
the text of the play. An effective ME uses close
reading of carefully
chosen textual evidence to support an interpretive
claim about the text. You will need a narrow
focus so that you can really "unpack" the language and/or
images in the scenes and passages you discuss without
exceeding the two-page target length. Careful
analysis of a single character, a specific relationship, a key
image or symbol, or an important scene or speech is often enough
to fill two pages.
MEs should present a logically
organized argument to demonstrate the validity of an
explicitly stated interpretive
claim; don't simply describe elements in the
play or summarize
the action. You have freedom to explore an
aspect of an assigned play that interests you, but you must keep
your focus on the play itself, not background information
or the way in which the play speaks to you on a personal
level. You may find it helpful to begin by brainstorming in
response to a question on an online Study Guide; to explore how a
key image or theme is presented in a limited
number of passages within the play; or to analyze Shakespeare's
use of imagery or of a literary device such as foil
characters. Whatever topic you choose, your ME must
be grounded in close reading: interpretive
analysis of specific speeches and scenes in the
paly. You will discover that close attention to specific imagery,
word choice, etc. in a a few key speeches or a significant
scene may be enough to fill your two-page target length!
For fuller details, see the Mini-Essay Assignment Guidelines and the Essay Evaluation Checklist. NOTE: You should familiarize yourself with this checklist before you start to write, and take care to avoid the issues and errors that are included on the Checklist and in the Grading Codes!
-- Each student will be assigned to a Polylearn Discussion Group of 6-8 students. You must post five UNGRADED two-page Mini-essays [= "ME"], one on each assigned play, to your Polylearn Discussion Group by no later than midnight on the dates indicated on the Calendar of Assignments. Each ME will consist of a textually-based argument
that uses close reading of carefully chosen textual
evidence to support an interpretive argument about
the play. MEs should have a narrow focus so that you
can really "unpack" the language in the passages you discuss without
exceeding the two-page target length. Use the ME
TEMPLATE on Polylearn to format your ME and ensure that it
does not exceed the target length.
MEs should present a logically organized argument to demonstrate
the validity of an interpretive claim; don't simply
describe characters or relationships or summarize the
action. Mini-Essays must be grounded in close reading:
interpretive analysis of specific speeches and scenes.
Focus should not be overly broad: analysis of a single
character or relationship, symbol, or theme may be enough to fill
your 2 pages. HINT: It is often fruitful to analyze how a
key theme is presented in a limited number of scenes and
speeches; in many instances, close attention to specific imagery,
word choice, etc. in a single meaty speech or scene may be
enough to fill your 2 pages. It can be helpful to to use a study
question or a class discussion that you found
particularly interesting as a starting point for an
ME. For fuller details, see the Mini-Essay Assignment
Guidelines.
-- 
IMPORTANT:
in order to receive credit for your Mini-Essays, you must post at
least two short (but thoughtful) Classmate
Responses [= "CR"] to the MEs posted by two other
members of your Polylearn Discussion Group (with whom you may
agree or disagree, as long as you do so respectfully and back up
your response with your own textual support from the play).
CRs must including at least one ADDITIONAL quotation from the play
(that was not cited in the ME to which you are responding) in
support of your observations. Classmate responses are due no
later than midnight on the the dates indicated on the Calendar of Assignments (generally, 2
days after Mini-Essays are due).
Your ten classmate responses will not be graded as Written
Work, but they are required to get credit for your Graded,
Revised Mini-Essay and they factor into the Participation, Intellectual
Engagement, and Collaboration component of your final
course grade: each missing
Classmate Response counts as an Unexcused Absence.
Additionally, your peer-editing of the first draft of the essay
revised and submitted for credit by another member of your
Discussion Group is REQUIRED; failure to peer-edit the ME of ONE
member of your Discussion Group WILL COUNT AS AN UNEXCUSED
ABSENCE.
There are two Peer-Editing
assignments (which each student must complete for ONE other
member of her/his Discussion Group). The first is
"dry-run" peer edit of ME 1 which ALL students will complete and
turn in to Dr. Schwartz. The second, "official" Peer Edit
will be completed for a classmate as part of her/his revision
process. Both Peer Edits require the Peer Editor to fill out
a hard copy print-out of the Essay Evaluation
Checklist available as a printer-friendly .PDF on
Polylearn (a print-out of the Essay
Evaluation Checklist webpage will not be accepted); to write
corrections and editing suggestions on the first draft of
the ME under revision using the Error Codes at the bottom
of the Essay Evaluation Checklist; CIRCLING on that checklist
ALL error codes used in peer-editing the first draft ME; and
writing an end comment that points to strengths and/or
weaknesses of the ME and provides at least one suggestion
for what new material to include while expanding the ME to a 3-4
page essay.
On the front of the hard-copy check-list, the Peer Editor's name
must be clearly indicated ("Feedback by NAME") along with the name
of the person whose ME is being responded to ("Feedback to NAME");
also indicate your Discussion Group number and your class section
(ENGL 339-01 or 339-02). If the names are not included, the
Peer Editor will not receive credit for this required assignment.
Higher Stakes Writing:
Your MEs are intended to prepare you two do well on three graded
writing assignments: the essays on the Midterm and Final
Exams (together worth 25% of your course grade) and a 3-4
page graded essay that is a revised and expanded to
a three-four page graded essay which must be turned in in
hard copy, along with a hard-copy print-out of the original
, TWO-PAGE ME that has been peer-edited
by another member of your Discussion Group. This
carefully edited revision/expansion essay is worth 15%
of your course grade. To allow time for careful
revision and editing, the revised/expanded ME submitted for
grading must be submitted at least one week after Classmate
responses have been posted. The header for the revision should
begin "ENGL 339 Paper: Title."
FINAL COURSE GRADE CALCULATION:
NOTE: Final course grades in this class are not based on a specific number of course "points" and cannot be computed directly from the percentage scores earned on quizzes and exams. Scores earned in each graded component of the class are converted to a 4.0-scale (like GPA: 4.3=A+, 4.0=A, 3.7=A-, 3.3=B+, etc.) and weighted as outlined above in calculation of the final course grade.
15%: quizzes (lowest score dropped). If quiz average is more than 6 pts., a bonus of .05 to .3 will be added to the normally top score of 4.0. (4.0=A, 3.7=A-, 3.3=B+, etc., as in computing GPA)
15%: Graded Revision and Expansion of ONE 2-page ME into a 3-4 page essay. Your carefully edited, revised and expanded paper may NOT be identical to your initial ME posting ; you must cover significant new ground in the additional page of the essay. To receive credit for the graded, revised ME, you must turn it in along with hard copy of the original 2-page ME posting, which must be peer-edited by one other Discussion Group member. Peer-editing requires: 1) written corrections and notations on the hard copy ME, using the grading codes on the Essay Evaluation Checklist posted on PolyLearn; 2) filling out a hard copy of the Essay Evaluation Checklist (.PDF file available on PolyLearn); 3) circling the grading codes you have used in your peer edit on the list at the bottom of the Essay Evaluation Checklist; and 4) writing a final comment on the back of the checklist that addresses strengths of the ME and offers at least one suggestion for revision/improvement. Be sure that the name of both the essay writer and the Peer Editor is found on BOTH the hard copy of the first draft ME AND the Essay Evaluation Checklist filled out by the Peer Editor.
20%: Midterm (10% for objective exam, 10% for Essay; first chance for GWR certification)
30%: Final = (15% for objective exam, 15% for Essay; second chance for GWR certification).
OH MY GOSH . . . CAN I HANDLE THIS CLASS??
Sure you can -- if you will take the time to read the plays carefully and thoughtfully. And -- this being Shakespeare -- if you DO put in the time, you WILL enjoy them! The Bard will amply reward your efforts (they don't call 'em "Great Books" for nothing!) And remember . . . I LOVE teaching this stuff, and I'm told that my enthusiasm makes classes more fun!
However. . . DON'T assume that the class will "take care of
itself." If you have a heavy course- and/or work-load,
please be sure to budget time for this class . . . or save
it for another quarter.
AND WHAT ABOUT THOSE TWO-HOUR BLOCKS?
Rest assured, we'll take a break each day. Feel free to
bring along a caffeinated (or non-caffeinated) drink--whatever it
takes to keep you alert through two hours. If there is
sufficient interest, rotating cookie duty will be arranged!
WELCOME, AND ENJOY!!!
| Contents of this and all linked pages Copyright
Debora B. Schwartz, 1996-2020. |
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