Course Catalogue

Humanities and Social Science

1. To reinforce the ability to critically analyse texts in close detail. 2. To examine a range of Shakespeare’s plays in the context of their original cultural production. 3. To consider the ways in which the figure of Shakespeare has been deployed in different cultural, social and political conditions contributing to the production of meaning in the plays and/or in Shakespeare as a cultural artefact.

Outline Syllabus:[indicative only] A Midsummer’s Night Dream 10ml Love The Tempest Neil Gaiman, Sandman The Taming of the Shrew 10 Things I Hate About You Hamlet Prince of the Himalayas Macbeth Mickey B Henry V My Own Private Idaho

Module Overview:
This module will reinforce the ability to critically analyse texts in close detail to examine a range of Shakespeare's plays in the context of their original cultural production.

Additional Information:Shakespeare is recognised as a global cultural icon; his texts have been translated and adapted into multiple languages and contexts. Yet Shakespeare’s rise to cultural prominence is a phenomenon that developed over time, raising questions about Shakespeare’s cultural capital and how he is adapted to suit different cultural, political and historical periods as well as how Shakespeare is performed in different locales. We will consider the Shakespeare phenomenon and how Shakespeare has been used and understood in his own period and more recently. Creative responses to Shakespeare not only demonstrate reverence, but also irreverence; we will assess how later writers pay homage to Shakespeare, or parody or pastiche his work. At the end of this module, you will be able to understand key critical debates in Shakespeare and adaptation studies. You will also demonstrate enhanced understanding of intertextuality and how it functions as a marker of cultural capital and understand how Shakespeare has been adapted into various new cultural and historical contexts. The module is organised to focus upon particular themes and issues each week with regards to Shakespeare and his afterlife. One week, we will examine a Shakespeare play and the following week will address a text or film that responds to it in some way. This will enable us to study a range of Shakespeare’s plays in depth, looking at formal aspects, including language, structure and Shakespearean dramaturgy, Shakespeare as author, Shakespeare in performance, and Shakespeare on film as well as Shakespeare’s cultural legacy. Some of the thematic issues we will explore include love, politics and the social order, race, identity, sexuality, and the history of the self. Theoretical and conceptual issues that will be examined include adaptation, cultural value, gender, intertextuality, and global Shakespeare.