Mothers, Monarchs and Murders in Shakespeare & Film Adaptations
Syllabus
Regular Session –Winter Semester
E.: Allyna_Ward@
Class Location: Film Lab
Class time and days: Tuesday 2:15-5pm + Extra Film Viewings
Course Description
This course is designed to introduce students to a variety of Shakespeare’s plays and approaches to reading and viewing them. We will study the plays in the context not only of Shakespeare’s opus but also in the wider literary and dramatic context. In the course of this module, I will ask you to consider the ways in which the plays reflect and construct the contemporary political, social and cultural world of England. Specifically, this will mean addressing Shakespeare’s treatment of the conventions that govern the relationships between the sexes, his understanding of monarchy, and his possible readings of Reformation politics. As well as studying the thematic concerns of the plays, we will closely analyze Shakespeare’s style and look at the relationship between structure and content. In class, students will be asked to discuss the concepts of genre: tragedy, comedy, history, and romance.
The filmic element of this course is intended to demonstrate the high degree of interpretability that is a defining characteristic of Shakespeare’s drama. Indeed, one of the prime purposes for screening performances and film adaptations of the plays is to ask you to consider the notion of Shakespeare’s “relevance” beyond his own cultural context. A special assignment will ask you to test this principle by asking you to produce a screenplay for an adaptation of a scene from the history plays.
Course Objectives
The central objective of this Shakespeare course is for you to read, watch, discuss, and investigate important plays by Shakespeare in different genres (comedies, histories, tragedies, and romances). Within the context of these genres, you will examine Shakespeare’s explorations of gender, politics and religion. The representation of mothers, monarchs and murders will be of special interest in this class. Over the semester, you will develop critical techniques for reading and viewing the plays and films through a theoretical perspective. We will also be looking at the plays in their theatrical context and some sessions will be devoted to understanding Shakespeare in performance. You will acquire confidence and develop your oral and written communication skills by way of in-class presentations and writing tasks. Above all, this course is intended to develop your understanding and enjoyment of Shakespeare.
Seminar Questions: I will set text specific seminar questions each week but I would also like you to answer some general questions for each text and be prepared to share your response with the class. You can find these here.
Course Outline
(Week 1) Plenary Lecture: Shakespeare: Stage to Page to Screen + BBC on Performance
Today I will talk through the syllabus and discuss the major themes of the course, monarchy, mothers and murder. We will watch clips from the BBC series on performing Shakespeare to get a sense of how actors approach the plays. We will watch Looking for Richard and have a discussion about our approach to reading Shakespeare.
Screening: Looking for Richard + Discussion
(Week 2): Seminar: Reading Shakespeare in the Twenty-First Century
Today we will talk about the relevance of Shakespeare in our modern culture.
We will share our experiences of distinct performances that we have seen
(of Shakespeare or other playwrights) and discuss how they work.
We will also discuss themes in Shakespeare in how they translate into a modern setting.
We will share our experiences of distinct performances that we have seen
(of Shakespeare or other playwrights) and discuss how they work.
We will also discuss themes in Shakespeare in how they translate into a modern setting.
Part 2 Seminar: The Winter’s Tale + BBC Shakespeare Tales animated Shakespeare
Today I will give a brief presentation on The Winter's Tale and we will review the seminar questions for The Winter's Tale.
Please review the questions in preparation for class.
You should also review the general seminar questions and be prepared to share your response to the play in class.
(Week 3) Seminar: Antony and Cleopatra
Today I will talk about Shakespeare's Roman plays and how this play fits into the Bard's oeuvre. Please review the seminar questions in preparation for our discussion that will follow the student presentation.
Student Presentation + Class Discussion
Part 2 Seminar: Titus Andronicus Introductory lecture
(Week 4) Screening: Julie Taymor's Titus + Discussion
Today we will watch Titus in the Film Lab. This will be followed by a discussion. I would like you to think about how Taymor's film used the Shakespeare text.
Did this version live up to your expectations? Did did the quasi-modern setting of the film allow you to understand Shakespeare's text better?
What did Taymor's enhancement of the role of Young Titus achieve?
(Week 5) Seminar: Macbeth + Student Presentation
Today I will give a brief presentation on The Winter's Tale and we will review the seminar questions for The Winter's Tale.
Please review the questions in preparation for class.
You should also review the general seminar questions and be prepared to share your response to the play in class.
(Week 3) Seminar: Antony and Cleopatra
Today I will talk about Shakespeare's Roman plays and how this play fits into the Bard's oeuvre. Please review the seminar questions in preparation for our discussion that will follow the student presentation.
Student Presentation + Class Discussion
Part 2 Seminar: Titus Andronicus Introductory lecture
(Week 4) Screening: Julie Taymor's Titus + Discussion
Today we will watch Titus in the Film Lab. This will be followed by a discussion. I would like you to think about how Taymor's film used the Shakespeare text.
Did this version live up to your expectations? Did did the quasi-modern setting of the film allow you to understand Shakespeare's text better?
What did Taymor's enhancement of the role of Young Titus achieve?
(Week 5) Seminar: Macbeth + Student Presentation
Today we will talk about Shakespeare's "Scottish Play". I want you to think about the nature of the three weird sisters who foretell Macbeth’s future. I also want you to think about the nature of evil and wickedness portrayed in this play.
How does it contrast to the malice of Tamora and Aaron in Titus Andronicus?
You should read this excerpt from Freud (1916) on Macbeth before class.
Part 2 Screening: Throne of Blood in the Film Lab + Discussion
Click here to read the Criterion Collection post, "Throne of Blood: Shakespeare Transposed", by Stephen Prince. This will be useful background information to our discussion of what Kirosawa does with Macbeth.
(Week 6) Plenary Lecture: Shakespeare’s Histories
Today I will present an introductory lecture on Shakespeare's history plays. I will talk about The lead up to the War of the Roses and its aftermath. I will also raise points about genre for you to consider as you read these plays. You should read the seminar questions for Henry IV, part I before class.
Part 2 Seminar: Henry IV, part I
In the seminar section of today's class we will discuss Henry IV, part I. I want you to be prepared to answer the seminar questions in a group discussion. We will talk about the interweaving of diverse characters, policts, poetry and prose, history, comedy, invention and motives (private and public) in the play.
(Week 7) READING WEEK
How does it contrast to the malice of Tamora and Aaron in Titus Andronicus?
You should read this excerpt from Freud (1916) on Macbeth before class.
Part 2 Screening: Throne of Blood in the Film Lab + Discussion
Click here to read the Criterion Collection post, "Throne of Blood: Shakespeare Transposed", by Stephen Prince. This will be useful background information to our discussion of what Kirosawa does with Macbeth.
(Week 6) Plenary Lecture: Shakespeare’s Histories
Today I will present an introductory lecture on Shakespeare's history plays. I will talk about The lead up to the War of the Roses and its aftermath. I will also raise points about genre for you to consider as you read these plays. You should read the seminar questions for Henry IV, part I before class.
Part 2 Seminar: Henry IV, part I
In the seminar section of today's class we will discuss Henry IV, part I. I want you to be prepared to answer the seminar questions in a group discussion. We will talk about the interweaving of diverse characters, policts, poetry and prose, history, comedy, invention and motives (private and public) in the play.
(Week 7) READING WEEK
(Week 8) Seminar: Henry IV, part II
In the first part of class we will focus on the second part of Henry IV. Please review the seminar questions in advance of class and be prepared to contribute to the class discussions. We will meet in the Film Lab today.
Part 2 Screening: The Chimes at Midnight + Discussion
Today we will watch the Orson Welles' 1965 film The Chimes at Midnight in the Film Lab.
Following the film viewing we will discuss
(Week 9) Screening: My Own Private Idaho
Part 2 Seminar: + Discussion: What does Gus Van Sant do with Shakespeare?
For this part of the class I want you to think about the relation between Van Sant's film and the Welles' version. How do the films treat Shakepseare's texts?
(Week 10) Seminar: In class we will discuss your interpretation of the text of Henry V, the final play in this history cycle. What do you make of the conclusion? We will focus on issues of race and gender and look at Henry's discussion of his Welshness and his interaction with the French princess, Katherine.
Part 2 Screening: We will watch sections of the 1989 film version of Henry V, directed by Kenneth Branagh. In our discussion we will talk about the film's use of the Prologue character.
(Week 11) Seminar: Richard III
Today we will discuss the last history play we will be reading in this semester, Richard III. Please answer the seminar questions in advance so you will be able to contribute to the class discussion. Think about how this play reflects on Shakespeare's theatre and London and how the earlier plays we read.
Part 2 Screening: Richard III + Discussion
(Week 12) Seminar: Othello
We will begin class with a discussion of the play, focusing on ideas of gender, class and race. I will ask you to write down your interpretations of the characters in the first two scenes of the play. What are your initial opinions about Othello, Iago, Rodergio and Brabanzio?
Part 2 Screenings: In the first section I will play the first scenes of the movie "O". I want you to write down how the portrayal of the characters in a modern setting works - or does not work. Is this version relevant and/or a valid adaptation of the play you read?
Following this we will watch parts of the Bollyword version, Omkara. I want you to be prepared to answer questions and participate in the class discussion. You may find instructions here: Discussion(Week 13) Seminar: King Lear
We will talk about your reading of the play first. We will discussion the representation of gender and class in the play. What elements of this play are relevant to a modern audience? I will screen the BBC Silent Shakespeare version of the play and we will talk about the representation of the characters.
Part 2 Screening: We will watch the Russian Korol Lir + Discussion. Please be sure to review the questions in advance so that you will be able to participate in class discussion.
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