NOTE: THIS SECTION HAS AN ENROLLMENT MAXIMUM OF 60.
IT IS DESIGNED TO INTEREST NON-ENGLISH MAJORS, BUT IT CAN APPLIED TOWARD THE
MAJOR OR MINOR AS WELL.
This
course will offer an introductory survey of six of Shakespeare’s plays along
with an analysis of a range of the film versions made from them. It will stress
the critical reading of the plays as a first step in understanding the choices
made by film makers in bringing them to the screen, and explore the distinctive
language of film as well. Since a film version of a play is always an
interpretation, and sometimes a radical modification, of the dramatic text,
this course will encourage students to compare and contrast films from
different times and countries. Students will be encouraged to explore how the different
techniques and audiences of Shakespearean films produce effects quite different
from what may have been possible in the original performances, or in later
revivals on stage. In general, each play will be matched with at least two
films, but students will have the opportunity to explore other Shakespearean
films, or films that appropriate or represent Shakespeare, including early
silent movies, classic Hollywood adaptations, and contemporary radical
appropriations of Shakespeare. Separate screening sessions will be scheduled
outside of class time, and students must attend them or arrange to view the
films on their own. There will be two medium-length papers, regular quizzes,
plus a midterm and a final exam.
Required Texts:
- Bevington, Davis, Michael L. Greenwald, and Anne Marie Welsh, eds. SHAKESPEARE: SCRIPT, TAGE, SCREEN. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2006.
- Crowl, Samuel. SHAKESPEARE AND FILM: A NORTON GUIDE. New York: W. W. Norton, 2008.