“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.”
Although we may think of Shakespeare as an author of early modern England, he is the most adapted author on film and television in the world. Shakespeare’s plays, then, offer a pivotal point in understanding both early modern England and contemporary culture. The success of Shakespearean films has shaped some of our most popular actors, defined directors, and made (and destroyed) studios. In this course, we will examine some of the most popular, influential, global, and innovative film and television adaptations of five Shakespeare plays.
Richard Burt and Julian Yates have argued that “The worst thing you can do to Shakespeare is not to read him.” In this course, we will closely analyze the text of the plays to lay the groundwork in our survey of the film and television adaptations. In doing so, we will explore the language of both script and film. We will examine films and television from across the 20th century and into the 21st, from America, England, Russia, Japan, and India. Our challenge will be to understand the distinct rhetorical and formal goals each director attempts to achieve in their distinct and diverse adaptations.
Requirements: We will devote some class time to in-class screenings, but there will also be several films that students must arrange to view on their own.
Evaluation: Evaluation will be based on one medium-length paper, discussion posts on Laulima, quizzes, a group presentation, a midterm, a final exam, and a collaborative project.
Required texts:
1: Crowl, Samuel. Shakespeare and Film: A Norton Guide. W. W. Norton & Company, 2008.
ISBN: 978-0-393-92765-8.
2: Shakespeare, William. Henry V. Ed. Gary Taylor. Oxford U P, 2008.
ISBN: 978-0199536511
3: Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing. Ed. Zitner. Oxford U P, 2008.
ISBN: 9780199536115
4: Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Ed. Jill Levenson. Oxford U P, 2000.
ISBN 978-0-19-953589-7
5: Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of King Richard III, edited by John Jowett. Oxford U P, 2000.
ISBN: 978-0199535880
6: Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. G. R. Hibbard. Oxford U P, 1987.
ISBN 978-0-19-953581-1