ALL275 - Shakespeare Today
Unit details
| Year: | 2019 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Trimester 2 Unit Chair: | Alyson Miller |
| Prerequisite: | Students must have completed one level 1 Literary Studies unit |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | ALL316, ALL375 |
| Scheduled learning activities - campus: | 1 x 1 hour class per week (recordings provided at Geelong), 1 x 2 hour seminar per week |
| Scheduled learning activities - cloud (online): | Cloud: Independent and collaborative learning activities equivalent to 3 hours per week, including 1 x 1 hour class per week (recordings provided) |
Content
Today, Shakespeare is probably the most important literary figure in any language. The unit tracks the influence of Shakespeare by tracing out the expanding shock wave of his presence around the world and in different media. We look at Latin American, African and Asian Shakespeares, at feminist and queer Shakespeares, at Shakespeare as an inspiration for contemporary novels, and, of course, at what happens when Shakespeare goes to the movies. We also explore “the Bard” as a political football kicked around in debates on cultural value, and at the cultural anxieties that the authorship question unleashes. By comparing six key texts of Shakespeare with current inspirations, adaptations, translations and variations, students get to grips with Shakespeare’s plays and poems in a way that focuses on the way that his work that has kept its sting. Students will be asked to critically analyse the way that a play or group of poems has been adapted in contemporary culture or positioned in current debates. Then they will have the opportunity to discover for themselves and explore in depth an innovative contemporary Shakespeare, and report back on their findings in a research report.
Assessment
Assessment 1 (Individual) - Essay (2000 words or equivalent) - 50%
Assessment 2 (Individual) - Report (2000 words or equivalent) - 50%