AJ25051 Shakespeare and American Literature

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2013
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 3 credits for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. Jeffrey Alan Smith, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Tue 10:50–12:25 G22
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 18 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/18, only registered: 0/18, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/18
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 11 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Students who successfully complete the course will be better able to analyze works of the imagination and will increase their ability to understand and explain Shakespeare, American literature and culture, and artistic influences and how they operate.
Syllabus
  • This course will examine the “cultural reception” of Shakespeare in America, as well as some of Shakespeare’s best-known plays, alongside significant American literary works (and some “popular” works) that are “Shakespearean” in character or that reflect Shakespeare’s influence.
  • UNIT 1: Introduction; Shakespeare in America; approaches to reading Shakespeare
  • 1 Oct: Tsuneyama, “The Americanization of Shakespeare”; Twain, excerpts from Huckleberry Finn and “Is Shakespeare Dead?”; Sturgess, “The American Scholar and the Authorship Controversy”; “A guide to The Tempest online”; *Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act I
  • UNIT 2: America as Shakespeare’s enchanted (?) island
  • 8 Oct.: Krueger, “Shakespeare and The Tempest” (chapter 1, pages 38-43, of Shakespeare Explained: The Tempest); Rowse, The Tempest introduction; *Shakespeare, The Tempest (all); The Arden Dictionary of Shakespeare Quotations (for reference as needed)
  • 15 Oct.: *Barnes, The Forest Princess
  • UNIT 3: King Lear and American tragedy
  • 22 Oct.: Rowse, King Lear introduction; *Shakespeare, King Lear
  • 29 Oct.: Reading week; no class meeting
  • 5 Nov.: View: *Long Day’s Journey into Night (1962 film); View: *A Thousand Acres (1997 film); Read: *Smiley, A Thousand Acres (posted excerpts)
  • UNIT 4: In search of an American Shakespeare
  • 12 Nov.: “A guide to Moby-Dick online”; Shmoop, “Moby-Dick in a Nutshell”; *Melville, Moby-Dick, chapters 1 – 45
  • 19 Nov.: *Melville, Moby-Dick (all)
  • UNIT 5: Popular visions and revisions
  • 26 Nov.: Levine, excerpt from Highbrow/Lowbrow; Gay, “Inventing a Yiddish Theater in America”; *The Yiddish King Lear (see details posted); *Forbidden Planet (1956 film)
  • UNIT 6: 3 and 10 Dec.: Student reports; review and conclusion
Literature
    required literature
  • SHAKESPEARE, William. The tempest. Edited by Virginia Mason Vaughan - Alden T. Vaughan. Reprinted. London: Thomson Learning, 2001, xx, 366. ISBN 1903436087. info
  • SHAKESPEARE, William. King Lear. Edited by R. A. Foakes. [S.l.]: Thomas Nelson, 1997, xvii, 437. ISBN 017443460X. info
  • O'NEILL, Eugene Gladstone. Long day's journey into night (Obsaž.) : Three american plays. info
  • MELVILLE, Herman. Moby Dick or The White Whale. New York: Signet Classic, 543 s. info
  • LEVINE, Lawrence W. and William E. MASSEY. Highbrow/lowbrow : the emergency of cultural hierarchy in America : the William E. Massey Sr. lectures in the history of civilization, 1986. 1st Harvard University Press. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1988, xii, 306 s. ISBN 0-674-39076-8. info
  • Books: Bristol, Shakespeare's America / America’s Shakespeare; Sturgess, Shakespeare & American Nation; Folger Library, Shakespeare in American Life; Barnes, The Forest Princess (play); Films: Thousand Acres, Yiddish King Lear, Forbidden Planet
    recommended literature
  • SMILEY, Jane. A thousand acres. New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1992, 371 s. ISBN 0-449-90748-1. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, readings, film viewings, class discussion
Assessment methods
In-class reports and final paper (due by e-mail during the exam period), 80% Attendance and participation, 20%
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2015.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2013, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2013/AJ25051