ENG 497302 SEMINAR SHAKESPEARE’S KING LEAR AND KING HENRY

ENG 497302 SEMINAR SHAKESPEARE’S KING LEAR AND KING HENRY




ENG 4973

ENG 4973.02 Seminar: Shakespeare’s King Lear and King Henry V

Fall 2009

Tuesday 5:30 – 8:15pm HSS 3.04.28


Professor Alan E. Craven

Office Hours Wednesday 5:00- 5:30pm 2.248M Main Building

Email: [email protected] Telephone 458-6929


SYLLABUS


September 1 Course Organization

King Lear: textual background (Arden edition, introduction to p. 110)

8 King Lear: literary analysis

15 King Lear : literary analysis

22 The texts of King Lear

29 Quarto text (The Historie of King Lear, 1608)

October 6 Folio text (The Tragedie of King Lear, 1623)

13 Discussion of papers Paper due

20 Henry V: literary analysis (Arden edition, including all of introduction)

27 Henry V: literary analysis

November 3 Film criticism (Crowl)

  1. Olivier film

  1. Branagh film

24 Discussion of films

December 1 Discussion of papers Paper due

Study days December 7 & 8 (No class)


THERE IS NO FINAL EXAMINATION IN THIS COURSE


COURSE DESCRIPTION

This seminar treats two of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, King Lear and Henry V, each of which will be investigated through the methods of a specific discipline. For Lear, which survives in two related substantive texts, we shall apply the tools of textual criticism to analyze the relationship between the texts to determine their nature and (among other things) whether one of them represents revision (by Shakespeare or other agents in the playhouse). In the second half of the course, we shall operate as film critics and look at the two brilliant films based on Henry V, the heroic version by Laurence Olivier and the more recent version by Kenneth Branagh, studying the complex and exciting relationships between the play texts and the films as well as the differences between the two films.

Class attendance and participation are mandatory and a seminar format (class discussion) will be followed.


REQUIRED TEXTS

Arden Shakespeare: King Lear, ed. R.A. Foakes

Arden Shakespeare: Henry V, ed. T.W. Craik

Shakespeare and Film by Samuel Crowl

(These are available in paperback.)




REQUIRED VIEWING

Henry V, Laurence Olivier (1944, Prod Co: Two Cities)

Henry V, Kenneth Branagh (1989, Prod. Co: Sam Goldwyn)

DVD/Videocassette productions of these two films are on reserve in JPL 2.01.08


PAPERS

Two seminar papers of 8 to 12 pages are required. Specific instructions and suggested paper topics will be distributed later.


COURSE FORMAT

You will be expected to read each of the plays several times (King Lear once by Sept. 8, including the introduction to page 110, and Henry V once by Oct. 20, including all of the introduction). By Sept. 22 you should have read the remainder of the Arden introduction, p. 110 – 151 and p. 393-402. You should have finished Crowl by Nov. 3, including the glossary at the end. You will be expected to view each film version of the Henry V (more than once) and be prepared to discuss each of them on the dates scheduled, including the relationship of the film to the play text.


GRADING CRITERIA

King Lear paper 40%

Henry V paper 40%

Class discussion 20%

(approximate percentages to determine seminar grade)


If you have The Norton Shakespeare, ed. S. Greenblatt, you may find it extremely helpful to look at the parallel Q & F texts of King Lear in addition to reading the Arden.



“Actors from the London Stage”

King Lear

Wednesday, October 7, 7:30 pm

Friday, October 9, 7:30 pm

Saturday, October 10, 7:30 pm

Recital Hall, Arts Building

Student tickets $10 (with ID)

Tickets available at UC Ticket Counter or at the door





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