| Unit name | Shakespeare and the American Novel |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL10108 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Tom Sperlinger |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences |
In this unit we will explore three Shakespeare plays (Macbeth, Othello and King Lear) and consider how each been re-thought or re-interpreted in works by the contemporary American novelists Toni Morrison, Philip Roth and Jane Smiley.
Aims:
This unit will offer an introduction to Shakespeare, through three of his plays, and will give students an opportunity to consider Shakespeares afterlives, by reading the works of three contemporary American novelists influenced by his writings. The unit will thus introduce students to two distinct literary periods, but also to questions of creativity, imitation and influence; genre; and the roles of nationality, ethnicity and gender in reading.
Students will have had an opportunity to read and consider three Shakespeare plays and three contemporary American novels influenced by his work. Through this, students will have had an opportunity to gain insight into two distinct periods of literary creativity and to consider a range of relevant critical debates.
The unit will be taught in eleven seminars, utilising a range of teaching methods including informal lectures, directed seminar and small-group discussion.
Students will be required to complete two essays for formal assessment; a short essay of 1,500 words and a longer essay of 2,500 words. These will comprise 40% and 60% of the unit mark respectively.
(plus one Morrison novel; title to be confirmed)
