British Literature I
English 2210
Spring 2003
Dr. Robert Sawyer
Office: Burleson Hall 311
Hours: MWF 10:15-11:45; W 4:30-5:30 or by appointment
resawyer1@msn.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The aim of English 2210 is to provide students with an important introduction to English Literature from the Middle Ages through the 18th century. This course will focus on literature
and its relationship to history, class, gender, race, and politics. This is also a writing intensive course,so we will be doing a great deal of written as well as oral interpretation.
TEXTS:
Abrams, M. H., ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Volume 1. 7th ed. New York & London: W. W. Norton, 2000.
Harbrace College Handbook or similar MLA Handbook
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students will take three exams and write a research paper of 1,200-1,500 words using MLA format. Several other short writing assignments will also be given during the semester,
in addition to reading assignments and any reading quizzes. Class attendance and participation is very important. Since 20% of your grade is based on attendance and participation (10%),
quizzes and short writing assignments (10%), students who attend class regularly always do much better than those who do not. Late research papers and other assignments will be lowered
one letter grade for each day late and will not be accepted after being overdue one week. Plagiarism will result in failure of the course and possible university sanctions.
It would also be best to leave cell phones off as well as any other electronic devices. While I am also sympathetic to parents without daycare or someone to tend for their sick children, bringing
children to class is not acceptable, as it is not fair to the other students in class.
GRADING:
Research paper 20%
Exams 60%
Attendance and Participation 10%
Quizzes and other writing assignments 10%
WEEKLY SYLLABUS:
Week One (Jan. 8): "The Persistence of English" (xlvii-lxi)
Introduction to The Middle Ages (1-22)
Bede and "Caedmon's Hymn" (23-26)
"The Dream of the Rood" (26-28)
"The Wife's Lament" (102-03)
Introduction to Beowulf (29-32)
Week Two (Jan. 15): Beowulf (32-99)
Week Three (Jan. 22): Introduction to Chaucer (210-13)
The Canterbury Tales, "General Prologue" (213-235)
"The Miller's Prologue and Tale" (235-252)
Julian of Norwich (355-366)
Margery Kempe (366-374)
Week Four (Jan. 29): Mystery Plays (379-380)
Everyman (445-467)
Exam I
Week Five (Feb. 5): Introduction to the 16th Century (469-98)
"Literature of the Sacred" & the English Bible (538-542)
Christopher Marlowe (970-971)
Dr. Faustus (990-1025)
Week Six (Feb. 12): Shakespeare (1026-27)
The Sonnets (1028) # 29, and #130
Twelfth Night (1043-1105)
Week Seven (Feb. 19): Shakespeare (cont.)
King Lear (1106-1195)
Week Eight (Feb. 26): Introduction to the 17th Century (1209-32)
John Donne (1235-36) Elegy 19 (1256-57), Holy Sonnet #10 (1270) and #14 (1271)
Andrew Marvell (1684-85) "To His Coy Mistress" (1691-92)
Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle (1759)
"A True Relation" (1762-65)
John Webster and The Duchess of Malfi (1432-1507)
Week Nine (March 5): John Milton (1771-74)
Paradise Lost, book one (1815-1836)
Week Ten (March 12): Exam II
Introduction to the Restoration and the18th Century (2045-2070)
Guest Speaker, Dr. Judith Slagle
John Dryden (2071-72)
"An Essay of Dramatic Poesy" (2114-2118)
Spring Break (March17-21)
Week Eleven (March 26): Aphra Behn (2165-2167)
Oroonoko (2170-2215)
Introduction to Restoration Comedy
Week Twelve (April 2): William Congreve and Way of the World (2215-2280)
Research Paper Workshop I
Week Thirteen (April 9): Jonathan Swift (2298-99)
"A Modest Proposal" (2473-2479)
Research paper Workshop II
Research papers due, Friday April 11th.
Week Fourteen (April 16): Alexander Pope (2505-09)
"An Essay on Criticism," part one (2509-13)
"Debating Women" (2584-2603)
Week Fifteen (April 23): Samuel Johnson (2660-62)
"The Preface to Shakespeare" (2725-36)
Boswell's Life of Johnson, (2752-62)
FINAL EXAM, TBA
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Shakespeare and His Age
English 4200
Spring 2003
Dr. Robert Sawyer
Office: Burleson Hall 311
Hours: MWF 10:15-11:30; W 4:30-5:30 or by appointment
resawyer1@msn.com
TEXTS:
Required:
The Norton Shakespeare, general editor, Stephen Greenblatt (ISBN: 0-393-97087-6)
Hamlet: Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism, ed. Susanne Wofford (ISBN: 0-312-05544-7)
Dr. Faustus, ed. David Bevington and Eric Rasmussen (ISBN: 0-719-01643-6)
Supplemental:
Shakespeare and Appropriation, ed. Christy Desmet and Robert Sawyer (ISBN: 0-415-20726-6)
This course will examine Shakespeare's complete range of plays, including two comedies, one history play, four tragedies, and one romance. We will also read
one play by Christopher Marlowe, comparing his most important drama, Dr. Faustus, to the plays of Shakespeare. While we will focus on interpretation of the text itself,
we will also consider the cultural context of the plays. Although I will present some lectures, class discussion will be a very important part of this course.
GRADING:
Your grade will be based on the following:
First paper (3-5 pages) 20%
Midterm Exam 20%
Second Paper (7-10 pages) 30%
Final Exam 20%
Attendance and Participation 10%
The tests will include identification, short answer and essays. The papers will be interpretive and researched carefully. The topics will be chosen by the student
and approved by the instructor, and the second longer paper may grow out of the first paper.
ATTENDANCE:
Since 10% of your grade is based on attendance and class participation, you should try to attend every class meeting. After the fourth absence, I will drop your grade
by one letter. After the sixth cut, I will drop you from the role. Also, get to class on time. Two tardies equal one absence.
Finally, I expect all assignments to be turned in on time, and I reserve the right to penalize or not accept late papers.
It would also be best to leave cell phones off as well as any other electronic devices.
While I am also sympathetic to parents without daycare or someone to tend for their sick children, bringing children to class is not acceptable, as it is not fair
to the other students in class.
WEEKLY SYLLABUS:
Week One (Jan. 8-10): Titus Andronicus and introductory readings in the Norton
Week Two (Jan. 13-17): Titus (cont.)
Week Three (Jan. 22-24): Midsummer Night's Dream
Week Four (Jan. 27-31): 1 Henry 4
Week Five (Feb. 3-7): Dr. Faustus
Week Six (Feb. 10-14): Twelfth Night
Week Seven (Feb. 17-21): Twelfth Night (cont.)
Week Eight (Feb. 24-28): Hamlet
Week Nine (March 3-7): Hamlet (cont.)
Week Ten (March 10-14): King Lear
Spring Break (March 17-21)
Week Eleven (March 24-28): King Lear (cont.)
Week Twelve (March 31-April 4): King Lear (cont.)
Week Thirteen (April 7-11): Coriolanus
Week Fourteen (April 14-18): The Tempest
Week Fifteen (April 21-25): The Tempest (cont.)
Final Exam, Monday April 28th, 8-10 a.m.
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Shakespeare and Appropriation, or "Borrowing the Bard"
English 4957/5957
Dr. Robert Sawyer
Office: Burleson Hall 311
Hours: MWF 9:30-10:25 and 11:30-12:00; W 5:30-6:00 or by appointment
resawyer1@msn.com
TEXTS:
The Norton Shakespeare, general editor, Stephen Greenblatt (ISBN: 0-393-97087-6)
Shakespeare and Appropriation (SA), ed. Christy Desmet and Robert Sawyer (ISBN: 0-415-20726-6)
Mama Day, Gloria Naylor (ISBN: 0679721819)
A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (ISBN: 0804115761)
Handouts on Titus Andronicus
Robert Browning poems (handout)
This course analyzes the methods and motives of Shakespearean appropriation, showing how writers' efforts to imitate, contradict, compete with, and reproduce Shakespeare
keep him in the cultural conversation. We will consider and use a wide variety of critical theory to investigate these "borrowings."
WEEKLY SYLLABUS:
Week One (August 28): Introduction to the course and Titus Andronicus
Week Two (Sept. 4): Essays on Titus, Julie Taymor's film version
Week Three (Sept 11): Shakespeare as Cultural Capital, Kamps essay in SA; Shakespeare and "low"culture, Osborne essay in SA, Sawyer essay in Upstart Crow
Week Four (Sept 18): Hamlet
Week Five (Sept 25): Hamlet, film versions of Hamlet and Starkes essay in SA
Week Six (Oct. 2): The Lion King and Finkelstein essay in SA
Week Seven (Oct. 9): Shakespeare and Disney, The Little Mermaid
Week Eight (Oct. 16): King Lear
Week Nine (Oct. 23): King Lear (cont.) Sawyer essay in SA,"Childe Roland" and "Caliban upon Sebetos"; begin A Thousand Acres
Week Ten (Oct. 30): A Thousand Acres (cont.) and Cakebread essay in SA
Week Eleven (Nov. 6): The Tempest
Week Twelve (Nov. 13): Mama Day
Week Thirteen (Nov. 20): Mama Day (cont.) and Andreas essay in SA
Week Fourteen (Nov. 27): Thanksgiving Break
Week Fifteen (Dec. 4): Presentations; "The Incredible Shrinking Bard," Taylor essay in SA
FINAL EXAM: TBA
GRADING:
You will be required to write two polished essays on some form of appropriation (the first worth 25%, the second worth 50%). The second essay will be in the 10-page format of a
conference paper or short article, and I will expect you to present part of it to the class, (the presentation and class attendance / participation comprise the final 25% of your grade.)
Whether you plan to teach, or go on to work on a Ph.D., or both, the experience of presenting your research will prove invaluable. In fact, I hope to submit some of your
writing for undergraduate conferences and/or publication.