Dr. Christopher L. Morrow

                                                                                                           

Office:      213 Simpkins Hall                           Office Hours:*             Tues.         10:30 am – 12:00 pm 

Phone:      298-1633 (office)                                                        Wed.   1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

                  298-1103 (department)                                              Thurs. 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

                                                                                                      & by appointment.

Email:       cl-morrow@wiu.edu                      

 

*For QC students, I will be available to “meet” by phone, IM, or by appointment before class.                      

 

 


Quad Cities Section:            Tuesdays, 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm in QC 60TH ST 112

Macomb Section:      Thursdays, 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm in Simpkins 027

 

Course Website/Blog:  http://wiueng559.wordpress.com

 

Course Description and Objectives

Shakespeare may not have written anything new in nearly 400 years, but every year numerous writers and filmmakers do something new with Shakespeare. His plays are not only some of the most widely read works of literature, their influence—both literary and dramatic—extends well beyond classrooms and theaters. His plays continue to circulate through modern performances, allusions, re-workings, appropriations, updates and adaptations in forms including contemporary drama, novels, short stories, poetry, paintings, films, operas, popular music, and computer games.

In this course, we will examine Shakespeare and some of these modern appropriations of his life and work in order to examine not only Shakespeare's works and his continuing cultural presence and relevance but also the critical and theoretical functioning of adaptations and appropriations. We will consider, for instance, how these works construct and are constructed by their relationship to Shakespeare. We will explore concepts such as authenticity, originality, and imitation. In doing so, we will move beyond questions of relative quality or fidelity between original and adapted texts to posing critical questions including: How are adaptations defined? Who defines them? How do we critically and culturally view adaptations and why?  How do these adaptations relate to Shakespeare? Why are adaptations so popular yet also viewed as derivative? How do these adaptations relate to Shakespeare? What cultural role does Shakespeare play in these adaptations? What role do these adaptations play in culturally constructing Shakespeare?  How does their connection to Shakespeare affect our interpretation and even enjoyment of them? 

 

 

 

Required Texts:

Abrams, M. H.  The Mirror and the Lamp:  Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition.  Oxford: Oxford UP, 1953.

Epstein, Leslie.  King of the Jews.  New York: Handselbooks, 1979.

Hutcheon, Linda.  A Theory of Adaptation.  New York: Routledge, 2006.

Klein, Lisa.  Lady Macbeth’s Daughter.  New York:  Bloomsbury, 2009.

Moore, Christopher.  Fool.  New York: Harper, 2010.

Rash, Ron.  Serena.  New York: Ecco/Harper Collins, 2009.

Salih, Tayeb.  Season of Migration to the North.  Trans. Denys Johnson-Davies.  New York: New York Review of Books, 2009.

Sanders, Julie.  Adaptation and Appropriation.  London and New York: Routledge, 2006.

Smiley, Jane.  A Thousand Acres.  New York: Ballantine, 1992.

And reliable editions of the following plays by Shakespeare:

            Macbeth, King Lear, and Othello

 

Course Requirements & Assignments

 

Discussion (20%): Discussion is central to most graduate classes in English Studies.  You are required to contribute actively to these discussions both in-class and throughout the week on the course weblog (wiueng559.wordpress.com).  I expect you to visit and contribute to the weblog throughout the week (i.e. not just the day before class).  Your participation in class and on the weblog will be evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively after 6 weeks and at the semester’s end.  On a weekly basis, I expect to see students make either 1 substantive post or 2 substantive comments.   I will also occasionally assign additional activities to assist with class discussion.

 

A couple of tips:

 

Critical Article/Chapter Summary (15%): You will also be required to select one critical article or chapter from our reading list, write a 5-6 page essay summarizing the argument/ perspective of selected work, and lead the class discussion on the article and its significance in our discussions of adaptations.

 

The summary will be turned in to me at the beginning of class and should conform to formal essay standards.  You will then be responsible for leading the class discussion for that day.  Leading a successful discussion will require you to pose open-ended questions designed to provoke discussion which helps us understand not only the critical work in question but how the work shapes our understanding of the specific adaptation being discussed and adaptations more generally.  A handout, while not specifically required, could benefit your discussion.

 

Conference Paper (25%):  For the first essay assignment, you will write a short essay (7-9 pages), appropriate for a conference presentation.  You will need to identify a conference (either past or present but excluding EGO), write an abstract as if applying to said conference, and then write an argumentative essay on Shakespeare and adaptation that is situated critically and tailored to the conference.   For instance, if you applied to the Rhetorical Society of America, you would perform a rhetorical rather than literary analysis of adaptation(s).  You will not actually have to submit the essay to the conference.  Though, you are certainly encouraged to do so.  There are lots of funding opportunities for graduate students to travel to conference.    

                                                                       

Seminar Paper (40%):  As the core assignment of the course, you will write a seminar paper (12 – 15 pages) that advances a sustained critical argument regarding adaptations, drawing comprehensively on available scholarship and theory relevant to your topic.  This paper can be an extension of your conference paper.  The decision to keep the same topic should be based on the topic and argument rather than on convenience.  Not all topics/arguments can be extended into a more sustained piece.

 

This assignment will also require various minor assignments such as, but not necessarily limited to, a written proposal, a bibliography, peer-review, and a short in-class presentation.

 

Distribution and Grading Scale

Discussion                                          20%                 A         900-1000

Critical Article Essay/Disc.               15%                 B          800-899

Conference Paper                              25%                 C         700-799

Seminar Paper                                    40%                 D         600-699

                                                                                    F          599 and below

Course Policies

 

 As graduate students, I expect you to arrive promptly for every class meeting, to come to class prepared by reading the assignment and bringing the text, to actively participate in class discussion, and to conduct yourself in an ethical and professional manner.  I reserve the right to dismiss from class and/or penalize the grade of under-prepared students.

 

If you must miss any class, you are responsible for discussing the absence with me either in advance (preferred) or when you return.  You are also responsible for any material covered in the class you missed.  Failure to do so will result in a penalty to your final grade, up to an “F” in the course. Two or more absences will result in a penalty to the final grade up to failing.

 

Late work will not be accepted without prior permission from me.

 

Scholastic Dishonesty:  Scholastic dishonesty of any kind on any assignment undermines the quality of education at WIU and will not be tolerated under any circumstances.  This includes cheating, fabrication, falsification, multiple submissions, and plagiarism.  Scholastic dishonesty of any kind will result in an F in the course and will be reported to CAGAS.  It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes scholastic dishonesty.  I will also be happy to answer any questions you may have.  You should also consult the University policy at http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php.  

 

Americans with Disabilities Act: “In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation.  For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s), you must obtain documentation of the need for an accommodation through the Disability Support Services and provide it to the instructor.  It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor’s attention, as he/she is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students.  Students who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc) should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency.  Contact Disability Support Services at 298-2512 for additional services.” 

 

These accommodations will be gladly provided.  Please contact me ASAP.

 

For information on Students’ Rights and Responsibilities, visit www.wiu.edu/provost/students/

 

Final Note:  I would encourage all of you to seek out my help.  I devote large amounts of time to working with students.  In addition to office hours, you are encouraged to stop by (or call if you are in the QC) my office any time.  If I am available, I will gladly meet with you.  For QC students, I am more than willing to take advantage of technology – IM or Facebook, etc to meet with you.