ENGL254 - Shakespeare on Film

[ Wesleyan Home Page ] [ WesMaps Home Page ] [ Course Search ] [ Course Search by CID ]

Shakespeare on Film
ENGL254 SP

Through close analysis of filmed versions of Shakespeare's plays, this course will examine a variety of critical and interpretive issues that have defined contemporary Shakespeare studies (including the politics of reception, questions of textual editing, historiography, and the representation of sexuality, gender and race). While no prior study of Shakespeare is requisite, students may want to familiarize themselves with the plays we will be studying beforehand, since a great deal of time will b e devoted to viewing films.

MAJOR READINGS

William Shakespeare's THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, RICHARD III, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, ROMEO AND JULIET, HENRY IV parts 1 and 2, HENRY V, HAMLET, OTHELLO, KING LEAR, THE TEMPEST

Major Films:
Franco Zeffirelli's (1968) and Baz Luhrman's (1996) ROMEO AND JULIET
Robert Wise and Jerome Robbin's (1961) WEST SIDE STORY
Max Reinhardt's (1935) A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Woody Allen's (1982) A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S SEX COMEDY
Sam Taylor's (1929) and Franco Zeffirelli's (1967) THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
Laurence Olivier's (1955) and Richard Loncraine's (1995) RICHARD III
Al Pacino's (1996) LOOKING FOR RICHARD
Orson Welles' (1967) CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT
Gus Van Sant's (1991) MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO
Laurence Olivier's (1944) and Kenneth Branagh's (1989) HENRY V
Olivier's (1948), Zeffirelli's (1990) and Branagh's (1997) HAMLET
Branagh's (1995) A MIDWINTER'S TALE
Welles' (1952) and Oliver Parker's (1995) OTHELLO
Peter Brook's (1971) and Jean-Luc Godard's (1987) KING LEAR
Aki ra Kurasawa's (1985) RAN
Peter Greenaway's (1991) PROSPERO'S BOOKS

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Several short papers; class presentation; final take-home exam.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

In addition to reading and written assignments, students will be required to attend weekly film screenings.

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA ENGL Grading Mode: Graded

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Korda,Natasha

Times: ...W... 07:00PM-10:00PM; Location: SCIE121

Reserved Seats: (Total Limit: 50)

SR. major: 10 Jr. major: 10

SR. non-major: 10 Jr. non-major: 10 SO: 6 FR: 4

Special Attributes:

Curricular Renewal: Reading Non-Verbal Texts, Writing

Last Updated on MAR-24-2000