In this class, we will work together to develop your written, oral, and visual communication skills as we build your understanding of effective arguments for a variety of contexts. Building on the basic tools you acquired in earlier English classes, we will develop strategies for persuasively expressing our ideas in multiple “modalities,” such as a written essay, an image-rich slide deck, or an oral presentation. Our goal is to make you more effective communicators. Our topic is Twelfth Night and Hamlet as Text and in Performance.
Although Shakespeare wrote for the theater, his works have become too often a purely literary form of entertainment, consumed in solitude or, more likely, in a required English class like this one. Staged and filmed versions of Shakespeare’s works help to restore Shakespeare’s appeal as a popular entertainer as well as a masterful poet. But how do you take works that are prized for their use of language and interpret them for stage and screen? What steps are necessary to make the works relevant—and fun—today? What do Shakespeare’s works gain from the transformation? What do they lose?
In exploring two of Shakespeare’s plays in performance you will become familiar with the conventions of literary criticism, research and documentation methods for the humanities, close reading techniques for examining creative texts, and strategies for successful collaboration. You will also discover your own written “voice.”
After taking ENGL 1102, you will be able to
- Recognize and deploy effective written and oral communication strategies
- Understand that communication relies on interplay between speaker, message, and audience
- Create credible audio-visual presentations alone and in collaboration with others
- Integrate secondary scholarly research effectively in your original arguments
- Discuss the unique affordances of print, stage, and moving image
- Read, watch, and discuss with confidence the works of William Shakespeare
Hamlet, William Shakespeare, The Pelican Shakespeare, A.R. Braunmuller, ed. (print or Ebook).
Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare, The Pelican Shakespeare, Jonathan Crewe, ed. (print or Ebook).
Elements of Style, 4th edition, Pearson, William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White.
Additional readings are available electronically through Canvas.
Students may choose to subscribe to streaming services or purchase specific recorded performances to supplement their reading.
Criteria for individual assignments will be explained in Canvas. Please note that work which simply meets the requirements of the assignment will receive a grade of "C." Grades of "A" and "B" designate levels of distinction in quality and content.
Your final grade will be determined by the following assignments:
First week communication reflection 5%
a 2- to 3-page evaluation of a Shakespeare play in performance 15%
a 5- to 7-page literary analysis with research 30%
an adaptation pitch deck completed and delivered in a group 20%
quizzes 10%
Elements of Style presentations 10%
Final reflection 10%
I will expect you to attend class regularly. You will be allowed four absences, which should be reserved for days of minor illness or other emergencies. If you have five absences, your final grade will be lowered 10 points (a full letter grade). If you have six unexcused absences, you will receive a grade of "F" for the course. I will make exceptions only in the case of extended hospitalization, for which I will require documentation.
Attendance will be recorded via a sign-up sheet that will be passed around at the beginning of class. If you do not arrive in time to sign the sheet, you will be marked absent. Individuals who leave class early will be marked absent. You are responsible for information and materials you miss. You should obtain notes from classmates and make sure you come to the next class prepared.
Quizzes missed due to absences, for any reason, will receive a grade of zero, but I will drop the lowest quiz grade.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.
This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Writing area.
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.
This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:
- How do I write effectively in different contexts?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcomes:
- Students will communicate effectively in writing, demonstrating clear organization and structure, using appropriate grammar and writing conventions.
- Students will appropriately acknowledge the use of materials from original sources.
- Students will adapt their written communications to purpose and audience.
- Students will analyze and draw informed inferences from written texts.
Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Persuasion