ENGL 797 (M2) - Special Studies in Literature

This class acknowledges the critical importance of Shakespeare's works as cultural documents. By examining a selection of his dramatic works in the context of literary, cinematic, and graphic novel adaptations, we'll see that these plays have had a profound influence on other writers and artists over the centuries.

 Comics, films, and literature have all been inspired by Shakespeare's dramatic works. In this class we will explore these inspirations, as well as the originals from which they are created. We'll analyze four Shakespeare plays--The Taming of the Shrew; Othello; Macbeth; and The Tempest--as a work in and of itself, looking at the ways in which Shakespeare has handled characterization, dramatic plotting, language, and a series of other literary techniques. We'll then move on to an analysis of films, comic books, and literary adaptations of these Shakespearean dramas. They'll be either clear "rewritings" of the plays, showing strong adherence to the original, or they'll be quite free versions of the plays, showing some echoes or inspirations from Shakespeare, but demonstrating their authors' own visions of characterization, plot, and theme. By the end of the semester, we should have a heightened appreciation not only for the original Shakespeare plays, but also for the ways in which filmmakers, comic book artists and other playwrights have harnessed Shakespeare's vision and made it their own.

Course fulfills pre-1800 requirement for English, English Teaching, and LS majors. It is Writing Intensive.