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    Overview

    A study of Shakespeare as playwright and poet, with some attention given to the theatrical and cinematic reception of the plays.

    After 400 years, Shakespeare's plays continue to provoke and engage audiences and readers.

    Shakespeare was both a poet and a man of the theatre. His plays were performed before both royalty and commoners and constituted one of the earliest forms of mass entertainment. In this paper we will explore the nature of the theatrical world in which he wrote, his stagecraft, and his use of language, particularly the way that Shakespeare used language to motivate performance and action. We will also examine how Shakespeare's language has been adapted to the cinema through a study of significant filmic adaptations of his work.

    About this paper

    Paper title Shakespeare: Stage, Page and Screen
    Subject English
    EFTS 0.15
    Points 18 points
    Teaching period Not offered in 2025 (On campus)
    Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $1,040.70
    International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
    Prerequisite
    One 100-level ENGL paper (excluding ENGL 126) or 36 points
    Schedule C
    Arts and Music
    Contact

    michael.cop@otago.ac.nz

    Teaching staff

    Dr Michael Cop

    Teaching Arrangements

    Twice-weekly lectures; play-readings; tutorials; screenings.

    Textbooks

    Plays that we will cover in full or in part (please note that these texts are available for free electronically though www.folger.edu):

    • Midsummer Night's Dream
    • The Tempest
    • Richard III
    • Coriolanus
    • Macbeth
    • Antony and Cleopatra
    • Twelfth Night

    Please note that we will also watch filmic adaptations or theatrical productions of these plays.

    Graduate Attributes Emphasised
    Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Communication, Critical thinking, Information literacy, Research.
    View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
    Learning Outcomes

    Students who successfully complete this paper will gain:

    • Understanding of staging history of Shakespeare
    • Understanding of the cinematic history of Shakespearean adaptation
    • Knowledge of analytic tools to read Shakespeare, including embedded stage instructions, cultural history and close reading

    Timetable

    Not offered in 2025

    Location
    Dunedin
    Teaching method
    This paper is taught On Campus
    Learning management system
    Blackboard
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