LIT304: Shakespeare
Key details
| Accredited towards | Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal Arts |
| Unit type | Elective unit |
| Credit points | 6 |
| Indicative contact hours | 3 hours per week |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Offered in | Semester 1 |
| Tuition fee | Learn more |
Overview
The unit presents an overview of the life and canon of William Shakespeare, exploring a representative selection of work from across the span of his career. Concentrating upon six of his most celebrated works – Richard II, Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, Othello and The Tempest, and a selection of his sonnets – this unit explores the several major movements in Shakespeare’s artistic output, including his historical, comic, tragic and romantic periods. Emphasis is placed upon close readings of these texts in order to appreciate Shakespeare’s achievements as a poet and dramatist. Select adaptations of each work are screened and discussed, to explore the decisions made in the adaption process to preserve or alter the meaning of these texts, and to examine the manner in which his works both are shaped by and transcend his age.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit of study, students will be able to:
- Examine representative examples of Shakespeare’s plays
- Provide a critical analysis by identifying and describing, where appropriate, the inter-relationship between chosen texts and their social, religious and political milieu
- Identify and analyse common themes that characterise these works and appraise their representation in chosen texts
- Apply the insights gained from the study of these works to contemporary issues
- Understand the relationship between form, content and performance, both in the works examined and in the craft of exploring those works in written and oral forms
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