WRITING SHAKESPEARE - 2021/2
Module code: ELIM052
Module Overview
This module engages with Shakespeare¿s writings and writing about Shakespeare in a variety of forms, ranging from the plays and poems themselves to the histories and adaptation and revision that began even in their own age and that continue across cultures and media, as well as the various creative responses that the Shakespearean canon has provoked and inspired. It pays attention both to the formal, technical and stylistic parameters of writing and rewriting and to the historical and political contexts that shape and determine these engagements, in particular the dynamics of appropriation and resistance that these play out.
Module provider
School of Literature and Languages
Module Leader
SHAUGHNESSY Robert (GSA)
Number of Credits: 15
ECTS Credits: 7.5
Framework: FHEQ Level 7
Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A
Overall student workload
Independent Learning Hours: 87
Seminar Hours: 22
Guided Learning: 30
Captured Content: 11
Module Availability
Semester 2
Prerequisites / Co-requisites
None
Module content
Indicative content for this module will address and range of materials, including but not limited to:
Writing as Shakespeare; adapting source text; composing blank verse; using inherited scenarios and stock characters and situations;
Adapting Shakespeare: cutting, reshaping and rewriting, from Nahum Tate¿s King Lear to Msomi¿s UMabatha, Shakespeare into screenplay;
Shakespearean adaptations and offshoots: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, A Tempest, Lear¿s Daughters, Maqbool
Writing about Shakespeare; Shakespeare as biographical fiction: Shakespeare in Love, All is True, Emilia,
Assessment pattern
| Assessment type | Unit of assessment | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Essay (3000 words) or Creative Portfolio (2500 words plus 500 word commentary) | 100 |
Alternative Assessment
n/a
Assessment Strategy
Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
¿ an academic essay or creative writing portfolio
Formative assessment
The formative assessment is intended to give students the opportunity to draft writing in a critical and reflective way that will be of benefit both for the summative assessment, as well as comparable assignments in other modules
Module aims
- To develop knowledge and understanding of historical and contemporary practices of Shakespearean writing
- To develop knowledge and understanding of contemporary theories of writing and rewriting Shakespeare
- To investigate appropriate contexts (political, social, historical, cultural) to inform understanding of Shakespeare on the page, in the theatre and on screen
- To develop awareness of and to apply appropriate methods for Shakespeare research and creative engagement
Learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | ||
| 001 | Gain significant confidence and ability in critical analysis and thinking | C |
| 002 | Gain the ability to analyse and appraise styles and techniques used in Shakespeare¿s writing and in the writings it has generated, and to apply these critical insights to their own writing practices and/or the works of other writers | CK |
| 003 | Acquire the detailed knowledge necessary for writing about, like, or in response to Shakespeare | K |
| 004 | Acquire the detailed skills necessary for such writing | P |
| 005 | Increase the ability to apply critical awareness to their own creative writing and/or to the works of others | PT |
| 006 | Develop the ability to work as a group in the production of collaborative work in the workshop context | PT |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Methods of Teaching / Learning
The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:
Enhance knowledge and understanding of audiences and critical approaches to audiences; develop analytical and evaluative skills in reading Shakespearean and other playtexts, performances and screen media; foster an enhanced understanding of the relationships between Shakespearean writings and their contexts; enable students to be aware of and draw on a broad range of methodologies and understandings of Shakespeare¿s writing in creating their own rigorous and informed arguments; encourage interdisciplinarity; develop confidence in articulating ideas in both written and spoken form; and to promote a collegiate and supportive learning environment as a means of fostering disciplined and scholarly debate.
The learning and teaching methods include:
Indicative learning and teaching methods include: lecture/seminars, writing workshops, screenings, peer-to-peer learning, debates and independent research and reflection.
Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.
Reading list
https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ELIM052
Other information
none
Programmes this module appears in
| Programme | Semester | Classification | Qualifying conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creative Writing MA | 2 | Optional | A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module |
| English Literature MA | 2 | Optional | A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module |
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.