Course for international guest/part time students
- Faculty
- Faculty of Humanities
- Organization
- BTK Department of English Studies
- Code
- BBI-ANG22-227E.12
- Title
- Reading Literary Texts: Shakespeare's Macbeth (p)lot by (p)lot
- Usual semester
- Both
- ECTS
- 3
- Language
- en
- Learning outcomes
- The course equips students with the basic skills to approach the fundamental features and complexities of Shakespearean tragedy. It explores generic innovations in drama, changes of world-view and of notions about heroism and selfhood. Moreover, we take a close look at the layers of the text, the language and symbolism, plot structure and character development. By analysing and discussing the play in detail and watching some of its productions, students will learn to master difficult Renaissance texts on their own and acquire the basics of critical thinking and writing. Knowledge Have a general and programme-specific theoretical and practical knowledge of William Shakespeare’s art. Know the academic terminology of literary criticism. Know how to employ academic terminology and vocabulary of literary criticism and theory. Become acquainted with the main trends of philosophy and psychology used in the discussions of the Shakespeare-play. Familiarity with early modern English language. Skills Able to put their thoughts and ideas on literary works and trends in coherent sentences both in writing and in speech Able to use the academic terminology in practise with confidence Able to recognise and employ literary, philosophical and psychological theories in practise Able to understand, interpret and assess academic articles on literature and literary theory for their own use Able to create a presentation connecting to a literary topic using academic sources and present it to their peers in an informative and comprehensible way. Attitudes Open to new achievements and innovations in the field of literary criticism, and take efforts to be acquainted with, understand and use them. Aim for continuous self-education. Aim to know and understand how literature and literary theory work Strive to integrate literary works and trends in their own life, relate them to their everyday experiences and problems Accept the existence of and possible tension between various trends and points of view and be ready to use them for their own purposes Aim to be able to gather and process information on their own from academic sources based on a given set of criteria Open to approaching all Shakespeare-texts without prejudice Be willing and able to ask for help from teachers in case they face a difficulty Show interest in various fields of applied literature (translation, creative writing, literary analysis) Accept and value opinions expressed by peers and teachers, but strive to express their own opinion in a clear, thoughtful and convincing way Show active participation and maintain an open-minded attitude in classes. Autonomy and responsibility Work autonomously under continuous self-monitoring. Express opinion with care and thoughtful consideration Take responsibility for their own work in the field of literary criticism. Have a sense of responsibility in general for any written work they produce (self-monitoring for the apt and accepted use of academic sources, avoiding plagiarism, etc.)
- Course content
- The seminars are devoted to the close reading and interactive discusssions of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, through which students are provided with first-hand experience of the multilayered Renaissance text and its generic features. The classes are based on close reading and discussing the play scene by scene.
- Assessment method
- Assessment is based on attendance, oral presentation and participation in class discussions.
- Bibliography
- William Shakespeare, Macbeth