ENG-40065 - Violence and Death: Advanced Studies in Shakespeare's Theatre
Coordinator: Becky Yearling Room: CBB2.061 Tel: +44 1782 7 34282
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 7
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office: 01782 733147

Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

ENG-30083

Description for 2022/23

The early modern period was saturated in violence. It was enshrined in the legal system: spectators flocked to see beheadings, hangings, and other forms of public execution and physical mutilation by the state. It was treated as entertainment: bears, dogs and cockerels were forced to fight each other to the death for the pleasure of paying customers. For men, it was often seen as a way of proving masculinity: going to war, or besting others in single combat, was a way of proving their worth. This module will explore the many ways in which violence manifested itself within Shakespeare's society, and the many different meanings that were attached to violent acts. We will study a range of early modern drama, by both Shakespeare and his contemporaries, and, in the process, learn more about early modern attitudes to revenge, warfare, the violated human body, and the relationships between violence and race, gender, religion and the law. We will think about why violence was so popular on the early modern stage, and what its appeal might have been for contemporary spectators. You will also, if you choose, have the opportunity to explore modern film adaptations of these plays and consider how modern filmmakers have responded to the violence of their source texts.

Aims
This module is designed to give advanced-level students a deeper understanding both of early modern drama and the social, political and cultural contexts that shaped it. The additional material included at Level 7 will enable students to explore their own specialised research interests, and to work at the forefront of the discipline. They will explore the role played by violence within early modern society from a variety of perspectives, including its part in constructions of masculine identity, in crime and punishment, and in community identity and state-building. They will also consider critically the relationship between violence and entertainment, both within an early modern and a modern context.

Intended Learning Outcomes

engage with complex issues both systematically and creatively, resulting in the formation of intellectually sophisticated, well-informed arguments: 1,2
demonstrate their development and application of advanced skills in the analysis of literary and/or filmic texts
: 1,2
critically assess the relevance and usefulness of current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline: 1,2
communicate research findings clearly to an academic audience, using a variety of written and oral means: 1,2
demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing programmes of research: 1,2

Study hours

24 hours seminars
12 hours workshops
2 hours small-group tutorials
2 hours essay planning sessions with tutor
110 hours assessment research and writing
150 hours seminar preparation

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Video Tape weighted 20%
Presentation
Students will be asked to prepare and record a 15-minute individual oral presentation, which will be designed to introduce a text, and the critical issues to which it gives rise. They will be assessed on both delivery (including such aspects as clarity, pace and use of slides, assessed as 50% of final mark) and content (50% of final mark).

2: Essay weighted 80%
Essay
Students will write a 4,000-5,000 word research essay on at least three dramatic and/or filmic texts, including at least one text from the range of independent reading/viewing. They will develop the essay's focus and title in consultation with the module tutor. The essay will demonstrate substantial research and independent thinking, and will draw on a range of appropriate sources (including but not limited to academic criticism; historical documents; theatre and film history; stage and screen performances).