Course Catalogue

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This course aims to introduce students to a range of Shakespearean adaptations for the stage (including, for example, post-colonial, feminist, and queer adaptations). It explores the relationship between adaptation and source text(s) and between text and context, as well as considering the key critical and theoretical discourses surrounding Shakespearean appropriations and the practice of adaptation; although the focus will be primarily on stage adaptations, students may have the opportunity to look at adaptations in other media too.

1 x 3hr seminars per week over 10 weeks, as scheduled on MyCampus. This is one of the Honours options in Theatre Studies and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Theatre Studies, and by arrangements to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

None

None

Essay (3,500 words) - 60%

Annotated bibliography (1,500 words) - 20%

Oral presentation (10 minutes) - 20%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

The course aims to:

■ introduce students to a range of Shakespearean stage adaptations (including, for example, post-colonial, feminist, queer adaptations);

■ explore the relationship of individual Shakespearean appropriations to the play(s) they adapt;

■ develop an understanding of the different socio-cultural contexts in which Shakespearean adaptations operate, and thereby promote an increased ability to make connections between social and cultural concerns and their presentation in stage appropriations of Shakespeare;

■ introduce and familiarise students with key theoretical and critical discourses surrounding Shakespearean adaptations.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ understand the particular processes of Shakespearean adaptation in relation to theatre;

■ write critically and analytically about the relationship of individual Shakespearean adaptations and their source text(s);

■ critically analyse and understand the cultural particularities of Shakespearean adaptations;

■ articulate and assess current key critical theories pertaining to the practice of Shakespearean adaptation and apply current critical discourses to individual Shakespearean appropriations.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.