Academic Catalogs

ENGL A181H: Shakespeare Honors

Course Outline of Record
Item Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date 03/14/2018
Top Code 150300 - Comparative Literature
Units 3 Total Units 
Hours 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours 0
Course Credit Status Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee No
Basic Skills Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable No
Grading Policy Standard Letter (S), 
  • Pass/No Pass (B)
Associate Arts Local General Education (GE)
  • OC Humanities - AA (OC1)
Associate Science Local General Education (GE)
  • OCC Humanities - AS (OSC2)
California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)
  • Cal-GETC 3B Humanities (3B)
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
  • IGETC 3B Humanities (3B)
California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth)
  • CSU C2 Humanities (C2)

Course Description

Read, analyze, and write on a range of Shakespearean texts including histories, comedies, tragedies, and problem plays. Examine the philosophical, cultural, mythic, religious, and/or historical elements related to these texts. Formulate and produce written analyses of assigned works. Enrollment Limitation: ENGL A181; students who complete ENGL A181H may not enroll in or receive credit for ENGL A181. ADVISORY: ENGL C1000. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

  1. Explain significant historical, philosophical, cultural and aesthetic influences of Shakespearean literature, including defining traits and major themes.

Course Objectives

  • 1. Read and demonstrate an understanding of no fewer than 4 long works (plays) of Shakespearean literature, supplemented by either more long works or enough shorter works or excerpts of works to constitute an introductory survey course.
  • 2. Identify and examine the philosophical, cultural, mythic, religious, and/or historical elements that are represented in Shakespearean literature or that provide a background context for Shakespearean literature.
  • 3. Learn to read closely in order to recognize and interpret the literary devices and writing styles evident in individual texts of Shakespearean literature. Appreciate how these elements make each work a representation of an individual authors artistic sensibility, of a particular set of circumstances, and/or of a larger group of literature.
  • 4. Examine the influence of different gender, economic, cultural, racial, and/or ethnic groups on Shakespearean literature.
  • 5. Recognize how individual works of Shakespearean literature reflect and comment on moral, social, and aesthetic issues.
  • 6. 6. Write a minimum of 3000 words (15 pages, 12 pt. double-spaced typed) about Shakespearean literature: (a) a minimum of 2000 words (10 pages) of the writing must be in the form of analytical essays, (b) the other writings may be in the form of tests requiring primarily short and/or long essay responses, journal writings, creative modeling of the literature, written notes outlining oral presentations, written scripts for film/video presentations, or other types of writings that demonstrate an understanding of the literature.

Lecture Content

OrientationHistorical background on RenaissanceMedieval inheritanceElizabethan EnglandWorks Studied:  Richard IIRichard IIIMidsummer Nights DreamThe Taming of the ShrewOthelloHamletMacbethKing LearThe Tempest

Method(s) of Instruction

  • Lecture (02)
  • DE Live Online Lecture (02S)

Instructional Techniques

Lecture and application of ideas, discussion, instructor feedback on written papers and discussion, peer feedback.

Reading Assignments

Reading Assignments: Approximately 2- 4 hours per week, approximately 32-54 hours total per semester.  Students are expected to come to class prepared to discuss assigned reading which includes but is not limited to the comedies, tradgeies, histories and problem plays of Shakeseare, as well as sources, studying/viewing productions of his play, the studying poetry/sonnets, and reading secondary sources and critical theory.  As an Honors section, 1-2 hours per week may be devoted to reading Honors designated work for the course.

Writing Assignments

Writing:  Approximately 2-4 hours per week/ 32-54 hours per semester writing a minimum of 3000 words (15 pages, 12 pt. double.spaced typed) about Shakespearean literature: (a) a minimum of 2000 words (10 pages) of the writing must  be in the form of  analytical  essays,  (b) the other writings may be in the form of tests requiring primarily short and/or long essay responses, journal writings, creative modeling of the literature, written notes outlining oral presentations, written scripts for film/video presentations, or other types of writings that demonstrate an understanding of the literature. As an Honors section, 1-2 hours per week may be devoted to  Honors designated writing projects.

Out-of-class Assignments

Out-of-Class Assignments:  Approximately 2-4 hours per week/4 32-54 hours per semester on out of class assignments. As this course is lecture/discussion, nearly all the writing for the class is produced outside of class and is described below.  Writing for this class includes, but is not limited to Essays, summaries, repsonses, research papers using secondary sources, take-home exams.  As an Honors section 2-4 hours per semester may be devoted to meeting with instructor outside of the class to discuss Honors designated texts and to discuss Honors writing projects.

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Student will respond to each play by completing either a quiz or an individual project of unique design; final paper:  6.8 pages, researched, on a topic developed during the semester.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Write a minimum of 3000 words (15 pages, 12 pt. double.spaced typed) about Shakespearean literature: (a) a minimum of 2000 words (10 pages) of the writing must  be in the form of  analytical  essays,  (b) the other writings may be in the form of tests requiring primarily short and/or long essay responses, journal writings, creative modeling of the literature, written notes outlining oral presentations, written scripts for film/video presentations, or other types of writings that demonstrate an understanding of the literature.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Shakespeare, W.. The Riverside Shakespeare, 2nd ed. Bel Air, CA: Heinle, 1996 Rationale: . 2. Required McDonald, R.. The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare: An Introduction with Documents, ed. Boston/New York/Bedford: St. Martins, 2001 Rationale: . 3. Required Shakespear, W.. Edited by Stephen Greenblatt. The Norton Shakespeare , 3rd edition ed. London: Norton, 2015