ENGL208: INTRODUCTION
TO DRAMA
FALL 2005
Professor Joan DelFattore
Class hours: MWF 12:20-1:10
302-831-2987 (office)
E-mail: jdel@udel.edu
737-7124 (home)
Office: Room 062 Memorial Hall
Hours: MWF 10:15-11, M 7-8 p.m., T 10:30-11:45
Homepage: www.english.udel.edu/jdel
Co-instructor:
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Participants in this course will:
* Analyze plays focusing on three themes: confronting moral
dilemmas, searching for
self-realization, and defining justice;
* Compare and contrast the treatment of these concepts by authors
from different
nations, time periods, and demographic backgrounds;
* Explain the use of literary and dramatic devices (e.g., narrative
viewpoint, character
development, setting, and stage effects) to convey ideas and to arouse
emotional
responses;
* Synthesize the discussions of individual plays into a broader understanding
of drama as
a genre, with emphasis on its historical development, its purposes and
conventions, and the characteristics that distinguish it from other forms
of
literature;
* Independently view and analyze a film that relates to one of the
themes of the course
and uses the devices discussed in class, and present the results orally
and in
writing.
TEXTS IN THE ORDER USED IN CLASS
NOTE: Students are not only permitted but encouraged to view the
plays instead of reading them. Morris Library owns films of many of
the plays, and you may be able to rent them from videostores. Nevertheless,
even if you view a film, please bring the printed text of the play to class.
You’ll also need the printed text to study for tests.
William Shakespeare, Macbeth
George Bernard Shaw, St. Joan
Robert Bolt, A Man for All Seasons
Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie**
Henrik Ibsen, A Doll House**
Eugene O’Neill, Long Day’s Journey into Night
August Wilson, Fences**
Athol Fugard, Master Harold . . . and the Boys**
Charles Fuller, A Soldier’s Play
Susan Glaspell, Trifles**
Reginald Rose, Twelve Angry Men
** Students should purchase Drama: A Pocket Anthology, third
edition, ed. R.S. Gwynn (Pearson, 2006), which contains these plays as well
as background readings that will be assigned in the course.
Class assignments also include short online readings.
Each student will sign up to watch one of the following films independently
and write a five-page analysis of it. Instructions will be provided
on a handout. Students should e-mail your choices to the instructor
as soon as possible -- maximum of twenty students per film, first come first
served.
Pleasantville
The Truman Show
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Casablanca
Citizen Kane
Dr. Strangelove
The Insider
High Noon
All the President’s Men
The Shawshank Redemption
The Godfather (Part 1)
These films are available in the Media Department in the basement of Morris
Library, but they cannot be checked out; they have to be viewed there.
You may prefer to rent your film from a videostore and watch it in comfort,
but remember that other students will be looking for the same film at about
the same time. If you’re going to be traveling to other areas, even
as close as Wilmington or Middletown, you might want to look for the films
there instead of depending on the handful of videostores in Newark.
If you can’t rent the film, you can always watch it in Morris Library, but
don’t leave it until the last minute. Another option is to order the
DVD from amazon.com or another online retailer just as you would order a
text for the course.
TECHNOLOGY
Students must have an active UD e-mail account and check it regularly.
Announcements will be sent to the university’s class list, which uses
your UD account number. You will also be expected to access information
online. Students who do not have your own computers, printers, and
Internet access are welcome to use any of the equipment on campus.
Information about activating e-mail accounts and gaining access to the UD
library databases from off-campus is available at www.udel.edu/help.
Questions should be addressed to the computer hotline operators at 302-831-6000.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Short Version: If I’m here, you’re here.
Students will lose two points from the class participation grade (see below)
for each unexcused absence. Absences will be excused only in cases
of serious illness or family emergencies. Car trouble, arguments with
significant others, hangovers, social events, ennui, the need to catch up
on work or sleep, appearances on the Jerry Springer Show, or abduction by
creatures from another planet are not justifications for excused absences.
(Students may argue that the last two are redundant.) Arriving late
and leaving early are not options except under unusual circumstances.
Students who miss quizzes because of unexcused absences will not be permitted
to make them up.
Shortly after the start of each class, Ms. Miller will collect sign-up
sheets to be used in recording attendance. If you arrive after those
sheets have been collected, please see Ms. Miller to sign in. Students
who are more than twenty minutes late will be marked absent.
If you have a doctor’s note or other documentation to justify an excused
absence, please give it to Ms. Miller. If you believe that an absence
should be excused but don’t have documentation, please e-mail me at jdel@udel.edu.
If you miss a quiz because of an excused absence, please see Ms. Miller
about making it up.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
The university’s academic honesty policy, which appears at http://www.udel.edu/stuguide/04-05/code.html#honesty
, will be enforced in this course. If any student plagiarizes all
or part of any assignment from online or print sources or from another student’s
work, it will be reported to the Office of Judicial Affairs; see http://www.udel.edu/judicialaffairs/
for the procedure.
ADA STATEMENT
Students with disabilities should contact the University of Delaware’s
Office of the ADA for information regarding possible accommodations.
See the ADA Policy at http://www.udel.edu/ADA/Stu/stu.html for more information.
It is the student’s responsibility to contact the ADA office if you wish
to receive support.
GRADING
Three end-of-module tests @ 15 points each:
45 points
Five unannounced quizzes @ 4 points each:
20 points
Critical essay on film viewed independently:
19 points
Class participation:
16 points
Students will lose two points from the class participation grade for each
unexcused absence (see the attendance policy, above). Students who
are repeatedly unprepared for class discussion will be warned if additional
points are about to be deducted. Otherwise, students who come to class
and are prepared for the discussion may assume that you will receive the
full 16 points. Students will lose one point per day if the critical
essay is late.
Final grade: 95-100 = A, 90-94 = A-, 87-89 = B+, 83-86 = B, 80-82
= B-, 77-79 = C+,
73-76 = C, 70-72 = C-, 67-69 = D+, 63-66 = D, 60-62 = D-, 0-59 = F
COMMUNICATION OF GRADES
E-mail is often the fastest way to communicate
grades or comments on student work, especially in a class as large as this.
If you do not wish to receive your grades on e-mail, please let Ms. Miller
know.
SCHEDULE
NOTE: The discussion questions included in the syllabus are intended
to provide guidance in the reading and to facilitate class discussion.
They do not represent all that will be covered with respect to each play.
Wed., Aug. 31: Introduction to the course
Introduction to the theme of confronting moral dilemmas
Fri., Sept. 2: Videotape: Selections from Act I of Macbeth
Discussion of the personal characteristics and apparent moral stance of
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
Clarification of what is meant by a playwright’s use of language, imagery,
and symbolism to convey meaning
Assignment for next class: Finish Act I and read or view Acts II and
III of
Macbeth. How do the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
evolve
as the play progresses? Pick out what you consider to be the best
examples of Shakespeare’s use of language, imagery, and symbolism to
convey what is happening in the play.
Mon., Sept. 5: Labor Day (no class)
Wed., Sept. 7: Discussion of Acts I, II, and III of Macbeth
Assignment for next class: Read or view the rest of Macbeth.
How would
you characterize Macbeth and Lady Macbeth at the end of the play?
To
what extent do their endings represent the logical outcome of the
choices they’ve made throughout the play? Macbeth suggests that fate
has deceived him into self-destruction; do you agree?
Fri., Sept. 9: Discussion of Acts IV and V of Macbeth
Assignment for next class: Read or view Robert Bolt’s A Man for
All
Seasons. What kind of a man is Thomas More? What adjectives
would
you use to describe him? How do you think Bolt means us to feel about
him? Consider the same questions with respect to King Henry.
Now
look at the play closely and identify specifically how Bolt uses literary
elements, such as language, dramatic situations, imagery, and
symbolism to convey a sense of the characters and to generate certain
emotional responses in the audience. Consider not only what More and
the king say about themselves, but also what other people say about
them.
Mon., Sept. 12: Discussion of A Man for All Seasons
Assignment: Read or view George Bernard Shaw’s St. Joan for
Fri.,
Sept. 16. How do you react to Joan’s claim that she hears the voices
of saints telling her what to do? Why does that claim have such a
strongly negative effect on the characters in the play who oppose her?
What reasons do they have for wanting her to fail? Look closely at
the
play and identify scenes in which characters – including minor
characters – demonstrate complexity and ambiguity.
This next part is not a requirement, but for anyone who’s interested, an
English translation of the real-life trial of Joan of Arc by the
Inquisition may be found at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/joanofarc-trial.html. Don’t try
to print it – the file is huge. This transcript includes several of
the
arguments between Joan and her captors that appear in the play,
including the one about her refusal to wear skirts.
Wed., Sept. 14: Clips from the film of A Man for All Seasons
Discussion of visual and sound values as distinct from the meaning of
the play as read in print.
Assignment: See Sept. 12.
Fri., Sept. 16: Discussion of St. Joan
Assignment: Read or view The Glass Menagerie for Wed., Sept.21.
It’s
obvious what the title refers to, but why is that important enough to name
the play after it? What does the glass menagerie symbolize, not only
with respect to Laura, but also with respect to the play as a whole?
What
does it mean when Laura gives the broken unicorn to Jim? Identify
three
other symbols in the play and explain how they contribute to the meaning
of the play and to the overall experience of reading or viewing it.
Mon., Sept. 19: Discussion of St. Joan, continued
Explanation of the critical paper, reminder about signing up for a film
Description of the tests in this course (the first one will be on Oct. 5)
with suggestions for studying for them
Assignment: See Sept. 16.
NOTE TO STUDENTS WHO ADDED THE COURSE DURING THE DROP-ADD PERIOD:
You must catch up with the class readings in time to take the first test
with the class on October 5. If you have questions about any of the
plays or if you would like a summary of the class discussions you missed,
please see the teaching assistant, Ms. Miller. You should also check
with her to see whether you missed any in-class quizzes and to arrange to
make up that work before October 5. Everyone is expected to be caught
up with the classwork by then.
Wed., Sept. 21: Discussion of The Glass Menagerie
Assignment: Study for the test on Wed., Oct. 5. Start the assignment
due Fri., Oct. 7: In Drama: A Pocket Anthology, read
the background
material on drama on pp. 1-24. Be prepared to define the following
terms and give examples from the plays we’ve read so far: reversal,
exposition, rising action, denouement, dramatic irony, hamartia, hubris,
mise en scene. Then read the capsule history of drama at
http://litera1no4.tripod.com/dramahistory.html. These readings will
not be on the test on Oct. 5; they’ll be on the next test.
Fri., Sept. 23: Discussion of specific scenes in The Glass Menagerie
using clips from
the film
Introduction to the theme of self-realization
Assignment: In preparation for viewing and analyzing Sling Blade,
go
to http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=info&id=1800359861.
Read the introductory material on the first page and then click on any
links that interest you.
Mon., Sept. 26
through Mon.,
Oct. 3:
On each of these four days, we’ll watch about half an hour of Sling
Blade and then spend the rest of the period critiquing the film as
drama. Sling Blade WILL be on the test on Oct. 5.
Assignment: See Sept. 21.
Wed., Oct. 5: Test
Assignment: See Sept. 21.
Fri., Oct. 7: Preliminary discussion of drama as a genre
Preliminary discussion of the history of drama and of the aspects of it
that
are, and are not, represented in this course
Explanation of the fact that these discussions are preliminary in the sense
that from this point on, class discussions will refer to and expand upon
these concepts of drama
Assignment: Read Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House in the anthology
Drama.
Don’t watch any of the film adaptations -- they’re too different from the
play. Find examples of exposition and mise en scene. How does
Ibsen use these dramatic elements to convey the meaning of the play and
to arouse emotional responses from the audience? Ibsen wrote an alternate
ending in which Nora looks in on her sleeping children and changes her mind
about leaving Torvald. Which ending do you think is the more logical
result of who these people are and what they’ve done in the play?
Why is it entitled A Doll House rather than A Doll’s House?
Mon., Oct. 10: Discuss A Doll House
Assignment: Read or view Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into
Night for Fri., Oct. 14. How does O’Neill use the interplay
of the
characters to convey his ideas?
What ideas are those? In expressing
his ideas, he uses diction, visual impressions, sounds, and symbolism.
Find examples of all four
and be prepared to explain how they
contribute to the overall meaning of the
play and to the experience of
reading or viewing it.
Wed., Oct. 12: Discussion of A Doll House, continued
Assignment: See Oct. 10.
Fri., Oct. 14: Discussion of Long Day’s Journey into Night
Assignment: Read or view August Wilson’s Fences for Fri., Oct.
21. In
your opinion, is the play racially stereotyped?
Would you interpret the
racial elements differently if the author were white?
What is Wilson
trying to convey through the relationship between Troy
and Cory?
What values does each represent, and what happens when
the two come
into conflict? What is the role of Gabriel throughout
the play? What is
the significance of his actions at the very end?
Mon., Oct. 17: Discussion of Long Day’s Journey into Night,
continued
Assignment: See Oct. 14.
Wed., Oct. 19: Videotapes: two short psychiatric interviews
dealing with alcoholism
Discussion of the literal and symbolic roles of alcoholism in Long Day’s
Journey into Night
Assignment: See Oct. 14.
Fri., Oct. 21: Discussion of Fences
Assignment: Read Master Harold . . . and the Boys for Wed.,
Oct. 26.
Like Fences, this short play explores the
difficulties a boy confronts as
he begins to face some of the responsibilities of manhood.
Compare and
contrast Cory’s father and mother with Harold’s.
How are the parents
depicted in each play? What influence do
they have, directly or
indirectly, on the kinds of men their sons are in the
process of becoming?
How do racial issues work in each play? Why does
the title include
ellipses? (I.e., the three little dots. If you’re not sure what
that
punctuation mark signifies, look it up under the singular: “ellipsis.”)
Work on the critical paper due on Fri., Oct. 28.
Mon., Oct. 24: Discussion of Fences, continued
Assignment: See Oct. 21.
Wed., Oct. 26: Discussion of Master Harold . . . and the Boys
Assignment: Finish the critical paper due on Fri., Oct. 28.
Fri., Oct. 28: Fall break
Mon., Oct. 31: Small-group work: peer editing papers among students
who viewed the
same film. A checksheet and instructions for peer editing will be
provided. Please bring three copies of your paper, which must be
completed and typed. You will have the option of revising your paper
(or not) in light of
the suggestions other students make. Although the
papers will not be handed in
today, the peer editing will be pointless if
the papers are less than complete.
Accordingly, anyone who appears
with a rough draft, an incomplete
paper, a handwritten paper, or only
one copy of the paper will be considered
not to have finished the
assignment on time and will lose one
point for a late paper.
Assignment: Revise your paper if you choose to do so. The revised
papers are
due on Wed., Nov. 2. Only a
single copy is needed. Study for the test
on Nov. 11.
Wed., Nov. 2: Small-group work: sharing your paper with students
who wrote about
different films and hearing about the films they viewed.
Assignment: Go to
http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/graduate/ for
preliminary information about The Graduate,
which we’ll view and critique for the next three days. Study for the test
on Nov. 11.
Fri., Nov. 4
through Wed.,
Nov. 9: On each of
these three days, we’ll watch about half an hour of The
Graduate and then spend the rest of the period critiquing the film
as
drama. The Graduate WILL be on the test on Nov. 11.
Assignment: Study for the test on Nov. 11.
Fri., Nov. 11: Test
Assignment: Read Charles Fuller’s A Soldier’s Play for Wed.
Nov. 16.
Much of the play is devoted to revealing the kind
of man Sergeant
Waters was. How would you characterize
him? Why was he
murdered? Apart from the question of bringing
the murderer to justice,
identify two other ways in which justice
is at issue in the play.
Mon., Nov. 14: Introduction to the theme of justice
Videotape: Real-life hearing before the Oklahoma Parole Board
Assignment: Finish A Soldier's Play for Wed., Nov. 16. Begin
reading Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men for Fri., Nov. 18.
What is Juror #8 trying to achieve? How is justice defined in
this
play? What are some of the sources
of tension among the jurors?
What dramatic conventions are most important in the play?
Wed., Nov. 16: Discussion of A Soldier’s Play
Assignment: Finish reading Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men.
What is Juror #8 trying to achieve? How is justice defined
in this
play? What are some of
the sources of tension among the jurors?
What dramatic conventions are most important in the play?
Fri., Nov. 18: Discussion of Twelve Angry Men
Assignment: Read Susan Glaspell’s Trifles for Nov. 28.
What is the
significance of the empty birdcage? What does the dead bird contribute
to the plot? How is the bird symbolically significant? A version
of this
play appeared as a short story entitled “A Jury of Her Peers.” What
does each title mean? In your opinion, which
is better?
Study for the test on Fri., Dec. 2.
Mon., Nov. 21: Discussion of Twelve Angry Men, continued
Wed., Nov. 23: Thanksgiving
Fri., Nov. 25: Thanksgiving
Mon., Nov. 28: Discussion of Trifles
Return of the critical essays
Assignment: Study for the test on Fri., Dec. 2. Revise your
critical
essay in accord with the instructor’s comments if you wish to
resubmit it for a higher grade. Students who choose to resubmit their
papers must do so no later than Fri., Dec. 9. Individual conferences
and small-group workshops with the instructor and with Writing
Center staff will be held on the three dates listed below. Students
who
wish to resubmit their papers for a higher grade will be required to
attend the conferences and workshops to help improve your writing, so
don’t make other plans for those days.
Wed., Nov. 30: Student conferences/workshops on revising papers
Fri., Dec. 2: Test
Mon., Dec. 5: Student conferences/workshops on revising papers
Wed., Dec. 7: Student conferences/workshops on revising papers