EN2SH: Shakespeare

Module code: EN2SH

Module provider: English Literature; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

Level: 5

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Professor Lucinda Becker , email: l.m.becker@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: No placement specified

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The module is organised chronologically in order to focus attention on Shakespeare’s development as a dramatist. Close study of plays, including Richard II, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Measure for Measure and Macbeth will encourage students to explore aspects of tradition and innovation in Shakespeare’s use of theatrical modes. The module will allow students to integrate a knowledge of the intellectual, cultural and stage history of the period into their study of the texts.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Articulate their own and other people’s ideas concisely, accurately, and clearly
2. Apply discipline-specific practices of close reading, interpretative analysis and critical argument
3. Discuss and appraise published research within the field of English literature  
4. Make sound judgements on complex and culturally sensitive issues, and communicate them in an appropriate and effective manner.

Module content

Students will explore Shakespeare’s texts in detail, with reference to theatrical traditions of the time as well as the works of other contemporary writers. Students will closely analyse the texts under discussion and will be encouraged, amongst other aspects, to respond to the plays as performance texts whilst undertaking this close analysis. We will consider Shakespeare’s development as a playwright and explore our own societal response to his works, including discussions of modern stagings.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module is taught through a mix of weekly lectures and seminars. Seminar leaders align their exploration of texts with the lecture content. Students are encouraged to recognise these as play texts, and screenings of sections or whole plays may be included in the teaching.

Study hours

At least 22 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

A 500-word ‘close analysis in context’ exercise, which requires students to analyse a section of text, choosing to focus on one of three contextual factors: a theme from the play as a whole, the dramatic staging of the extract, or the cultural context within which it was written. The skills used in this piece will be relevant to both the lengthier summative close analysis in context and the essay.

Reassessment

Additional costs