PS-Introduction to Cultural Studies: Retelling Shakespeare
Claudia Lorraine Rumson
Kommentar
When Taylor Swift said “You were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter”… we felt that. Shakespeare’s plays are among the most famous, most quoted, and most retold stories in the English canon, and people never grow tired of referring to them and retelling them in new, creative ways. But why? What do modern creators get out of retelling Shakespeare?
In this course, we will be reading (watching, listening to, and looking at) unusual and unexpected adaptations of Shakespeare plays. From pop songs and erotic fanfiction to Victorian paintings and big-budget movies, we will study the relationships between these adaptations and the plays they are based on. We will ask why the adaptations made the choices (and changes) they made, why they refer to Shakespeare at all, and what these new takes can tell us both about the plays, and about the new takes’ contexts. You will learn to analyse adaptations beyond how accurate they are to the source material, and, as a bonus, you can impress your friends by telling them how their favourite TV show is actually an adaptation of Hamlet.
Through the lens of Shakespeare, we will practice critical adaptation studies, close reading, and academic writing. Course material will be made available on Blackboard prior to the start of the course. Full credit can be obtained on the basis of regular participation in class discussions, informal writing assignments, a short presentation, and the eventual submission of a research paper of approximately 2000 words.
16 Termine
Regelmäßige Termine der Lehrveranstaltung