| Course title | Shakespeare |
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| Course code | KAA/SHAK |
| Organizational form of instruction | Seminary |
| Level of course | Bachelor |
| Year of study | 2 |
| Semester | Winter and summer |
| Number of ECTS credits | 4 |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Status of course | Compulsory-optional |
| Form of instruction | Face-to-face |
| Work placements | This is not an internship |
| Recommended optional programme components | None |
| Course availability | The course is available to visiting students |
| Lecturer(s) |
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| Course content |
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unspecified
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| Learning activities and teaching methods |
| unspecified |
| Learning outcomes |
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William Shakespeare, summer semester 2026, prof. Dirk Vanderbeke Room: TBA Block course (12 sessions in total): 2 sessions on Thursdays 15-18.15, 2 sessions on Fridays 9.45-13.00 26-27 February 2026 26-27 March 2026 22-23 April 2026 Only students who have taken the Introduction to the Study of Literature (or an equivalent) are eligible. Credits will be obtained by writing a short term paper (6-8 pages for BA-students, 8-10 pages for MA-students), The use of AI is not permitted. My email address is: vanderbeke@t-online.de This seminar will cover the three genres of Shakespeare?s plays, Comedy, History, and Tragedy. We will start with Much Ado About Nothing, followed by Richard III and finally King Lear. There are probably hundreds of editions of these plays, and many are useful. I suggest that you use the Arden edition ? it does not really matter whether the second or third, even though they differ. What is important is the huge number of excellent annotations to the text, and they are similar in both editions. The Arden editions are not expensive, and there also should be lots of used copies of the second editions available. Any discussion of Shakespeare requires some knowledge of Renaissance philosophy, science, politics and religion, and so we will also investigate the historical background and history of ideas relevant to the chosen plays. In addition to reading and discussing the plays, we will also watch one movie adaptation each. For Much Ado About Nothing, it will be the Kenneth Branagh version from 1993 ? there are not so many options. The movie can be watched online, but I will also bring a digital version that you can download on your devices and watch in the evening. And, in case the powers that be grant me a room in the evening, I will also show the movie Thursday evening at 8 p.m. for all those who prefer a large screen and still remember that in the days of yore watching movies was a social event. It is imperative that you have watched the movie before the Friday session. For the other two plays, there are numerous useful adaptations. For Richard III, I suggest Richard Loncraine?s version (1995), but there may also be other options. For King Lear, the number of excellent adaptations is staggering, and we will decide in the first session which one we want to watch. Again, I will provide digital versions and also show the movies on Thursday evenings.
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| Prerequisites |
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Intended audience: BA and MA students. Only students who have taken the Introduction to the Study of Literature (or an equivalent) are eligible.
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| Assessment methods and criteria |
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unspecified
Requirements: Reading, attendance, active participation. Credits will be obtained by writing a short term paper (6-8 pages for BA-students, 8-10 pages for MA-students). The use of AI is not permitted. |
| Recommended literature |
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| Study plans that include the course |
| Faculty | Study plan (Version) | Category of Branch/Specialization | Recommended semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2024) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2025) | Category: Philological sciences | 2 | Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2024) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2024) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2025) | Category: Philological sciences | 2 | Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2025) | Category: Philological sciences | 2 | Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2020) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |