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ENGLISH 343R.

01
ELIZABETHAN AND JACOBEAN DRAMA
MW 2:30-3:50 // PMH 304
Spring 2016

Prof. Andrew Bozio


abozio@skidmore.edu
TTh 1:00-2:30 // PMH 317

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Ben Jonson famously wrote that Shakespeare was not of an age but for all time. And yet,
Shakespeares contributions to early modern drama did emerge in a particular time and place, often
crafted in response to the work of other playwrights. In this course, we will look beyond
Shakespeares works to some of the most popular, influential, and provocative plays of the early
modern period, including The Spanish Tragedy, Endymion, Tamburlaine, Doctor Faustus, Arden of
Faversham, Epicene, The Alchemist, The Knight of the Burning Pestle, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, and The
Duchess of Malfi.
As we study the development of early modern drama, our discussion will focus upon ecocritical
issues of space, place, and the environment. In early modern England, theater was, quite literally, a
way of seeing the world, as Shakespeares company suggested in calling their playhouse the Globe.
How, then, does drama represent foreign and familiar places? And what issues of class, gender, race,
and environmental consciousness arise from those representations? To answer these questions,
students will participate regularly in discussion, compose two short essays, and use digital archives to
write a final research paper, a portion of which they will present to the class.

LEARNING GOALS
Through this course, you will learn to
trace the development of early modern drama, exclusive of Shakespeares works
analyze the way that literature imagines space, place, and the environment
read and analyze a work of literature independently
use criticism to develop your interpretation of a literary text
conduct research in support of a sustained analytical paper
work with digital archives to find primary sources
sustain a complex argument about ecocritical issues in early modern drama

TEXTS
English Renaissance Drama: A Norton Anthology (ISBN 978-0393976557)

GRADE DISTRIBUTION
Participation
Digital Discussions
Essay One

20%
5%
15%

Bozio // EN 343R.01 Syllabus (Spring 2016)

Essay Two
Research Paper
Presentation

20%
25%
15%

COURSE POLICIES
Attendance
You are allowed two absences with no questions asked. For each subsequent absence, your final
grade will be lowered by one-third of a letter, and excessive absences may result in failure of the
course. Repeated lateness will also be construed as absence such that being late three times is the
same as being absent once so please come to class on time and stay for the duration.
Participation
Because this course is a collaborative effort, participation will be essential to your success. By
participation, I mean both active listening and thoughtful contributions to class discussion that show
your preparation for class, your willingness to engage your peers in conversation, and your ability to
be respectful. More specifically, good participation might involve:

Asking a question or making a specific comment about the reading


Building upon something that another person has already said
Making a comment about what you find useful or interesting about another persons point
Asking a question or making a comment that encourages another person to elaborate on
their point
Making a comment that connects two points or two strands of our conversation
Disagree with what someone has said in a respectful and constructive manner

It helps tremendously to take notes while you are preparing for class, using the writing process to
develop your thoughts about the material. In this course, our aim is not only to learn more about the
history of early modern drama; it is also to develop your skills as a critical thinker and writer, and
engaged participation is one of the most direct ways of ensuring that development. For this reason, I
would also encourage you to take notes during class.
Digital Etiquette
You are encouraged to bring laptops and tablets to class, provided that they are used for referencing
the assigned material and/or for taking notes. To minimize distractions, I would encourage you to
turn off your WI-FI while in class. Failure to adhere to this policy may result in being counted as
absent for the day, and I reserve the right to ban laptops and tablets if they become a distraction to
you or to your classmates. Use of cellphones is not permitted.
Submission of Work
All written work should be presented professionally: typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New
Roman or Garamond, and with one-inch margins. Be sure to include your last name and the page

Bozio // EN 343R.01 Syllabus (Spring 2016)

number in the footer. When uploading your file to Blackboard, submit it as a Word Document,
using this format for the title: [Your last name], Essay [One, Two, or Three].docx.
Late essays will lose one-third of a letter grade each day until they are submitted, and, after a week, I
will no longer accept your work.
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism is the representation of another persons words or ideas as your own. It is not only
counter to the ethics of the academic culture in which you participate, but it is also detrimental to
your progress in this course, insofar as it does nothing to develop your own skills as a thinker and a
writer. You must give proper credit, according to your chosen citation guidelines, to all words or
ideas that are not your own. In cases of a serious violation of academic integrity, you will fail the
assignment. Visit http://www.skidmore.edu/advising/integrity/index.php for more information.
Accessibility
Anyone who anticipates difficulties with the content or the format of this course should arrange to
meet with me so we can create a workable plan for your success. Skidmore College also offers
several forms of academic and non-academic accommodation through the Office of Student
Academic Services. Visit http://www.skidmore.edu/accessibility/index.php for more information.

ASSIGNMENTS
Essays
Over the course of the semester, you will write two essays of five to seven pages in length. In your
first essay, use one or more of the theories that we find in the work of Tim Cresswell and Gillian
Rose to pose and answer a sophisticated question about space, place, or the environment in The
Spanish Tragedy or Endymion. In your second essay, craft an argument about space, place, or the
environment in Tamburlaine, Doctor Faustus, Arden of Faversham, or Epicene, using secondary sources to
frame and to support your analysis. I will circulate more detailed prompts well in advance of the due
date of each essay.
Digital Discussions
On the occasions that I must cancel class to attend a conference, we will continue our discussion of
the reading material on the course blog, EN343Spring2016.WordPress.com. For Arden of Faversham,
I will post a set of discussion questions and ask you to respond to one of them in a blog post, which
should be between 250 and 500 words. I will also expect you to respond to another students post in
a comment of at least 100 words. For our examination of digital archives, I will ask you to revisit
one of the plays that you discuss in either your first or second paper, showing how you can use
archival research to deepen, revise, or extend your earlier claims about the space. Blog posts will be
due at the start of our scheduled class meeting, and we will not meet in person on those days.
To post to the course blog, you will need to create a WordPress account and then accept my
invitation to become an author on the site. I would encourage you to use a pseudonym that does not
Bozio // EN 343R.01 Syllabus (Spring 2016)

reveal your identity. Your posts will be visible to the entire class, as well as to the wider public, and
using a pseudonym will allow you to practice writing public-facing documents without the concern
that your posts will always be a part of your online identity.
Research Paper
To conclude the course, you will write a research paper of ten to twelve pages in length. Select one
of the plays that we have read this semester (importantly, one that you have not already written
about), and develop a research question about the issues surrounding space, place, and the
environment in that play. Then, write an essay that answers this question, using material from at
least two digital archives and from at least two scholarly sources. As with the essays, I will circulate a
more detailed prompt well in advance of the due date of the research paper.
Presentation
In the final days of the course, you will present a portion of your research paper to the class. This
assignment has two purposes. At the same time that it creates a space in which you and your peers
can guide the course toward your own interests, it provides you with the opportunity to receive
helpful feedback on your work in progress. These presentations should last no more than ten
minutes, and you should use that time to present a polished version of your argument. Half of your
presentation grade will be determined by your own presentation and half by your engagement with
the presentations of your peers.

SCHEDULE
Reading that are not available in the required texts can be found on Course Reserves or on
Blackboard, as noted.
Jan.

25
27

Introduction to the course


Tim Cresswell, Place: A Short Introduction, 1-61 [Blackboard]

Feb.

1
3

The Spanish Tragedy


The Spanish Tragedy

8
10

Endymion
Endymion

Essay One due on Sunday, February 14 at 5:00pm


15
17

Tamburlaine
Tamburlaine
Jacques Lezra, Geography and Marlowe, 125-37 [Course Reserves]

22
24

Doctor Faustus
Doctor Faustus
Kristen Poole, The Space of the Supernatural, 6-24 [Course Reserves]

Bozio // EN 343R.01 Syllabus (Spring 2016)

Mar.

29
2

Arden of Faversham [Digital Discussion]


Arden of Faversham [Digital Discussion]
Garrett A. Sullivan, Jr., Arden Lay Murdered in That Plot of Ground: Surveying,
Land, and Arden of Faversham, 31-56 [Course Reserves]

7
9

Epicene
Epicene
Adam Zucker, London and Urban Space, 97-106 [Course Reserves]

Essay Two due on Sunday, March 13 at 5:00pm


14
16

Spring Vacation
Spring Vacation

21

Working with Digital Archives: EEBO, The Map of Early Modern London, the Folger
Shakespeare Librarys Digital Image Collection, and John Stows Survey of London
Working with Digital Archives [Digital Discussion]

23
28
30

The Alchemist
The Alchemist
Assignment: use MoEML and Stows Survey to research Blackfriars

Proposals for your Research Paper due on Friday, April 1 at 5:00 pm


Apr.

May

4
6

The Knight of the Burning Pestle


The Knight of the Burning Pestle
Assignment: use EEBO to research the spaces of Beaumonts play

11
13

A Chaste Maid in Cheapside


A Chaste Maid in Cheapside
Assignment: use MoEML and Stows Survey to research Cheapside

18
20

The Duchess of Malfi


The Duchess of Malfi
Assignment: use EEBO to research the spaces of Websters play

25
27

Presentations
Presentations

Concluding Discussion // Evaluations

Research Paper due on Friday, May 6 at 5:00 pm

Bozio // EN 343R.01 Syllabus (Spring 2016)

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