SEL3459 : Shakespeare's Show Business
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
- Module Leader(s): Dr Kate De Rycker
- Owning School: English Lit, Language & Linguistics
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Pre-requisite
Modules you must have done previously to study this module
Pre Requisite Comment
N/A
Co-Requisite
Modules you need to take at the same time
Co Requisite Comment
N/A
Aims
In this course we will be dismantling the canonical status of William Shakespeare by examining his work and reputation in its original, collaborative, context. We will start by looking at the booming 'entertainment industry' that Shakespeare joined when he moved to London: how did collaborating with specific actors and writers shape his work? How did playwrights respond to Elizabethan 'culture wars' about the corrupting nature of the theatre? We’ll then move on to look at the way in which print was used to turn writers into celebrities, resulting in the ultimate mythologising of Shakespeare's natural genius. Throughout, we’ll be using digital resources to explore the material history of the early modern stage and page.
Outline Of Syllabus
This course is divided into 2 sections: ‘stage collaborators/competitors’ and ‘printing the Author’. In the first section we will look at the way collaboration in the Elizabethan theatre industry shaped plays we today tend to think of as singularly ‘Shakespearean’. We will think about the way rivalry and collaboration sparked innovation, and explore how Shakespearean plays participate in a wider cultural discussion about the power of the theatre. In the second section we will move our focus onto the printing house by looking at the role that print played in constructing and publicising the idea of a 'celebrity' Author. Where possible, we will handle and examine early printed books in the University Library’s Special Collections.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 5 | 1:00 | 5:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 4 | 1:30 | 6:00 | Initial lectures with supervised seminar preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 80:00 | 80:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 9 | 2:00 | 18:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 2 | 1:30 | 3:00 | assessment focused workshops |
| Guided Independent Study | Reflective learning activity | 10 | 0:30 | 5:00 | weekly learning journal |
| Guided Independent Study | Student-led group activity | 5 | 1:00 | 5:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Student-led group activity | 4 | 0:30 | 2:00 | first 4 weeks of study groups |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Dissertation/project related supervision | 2 | 0:30 | 1:00 | tutorials: consultations on project plans |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 75:00 | 75:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures will introduce the students to literary texts, material contexts, and critical paradigms.
Extra time at the end of the first block of lectures is budgeted to support students while they do their initial 'study group' seminar preparatory tasks.
Seminars will combine literary analysis of module texts with practical tasks to explore the material conditions of theatre and print. Both will develop students problem solving, analytical, and communication skills.
A combination of workshops and supervisory tutorials will be used to ensure that students are in a good position to prepare the necessary components of their portfolio assessment.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 2 | M | 30 | 1000 words |
| Portfolio | 2 | A | 70 | Students choose to do one of three equally weighted options, 3000 words |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 2 | M | 500 word project plan + peer review of another student's plan. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The weekly practice of writing a learning journal will enable students to identify a research theme and explore alternative modes of research communication for their final assessment. Portfolio 1 consists of a curation of 2 such entries, revised and expanded following formative feedback, and accompanied by a headnote synthesising information to form a new argument.
The formative assessment prepares students for the final assessment, by asking them to develop a preliminary essay plan. This will be peer reviewed and further developed in the final workshop, and the module leader will provide a supervisory tutorial based on this additional work.
Students can choose from the following three options for their final research project:
1) 2,500 word critical essay on an aspect of performance or print history, accompanied by a 500 word commentary explaining their research process.
2) A creative project (e.g. adaptation, story-board, set design) equivalent to 2,000 words, accompanied by a 1,000 word commentary explaining the academic research which underpins the project.
3) 12-15 minute educational recording (e.g. podcast or video) about a key concept from the module, accompanied by a 500 word commentary, explaining their research process.
Whichever format chosen, their choice must be driven by a clearly defined research question, to be developed via the midterm and formative assessment, and in supervisory tutorials.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SEL3459's Timetable