SEL3391 : Women on Trial: Gender, Power, and Performance in Shakespeare's England
- Offered for Year: 2020/21
- Module Leader(s): Dr Emma Whipday
- Owning School: English Lit, Language & Linguistics
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
Aims
This module explores performances of gender and power on the early modern stage, page, and street. On this drama-centred module, we will study professional theatre and 'closet drama', as well as street literature and court records. We focus on women as subjects, translators, and performers of drama. We will explore how gender and power are represented and negotiated across a range of performance spaces: theatres, law courts, marketplaces, scaffolds, taverns, and country houses.
Outline Of Syllabus
We will study up to six plays from the professional stage. Indicative examples are Measure for Measure, A Woman Killed with Kindness, and The Witch of Edmonton. We will also look at a number of closet dramas, such as The Tragedie of Iphigenia, and a range of other texts that imagine, prompt, or record some sort of performance. These may be popular ballads, news pamphlets, printed trial accounts, portraits, or court records.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 44:00 | 44:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 12 | 1:00 | 12:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 3 | 3:00 | 9:00 | Film screenings |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 99:00 | 99:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 8 | 2:00 | 16:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 3 | 2:00 | 6:00 | Performance workshop |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Assessment drop in |
| Guided Independent Study | Student-led group activity | 12 | 1:00 | 12:00 | Preparation for the group presentations and the 'early modern verbatim theatre' workshop. |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures present the module concepts and contexts and clarify and explain unfamiliar material. Students respond to these ideas and draw on their own reading in small-group seminar work and in peer-led study groups. The performance workshop offers a hands-on opportunity for students to experiment with the performance practices they have identified in their texts. The film screenings offer examples of how other directors and companies have staged and performed these texts.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 20 | 750 word close-reading exercise |
| Essay | 1 | A | 70 | 2750 words; evaluative essay |
| Prof skill assessmnt | 1 | A | 10 | 500 word log of participation and engagement |
Formative Assessments
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 1 | M | As part of the module workshop |
| Oral Presentation | 1 | M | N/A |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The mid-module offers students a chance to focus on the text of the early modern sources; the essay offers an opportunity to conceptualise a wider argument which addresses the themes of the module. The group presentation gives students the opportunity to test ideas, and the group performance gives students the opportunity to develop performance-based skills that support textual interpretation. Participation and engagement assesses students’ involvement in the course, from participation in study groups and seminars to contributions to group presentations and online discussion groups.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SEL3391's Timetable