SEL3391 : Women on Trial: Gender, Power, and Performance in Shakespeare's England
- Offered for Year: 2023/24
- 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, country houses, and at court.
Outline Of Syllabus
We will study up to five plays from the professional stage. Indicative examples are Measure for Measure, A Woman Killed with Kindness, and Arden of Faversham. We will also look at one or more 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, masques, or court records.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 40:00 | 40:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 99:00 | 99:00 | N/A |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 8 | 2:00 | 16:00 | Seminars |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 2 | 2:00 | 4:00 | Performance Workshops |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | Film and production screenings as online 'watch parties' |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Assessment Workshop |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Assessment drop in |
| Guided Independent Study | Student-led group activity | 8 | 1:00 | 8:00 | Collaborative 'study group' work on the structured learning tasks. |
| 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 workshops 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 the module texts. The assessment workshop enables students to receive guidance on mid-semester assessments and then work on their assessments in a supportive environment.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 1 | M | Students complete structured learning tasks in their study groups, and receive feedback prior to the mid-module assessment. |
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 structured learning tasks give students the opportunity to test ideas and receive feedback. Participation and engagement assesses students’ involvement in the course, from participation in study groups and online discussion groups to involvement in collaborative and individual performance-based activities.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SEL3391's Timetable