ENG 221 - Introduction to Shakespeare

3 credit hours - Three hours weekly; one term.
This course meets the Arts & Humanities General Education Requirement.

Study representative works selected from Shakespeare’s tragedies, comedies, histories, romances, and sonnets, with attention to historical and cultural contexts.

Prerequisite(s): ENG 101 /ENG 101A or permission of the department chair.

Crosslisted: Also offered as ENG 221H ; credit is not given for both ENG 221 and ENG 221H . Typically offered at MC and OL; fall, spring, and summer terms.

Course Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Recognize, identify, and explain important elements of Shakespeare’s work (e.g. his language, themes, imagery, and symbols);
Explain the relationship of Shakespeare’s poems and plays to their intellectual, social, historical, and cultural backgrounds;
Describe Shakespeare’s genres (comedies, histories, tragedies, romances, and poems);
Compare the relationships of Shakespeare’s genres to each other and to earlier traditions;
Write analytically about Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets using both primary and secondary texts;
Apply critical thinking skills to analysis, discussion, and writing about Shakespeare’s work.