Joe Law

Office: 027 Paul Laurence Dunbar Library

Office phone: 775-2155

E-mail: joe.law@wright.edu

Office hours: 8:30-9:50 TTh and by appointment

Note: Because my responsibilities as Coordinator for Writing Across the Curriculum often require 
me to be away from the office, it would be wise to call ahead even during my regular office hours. 
However, Iím usually on campus until 5:00 every day, so it shouldnít be hard to arrange a time to 
meet.

This syllabus and the policies outlined here are also available through the English department web 
page: <http://www.cola.wright.edu/Dept/ENG/>. 
Look under my name in the faculty section of the page.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Falstaff. Opera Guide 10. New York: Riverrun, 1982. Note: Includes the libretto 
by Arrigor Giuseppe Verdi's Falstaff (1893); with an English translation by Andrew 
Porter other commentaries. 

Shakespeare, William. Four Histories. Ed. Stanley Wells, P. H. Davison, and A. R. Humphreys. New York: Penguin, 1994. 

---. The Merry Wives of Windsor. Ed. T. J. B. Spencer and G. R. Hibbard. New York: Penguin, 1981.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course focuses on a literary figure--Shakespeare's Falstaff--that seems to have taken on a life independent of the plays in which he first appeared. He has appeared in other plays, novels, poems, paintings, political cartoons, music (symphonic as well as operatic), and film. In each reappearance, Falstaff bears the marks of the time that (re)produced him, and these appearances mutually modify each other. That is, while the character brings a known body of information to the new situation, its place in that new context may well alter our understanding of the earlier appearances of Falstaff as well.

The adaptations to be discussed here range in date from 1597 to 1991 and encompass other literary works, the visual arts, music, and film. In addition to looking at the changing uses to which the character is put (including political and commercial uses), the class will also investigate the impact of these more recent versions of the character on popular and critical understanding of the original plays. In addition to class discussions, students will complete a research project about an adaptation of Falstaff not discussed in class or about a different literary character that has undergone similar transformations. The results will be presented to the class. Several shorter preliminary papers will provide an opportunity to develop the major paper.

POLICIES AND COURSE REQUIREMENTS

General Education: All Honors courses, including UH 400, address the broad goals of the General Education program:

• to sharpen critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills as a basis for life-long learning;
• to cultivate an awareness of the moral and ethical insight needed for participation in the human community;
• to increase knowledge and understanding of the past, of the world in which we live, and of how both past and present have an impact on the future.

Writing Across the Curriculum: UH 400 is designated as a writing intensive course in the writing in the major portion of the Writing Across the Curriculum program, which has the following three principal goals:

• To help students learn the course material better by thinking critically about it via their writing;
• To give students a chance to exercise their editing skills;
• To help students learn the conventions of writing in their own field of study

Course Grade: The course grade will be determined in the following way: short assignments (3), 30%; research proposal, 10%; research progress report, 10%; class presentation, 5%; completed research project, 45%.

Late Work: As a rule, I do not accept late assignments. Late work will be accepted only in the case of a documented illness or if arrangements have been made with me prior to the absence.

Attendance: Attendance and participation are expected of all students. Much of the work in the course will be carried out in class discussion. Missing a class means that you cannot benefit from the comments of other students and that other students cannot benefit from yours. I will take attendance at the beginning of each class.

Tardiness: Class will begin as scheduled. Late arrivals disrupt class, so please be on time. Students who arrive late will not receive additional time to complete any activities already begun, such as a reading quiz. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of class; if you are late, it is your responsibility to see that my record is corrected that same class period.

Editing skills: It is the responsibility of all students to proofread and edit their own work before it is submitted. Failure to do so will affect the grade of the paper.

Paper format: All assignments should follow MLA format, which is illustrated on the sample first page attached to this syllabus. The fifth edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers is now available, so be sure youíre using the current one. For the most recent information on documenting World Wide Web sources, see the MLA Web site at <http://www.mla.org/style/style_top_index.htm>.

Academic honesty: All work submitted must be your own, with outside sources properly acknowledged. Academic dishonesty includes copying another's work, turning in someone else's work as your own, allowing a tutor to write part or all of your paper, or allowing someone else to use your work in this same manner. If you are unsure about your work in this matter, talk to me before you submit the paper, not after.

Special accommodations: If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment to see me as soon as possible. We should make adjustments at the beginning of the course.

University Writing Center: Writing Consultants in the Writing Center (031 Library) are available to assist you as you work on your papers. Be sure to take a copy of your assignment with you when you go. The Writing Center also has a cluster of networked computers available for student use. (Word processing instruction and assistance are also provided.) The service is free to all WSU students. For more information, call 775-4186. For questions about grammar, spelling, or punctuation, you may also call the Writing Center's Grammar Hotline, which is open between 9:00 and 4:00, Monday through Friday. That number is 775-2158.

3/28 Introduction to course

3/30    1 Henry IV; skim excerpts from Genette (on reserve)

4/4     1 Henry IV

4/6     2 Henry IV

4/11   2 Henry IV

4/13    NO CLASS MEETING; turn in biographical sketch before 5:00 Friday

4/18    Merry Wives of Windsor

4/20   Merry Wives of Windsor

4/25   Critics on Falstaff (Summary 1 due)

4/27   Critics on Falstaff (Summary 2 due)

5/2    Textual adaptations (Brough--excerpts on reserve)

5/4    Textual adaptations (Gaye--excerpts on reserve; Melville and Gunn--handout)

(research project proposal due)

5/9    Textual adaptations (Nye--on reserve; read excerpts listed on handout)

5/11  Film adaptations (Chimes at Midnight)

5/16  Film adaptations (My Own Private Idaho)

5/18  Visual representations of Falstaff (progress report due)

5/23  Verdi's Falstaff

5/25  Verdi's Falstaff

5/30  Musical versions (misc) (draft of project due)

6/1    Student presentations

FINAL EXAM: Friday, June 9, 2000, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Final Project due

SHORT ASSIGNMENTS (3)

Assignment 1: Biographical sketch of Falstaff. On the basis of the two parts of Henry IV, try to reconstruct the earlier life of Sir John Falstaff. There are a number of brief comments that identify other people he knows, other activities he has taken part in, and what he was once like. At various points, for instance, he says that he was born at 3:00 in the afternoon; that he has frequently promised to marry "old mistress Ursula," that he was once "not an eagle's talon in the waist." On the basis of all this scattered information, what can you infer about him? Give as full a picture as you can; just be sure you make a clear distinction between what comes from the two plays and what you're filling in.

In your "biography" of Sir John, indicate where information appears in the play by identifying the play, act, scene, and lines in which it appears. For instance, after stating the time of Falstaffís birth you could provide the information parenthetically (2H4 1.2.188-89). (That's the basic MLA pattern you'll need to follow throughout the quarter.)

About the due date: I'll be attending a conference on April 13 but will return to campus Sunday to pick up papers. Please put a copy in my mailbox in the English department before 5:00 Friday, April 14. The mail room is across from the English office, 438 Millett.

Assignments 2 & 3: Summaries. Falstaff has attracted critical attention in proportion to his bulk. To give you an idea of the range of things said about the character without asking you to read several hundred pages of criticism, Iíll ask that each of you write a one-page summary of a particular critic's argument each day. Be ready to talk about the critic on the given day, and bring a copy of your summary for everyone in the class. I'll have more details--and specific assignments--closer to the time they're due. The readings will come from books on reserve, so be sure to allow time for getting the material.

RESEARCH PROJECT 

The final product of this assignment will be a research paper of 10-12 pages. In general, the paper should address one post-Shakespeare appearance of the figure of Falstaff. It can be a poem, play, painting, musical composition, film, advertisement, political cartoon--almost anythin--óincluding works we're discussing in class. However, if you do choose to investigate one of those works, you should not simply repeat class discussion. As an additional alternative, you may look at a parallel case involving some other literary character. For instance, you might look at the impact of Man of La Mancha on popular perceptions of the figure of Don Quixote.

That's an extremely general sort of assignment, so I've set up the project in several "phases" that I hope will make it easier to find your way to a workable topic and a satisfying final project.

Phase 1 (Proposal)

Identify the adaptation/appearance of Falstaff you will be investigating and identify the questions you will be trying to answer about it. Where will you be seeking information to answer those questions?

Phase 2 (Progress Report)

Restate your initial research questions and, if appropriate, explain how and why they have changed. How much is completed? (No Falstaffian exaggerations, please!) How much remains to be done? List at least five of the sources you'll be drawing on (a good time to check out MLA documentation style), and explain how each will be useful.

Phase 3 (Draft)

Submit a complete draft of the final paper, including the list of works cited.

Phase 4 (Class Presentation)

Make a 15-minute presentation of your finding. If you want to use video clips, music, images, etc., be sure to allow for that time as you plan.

Phase 6 (Final Version)

Free at last, free at last.
 
 

GRADING CRITERIA FOR PAPERS (FINAL PROJECT)

A: Excellent

To receive an A, a paper must meet the standards described in all of these categories:
 

CONTENT Central idea clearly defined & developed with originality & careful thought, supported substantially & concretely.

ORGANIZATION Paper progresses by clearly ordered & necessary stages; paragraphs unified & developed with unusual effectiveness; transitions between & within paragraphs clear & effective; paragraphs & sentences coherent & emphatic.

DICTION Appropriate, clear, carefully chosen, & idiomatic.

GRAMMAR PUNCTUATION SPELLING  Except for very infrequent minor errors, grammar & punctuation help to clarify meaning by following accepted conventions; only very infrequent misspellings.

B: Superior

To receive a B, a paper must meet the standards described in all of these categories:
 

General idea defined with more than usual care & clarity, developed fully & with consistent attention to proportion & emphasis, & supported with sufficient & consistently relevant detail.

Purpose & method consistently apparent & completely fulfilled; well-developed & unified; transitions between paragraphs explicit & effective; & paragraphs & sentence coherent & emphatic.

Appropriate, clear, carefully chosen, & idiomatic.

Except for very infrequent minor errors, grammar & punctuation help clarify meaning by following accepted conventions; only very infrequent misspellings.

C: Average

A paper will receive a C if it is seriously deficient in the ways described in 
any one of these categories:
 

Central idea adequately defined but trite, trivial or too general; or developed adequately but with occasional disproportion or inappropriate emphasis; or supported adequately but with occasional repetition or sketchiness.

Plan, purpose & method apparent but fulfilled mechanically or incompletely (e.g., sketchy introduction or conclusion); or paragraphs unified & coherent but occasionally ineffectively developed; or transitions between paragraphs usually clear but occasionally abrupt or mechanical; or sentences coherent but occasionally monotonous, unemphatic, or ineffective.

Occasionally inappropriate, vague, trite, or unidiomatic.

An isolated serious error in grammar or punctuation; occasional errors in grammar & punctuation; occasional misspellings. Serious errors: Sentence fragments Fused (run-on sentences) Comma splices Subject-verb agreement errors Nonstandard forms (e.g., had went) Pronoun- antecedent agreement errors

D: Weak

A paper will receive a D if it is unsatisfactory in the ways described in any one
of these categories:
 

Central idea loosely defined or carelessly thought out; or developed & supported with occasional irrelevance, redundancy, or inconsistency.

Plan, purpose & method not consistently apparent; or paragraphs occasionally disunified or inadequately developed; or transitions between paragraphs occasionally unclear or ineffective; or paragraphs & sentences occasionally incoherent.

Inappropriate, vague, or unidiomatic often enough to interfere with the expression & development of the important ideas of the paper.

Occasional serious errors in grammar or punctuation; or frequent minor errors in grammar or punctuation; or frequent misspellings.

F: Unacceptable

A paper will receive an F if it is unsatisfactory in the ways described in any one of these categories:
 

Central idea unclear or inadequately developed & supported.

Plan, purpose & method not clearly apparent; or paragraphs often incoherent or disunified; or transitions between paragraphs inadequate or lacking; or sentences often incoherent.

Generally inappropriate, vague, or unidiomatic.

Frequent serious errors, or one serious error made more than twice; or very frequent minor errors in grammar or punctuation; or very frequent misspellings.

NOTE: Any paper that does not fulfill the terms of the assignment or that fails to 
acknowledge borrowed materials properly will receive an F.

Also note: the sample page below demonstrates the heading, header, title, margin and spacing conventions of MLA short paper style guidelines. Please disregard the blurring  of the scanned text.

 

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