Course unit details:
Shakespeare

Course unit fact file
Unit code ENGL20372
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

The course introduces students to the writing of Shakespeare, including some poetry as wellas drama. It takes a thematic approach and is structured into three segments, in order toexplore the interconnections between texts as well as between the texts and the widerculture. The issues discussed are at the forefront of current Shakespeare scholarship,enabling students to engage with the latest ideas and debates in the field. The coursewilltherefore discuss individual Shakespearean texts in detail, as well as engaging with widertheoretical and critical discussions in Renaissance studies.

Aims

  • To introduce students to a range of Shakespeare’s plays and to examples of his poetry
  • To familiarize students with some current debates and themes in Shakespeare scholarship
  • To equip students to discuss texts written by Shakespeare in detail, within the context of critical debates and in relation to early modern culture
  • To develop skills in written expression and the presentation of a coherent argument at a level appropriate to second-year degree work

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the successful student will have demonstrated:

  • A knowledge and understanding of a series of representative dramatic texts from the beginning to the end of Shakespeare's career.
  • An understanding of the idea of genre and its importance in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama.
  • An ability to engage critically with the prescribed texts and with the relationships between text and performance and genre and theme, especially but not exclusively the specified 'key themes'.
  • The ability to read texts closely and to understand their place in their historical context.
  • The ability to work independently, to develop research skills, to use evidence, and to structure an argument.

Employability skills

Analytical skills
Students taking this unit will be able to analyse and evaluate arguments and texts. Above all, committed students will emerge from this course unit with an advanced capacity to think critically, i.e. knowledgeably, rigorously, confidently and independently.
Group/team working
Students taking this unit will be able to work courteously and constructively as part of a larger group.
Innovation/creativity
On this unit students are encouraged to respond imaginatively and independently to the questions and ideas raised by texts and other media.
Leadership
Students on this unit must take responsibility for their learning and are encouraged not only to participate in group discussions but to do so actively and even to lead those discussions.
Project management
Students taking this unit will be able to work towards deadlines and to manage their time effectively.
Oral communication
Students taking this unit will be able to show fluency, clarity and persuasiveness in spoken communication.
Research
Students on this unit will be required to digest, summarise and present large amounts of information. They are encouraged to enrich their responses and arguments with a wide range of further reading.
Written communication
Students on this unit will develop their ability to write in a way that is lucid, precise and compelling.

Assessment methods

Essay 1 40%
Essay 2 60%

 

Feedback methods

Written

Face-to-face (upon arrangement)

Recommended reading


The Rape of Lucrece
Titus Andronicus 
Julius Caesar
Macbeth 
Measure for Measure 
Richard II 
Richard III 
Antony and Cleopatra 
The Winter’s Tale 
 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 22
Seminars 11
Independent study hours
Independent study 167

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Jerome De Groot Unit coordinator

Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2027 will be £10,050 per annum. Tuition fees for international students will be £29,200 per annum.

For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.

Learn more about student finance options for UK students .

Learn more about f ees and finance for international students .

As an international student you may be eligible for our Global Futures Scholarships . This is open to students starting their studies in September 2026.

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