Tennessee Wesleyan College

Course Syllabus
TH 301/E301Dramatic Literature
Location: Sherman 209
Time: MWF 9:00-9:50
Credit Hrs: 3
Term: Spring 2016
Instructor: Dr. C. Austin Hill

Office: 20B Townsend Hall

Phone: 252-1125
E-mail: cahill@twcnet.edu
Office Hrs: Mon-Thurs: 12-2 PM, or
by appointment.

COLLEGE MISSION STATEMENT:

In keeping with the spirit of the liberal arts, Tennessee Wesleyan College seeks within the
framework of the Judeo-Christian tradition to provide for students the highest quality
educational experience, to promote personal responsibility, integrity, and purpose, and to
prepare students for a life of leadership and service in an ever changing global
community.
Course Description:
This class prepares students for the analytical and critical study of dramatic literature,
with attention paid to genre, literary movements, and historical context. In this course
students will be guided through a series of play scripts, and encouraged to approach each
as a finished productwhile performance contexts will (of course) be discussed, the
emphasis of this course will be to understand dramatic literature as a part of a broader
context, in the same way that other literary types (the novel, the short story, poetry, etc.)
can be understood. Extensive reading of primary works, and a term paper will be
required.
Each time the course is taught, all of the selected plays will be loosely tied together by a
common theme. This semester, the theme is: The Margins
**This course is required for all Fine Arts majors with a theatre emphasis elective
for the theatre minor. The course is also cross-listed as an English course, satisfying
the LITERATURE ACR**
Required Text: Available at campus bookstore:
The Norton Anthology of Drama (Second Edition) (Vol. 1 & 2)
o ISBN: 978-0393923414
Course Goals and Objectives:
This course is designed:
To introduce students to the study of dramatic literature, where the text is
examined for literary merit.
To provide students with methods that enable them to explore a play from the
perspective of the literary analyst and critic .
To encourage students to articulate their views and opinions, and begin to make

strong analytical choices, through discussion and written assignments.

INSTITUTIONAL DEFINITION OF SEMESTER OR CREDIT HOUR

Tennessee Wesleyan College, for the purpose of accreditation and in accord with federal
program integrity regulations, defines a semester credit hour as approximately 15 hours,
which for a typical 3 semester hour equates to 45 hours, of engaged learning experiences
to include, but not limited to, direct instructional time, individual study, asynchronous or
synchronous online or live instruction or class interaction, evaluation, writing,
application, experiential learning, and research supervised by qualified faculty within the
time frame of one semester/term. The total semester credits for a course are based upon
the student learning outcomes and the documented amount of time a student is expected
to spend completing the various required direct and indirect learning activities and
assessments. These learning outcomes and measurements are standardized for a course
regardless of mode of delivery. The credit hour policy applies to both undergraduate and
graduate programs. Academic department chairs/associate deans maintain responsibility
for documenting that credit hours are awarded based upon the requirements outlined in
the expanded TWC credit hour policy.

Guidelines for Tennessee Wesleyan Colleges Credit Hour Policy:

Traditional (on campus) Courses for a fifteen-week semester: A class hour at TWC is
defined as 50 minutes. A 3-hour course must include 2250 minutes of direct instruction
in addition to a minimum of 450 minutes of required out-of-class student
assignments/learning activities.

CollegeWideLearningOutcomes:
SeePg.67ofthissyllabusformoreinformation
Teaching Methods
This course will include lecture, discussions, online assignments, video viewings,
and writing assignments.
Class Expectations
In class, I expect you to:
Have and maintain access to Sakai and campus email;
Be respectful of one another at all times;
Be on time and ready to work when class begins;
Complete all readings and assignments on time and participate in class discussion
and activities;
Submit all assignments by the required due date;
Apply your knowledge of concepts from class through in-class writing responses,
online quizzes, and other assignments;
Work collaboratively with your peers in class activities
Attendance Policy
This class requires regular, on-time attendance. You may miss up to TWO class sessions
without affecting your final grade; after TWO unexcused absences, you will lose all 10
attendance points. Excessive tardiness shall be equivalent to absence. To receive an
excused absence, you must present written documentation of the
2

medical/academic/athletic/military event when you return to class. Students with closely

scheduled classes must notify the instructor if they anticipate being late.
Class Policy on Intellectual Honesty: Tennessee Wesleyan College students adhere to an
Honor Code. Therefore, cheating, including plagiarism will not be tolerated. Consult the
current student handbook for college policy on this. You must pledge your work to
signify that you are abiding by the Honor Code, using the following words: I hereby
certify that I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this paper/test. When
other sources are used in research and analysis, those sources must be identified on the
Works Cited page in Modern Language Association (MLA) format. IN THIS CLASS,
STUDENTS WHO ATTEMPT TO PASS OFF OTHERS WORK AS THEIR OWN
WILL FAIL THE COURSE whether the work be another students or a professional
writers work, whether from a print or an electronic source, whether pledged or not.
Plagiarism is, in a word, theft.
Disability Statement:
Any student who feels she/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a
documented disability should contact the Academic Success Center to discuss specific
needs. Please contact Dr. Patsy Ging, Director of Learning Support Service for Students
with Disabilities at x5237, or via email at pging@twcnet.edu. It is the students
responsibility to make initial contact with one of the coordinators in the Academic
Success Center. Coordinators: Dr. Patsy Ging/pging@twcnet.edu, or Mr. John Gaston at
jgaston@twcnet.edu
Required Assignments
Assignments will be collected online, or at the beginning of the class in which they
are due and marked down one letter grade for each day they are late. If you need to
turn in something late, notify me in writing before the due date.
Attendance and class participation: Class will be run as a combination of
lectures and discussions. Students are expected to come to class prepared to
discuss the major ideas presented in the readings, the lectures, and performances.
In-Class writing: periodically, students will be asked to respond to a writing
prompt during class time.
Quizzes: there will be a quiz over the basic plot of each play read in class.
Exams: This class will feature 2 exams. The exams will be based on course
content from the lectures and readings. The exam will be a combination of
multiple choice, True/False, fill in the blank, and short answer questions. The
exam will be both comprehensive and closed-book.
Performance Response Paper: Each student is required to see TWC
THEATREs production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Students will
complete a brief response paper base upon the production they have seen. More
information will be provided later in the semester.
Term Paper: This class will require one term-paper. The paper will be an
argumentative research paper based upon close-reading of one of the plays well
discuss. More information will be provided later in the semester.

Grading:
This is a points-based course. Your grade will be based upon the points you earn on
assignments. The points break down as follows:
Term Paper
30 pts
Quizzes (10 X 3pts)
30 pts
In class writing
10 pts
Exam 1
25 pts
Exam 2
25 pts
Production Response paper 10 pts
Participation
10 pts
Attendance
10 pts
TOTAL: 150 Points
Grading scale: Your grade will be based on the percentage of the course points you earn.
100-93%=A
92-90%=A89-87%=B+
86-82%=B
81-80% =B79-77% =C+
77-72%=C
71-70%=C69-67%=D+
66-62%=D
61-60%=DBelow 60%=F

Calendar
Day

Topic

Read and be prepared to discuss

M 1/11
W 1/13
F 1/15

Meet the class, meet the syllabus

Reading a play, play structure
Analysis of a text

M 1/18
W 1/20
F 1/22

NO SCHOOLMLK DAY
Analysis of a text
Origins of theatre--Tragedy

M 1/25
W 1/27
F 1/29

Origins of theatre--Tragedy
Origins of theatre--Tragedy
Theatre and religion

M 2/1
W 2/3
F 2/5

Library Instruction-in class

Theatre and religion
Theatre and religion

M 2/8
W 2/10
F 2//12

Theatre and religion

Theatre and religion
Early Modern Drama

Everyman: Anonymous
Everyman: Anonymous

M 2/15
W 2/17

Early Modern Drama

Early Modern Drama

Doctor Faustus: Marlowe

Doctor Faustus: Marlowe

Riders to the Sea (Synge)

Riders to the Sea (Synge)
Oedipus the King Sophocles
Oedipus the King

Dulcitius: Hrostvit of Gandersheim

Dulcitius: Hrostvit of Gandersheim

F 2/19

Shakespeare

M 2/22
W 2/24
F 2/26

Shakespeare
Shakespeare
TBA

M 2/29
W 3/2
F 3/4

Introduce Term Paper

REVIEW for EXAM 1
EXAM 1

M 3/7
W 3/9
F 3/11

NO SCHOOL-SPRING BREAK
NO SCHOOL-SPRING BREAK
NO SCHOOL-SPRING BREAK

10

M 3/14
W 3/16
F 3/18

Comedy of Manners
Comedy of Manners
Comedy of Manners

11

M 3/21
W 3/23
F 3/25

Oscar Wilde: Trivial Comedy:

Trivial Comedy:
NO SCHOOL--EASTER

The Importance of Being Earnest (Wilde)

12

M 3/28
W 3/30
F 4/1

NO SCHOOL--EASTER
Trivial Comedy:
Shaw and Realism

The Importance of Being Earnest

13

M 4/4
W 4/6
F 4/8

Social Problem Plays

Social Problem Plays
Theatre and Race

Twelfth Night, or What You Will:

Shakespeare
Twelfth Night

The School for Scandal: Sheridan

The School for Scandal

Pygmalion: Shaw
Pygmalion: Shaw
MASTER HAROLD and the boys:
Fugard
MASTER HAROLD and the boys:
Fugard

M 4/11

Theatre and Race

W 4/13
F 4/15

Theatre and Race

Postmodernism

15

M 4/18
W 4/20
F 4/22

Postmodern Drama
Postmodern Drama
REVIEW for FINAL EXAM

16

M 4/25

FINAL EXAM

14

The America Play: Parks

The America Play

Final exam
No Class
TERM PAPER DUE on Sakai By 6 PM Monday, May 2

COURSE RELATIONSHIP TO MAJOR PROGRAM AND DEPARTMENT OR

INSTITUTIONAL PURPOSE: This course is an elective for the minor in theatre as is noted in
the catalogue and/or will meet requirements contributing to a Fine Arts or an English
major/minor. To this end the course will demand critical thinking and writing skills consistent
with college standards.
COURSE RELATIONSHIP TO CONTENT AREA KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FROM THE
EDUCATION MATRICES:
GENERAL EDUCATION MATRIX:
I.
D. Understand cultural and individual diversity, and humankinds shared environment, heritage,
and responsibility.
H. Understand the interdependence among fields of study.
II.
A. Know about various means of creative expression, both within a given culture and across
cultures, and languages.
B. Understand how human ideals, values, and ethics can be examined and illuminated
figuratively
C. Know about the past and current relationships between creative expression and the
societies from which they grow.
D. Understand how creators and critics make informed qualitative judgments about
creative expressions; formulate such judgments for oneself.
ENGLISH MATRIX:
C. Know a wide range of literature from many periods and various genres and relate that
knowledge to class reading and class writing.
ACTIVITIES PROMOTING COMPUTER LITERACY: Students will use the Internet for
research and compose papers using word processing programs.
COLLEGE-WIDE LEARNING OUTCOMES
ASSESSMENT MEASURES FOR COLLEGE-WIDE LEARNING OUTCOMES
Learning Outcome
Measurement
Assessment
Use effectively the
Reading: Student will read the
The student will be assessed
communication skills of
textbook, additional texts and
on the effectiveness of these
reading, writing, speaking,
research articles, and
skills through papers, and
and listening
assignments.
quizzes
Writing: Student will complete a
research paper

Recognize the issues that

affect social and political
behavior in their historical
and cultural perspective

Social/cultural issues and

historical perspective: student
will learn about theatre as an
interchange of social and
political ideas in a historical
context, and the reflexive
relationship of theatre and
society

Student will be assessed on

their understanding of sociocultural issues of theatre
through quizzes and/or
research papers

Appreciate the contributions

of the arts and literature to
life enrichment

Arts and Literature and life

enrichment

Prepared by Dr. C. Austin Hill Jan 2016

Student assessed on
understanding of artistic
contribution of theatre and
ability to critique discerningly
through quizzes and papers