HON 201: Perennial Questions

Course Description: This course looks to Shakespeare and his vivid characters to explain us as humans, because no one has come closer to capturing human nature in its widest variety as has the Bard. When Shakespeare began to write, there was little systematic study of the human mind and emotions. Shakespeare can be considered to have created the human if we credit the playwright with pioneering the psychological fields in literature and for so utterly altering human consciousness that, after him, the world was a different place and we were different creatures. Of special interest are Shakespeare’s explorations of existence and being (Hamlet), life and personality (Falstaff), love and loss (Romeo & Juliet), family and death (King Lear), and legacy (The Tempest).

Course Purpose & Objectives: Students participating in this learning community will:

develop and hone critical thinking and analytical skills, and they will demonstrate the ability to summarize, evaluate, and integrate ideas they encounter in the readings and in discussion;
demonstrate an understanding of thematic, character, and plot elements within the plays;
acquire a degree of understanding of the ways in which artistic creations add to the human experience and the understanding of the human experience (and, if we are really good, what it means to be human);
become better writers (and, therefore, better thinkers, for writing is thinking), and in all phases of the writing project, from ideation to outlining to drafting to revision and incorporating feedback;
develop a more expansive imaginative capacity that can be brought to bear on complex problems by allowing those problems to be seen in different contexts, enabling the consideration of potential consequences and contingencies, and, therefore, choosing well.

In short, it is the instructor’s goal that as a result of this course experience, students will be better able to think well, to write well, and to choose well.

Assessment of progress toward these learning outcomes will occur in the conversation that is discussing, responding, writing, submitting, receiving feedback, revising, and further discussing the themes and questions of the course. In empirical or numeric terms, this assessment will become manifest in the grading of submitted work by applying the rubrics appended to this syllabus. The minimum threshold or standard for all submitted work for the course is 70%.

Some organizing questions

The aptly named Richard Scholar said of Shakespeare’s stage that it is “no lecture hall in which the playwright transmits his opinions through the voices of actors; it is, rather, a controlled environment in which he experiments with the stuff of human lives.” It is this “stuff” that we will be interested in. Thus, some of our organizing questions will be:

What does it mean to be human? Can one choose one’s own being? One’s own fate? How can one create his or her life? To what end(s)? Why?
What is a good life? What makes a life “good” (or not good)?
What is or should be the “meaning” of our lives?
What is love? What is it NOT? What is goodness? What is evil?
What is the role of drama, fiction, literature, and the arts in seeking, making, determining a good life? Are there truths only fiction can tell?
What is “nation”? What are other ways of organizing as a people?
Can we think beyond the limits of the regime or government under which we live, as Shakespeare was able to do?
Can we imagine a world beyond the horizons of our own historical moment, as Shakespeare was able to do?
Can we use Shakespeare’s arts to reflect and comment on life, humanity, and the good life for our improvement?

What you need (required)

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, in any form. They are available online for free here: http://shakespeare.mit.edu.
A real, physical notebook.
Access to a stable internet connection capable of streaming video.
Access to a webcam with microphone.
Internet browser able to access websites with HTML5 videos.

What you may want (recommended but not required):

Stuff you need to know:

We will rely on each other, especially in discussion, and there will be a lot of discussion. So, come to class with an attitude, mindset and disposition to discuss, debate, participate, and interact. In other words, lean in to the course, not back. Do NOT come to class in passive mode, as a lurker or mere observer. This course is a verb. The basic format: Read (or view or both), discuss, write, repeat. We will spend Mondays introducing the week’s themes, questions, and play(s). On Wednesdays and Fridays, we typically will discuss the questions. We will also use Fridays to discuss our assignments, projects, and activities.

We will attempt to meet face-to-face as much or as often as we possibly and safely can. The classroom is outfitted with a webcam, so authorized remote attendance will be possible, if authorized. Authorization can come either from the instructor, provost, dean of students, or Academic Success Center. Non-authorized remote “attendance” will not count as attendance; you will be recorded as having been absent. Attendance will be recorded and archived on Canvas, which is the primary learning platform for the course. The course is over-filled, so, depending on distancing requirements, it is possible that the group will be divided into two sections, with each section alternating between in-class attendance and remote attendance via Zoom.

Data show that wearing a mask in public can help prevent the spread of Covid. In accordance with Georgia Department of Public Health regulations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Berry College has determined that everyone will be required to wear a face covering in college buildings, including classrooms. You MUST wear a face covering appropriately (i.e., covering both your mouth and nose) in the building if you are attending class in person.