Shakespeare and Poetic Justice (FYS)
ENGL 114F
Spring 2027
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01
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Shakespeare's plays operate inside a strict moral economy, what we would now call poetic justice: the just are rewarded and the unjust suffer. But even as his plots adhere to this framework, his characters are more unruly, and we should also ask why he wrote resolutions that can feel unsatisfying. Does everyone really need to die or get married? To explore the balance between justice and mercy, representation and reality, providential certainty and moral nihilism, we will read and write about four plays, each of which features a trial scene or something very like one: The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, Measure for Measure, and King Lear. As an FYS, this course is also an opportunity for students to develop confidence and skills in college-level writing in the humanities. A special emphasis will be placed on developing analyses and arguments, drafting and revising essays, and on the methodologies of literary scholarship. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA ENGL |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (English) |
| SECTION 01 | | Special Attributes: FYS |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
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Examinations and Assignments:
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Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Contributes to the fulfillment of ENGL major requirements: elective |
| Instructor(s): Retica,Rachel Times: ..T.R.. 08:50AM-10:10AM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 15 | | SR major: X | JR major: X | | |
| | GRAD: X | SR non-major: X | JR non-major: X | SO: X | FR: 15 |
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