Syllabus
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English 235 gives students an entryway into the genre of dramatic literature through a sampling of major works from very distinct periods in Western literature. It will introduce students to fundamental concepts of dramatic literature such as plot structure, characterization, irony, themes, etc. By the end of the course, students should be able to read and write critically about drama.

Required Texts
Miller, Jordan Y., ed. The Heath Introduction to Drama, 5 th ed.
Shakespeare, W. Much Ado About Nothing. New Cambridge Shakespeare Ed. 2003.

Major Projects and Grading
This course has traditional grading structure: A=90-100; B=80-89; C=70-79; D=60-69; F=0-59. The course grade is divided up as follows:

Participation/Attendance/Pop Quizzes - 10%
I determine this from not only how often you attend, but how attentive you are in class. If you snooze, you lose! Pop quizzes are reading quizzes which will be given fairly regularly. They cannot be made up.

Exams - 15% each = 60%
There will be four exams in the class, one over each major work. These will be short answer with an essay question or two at the end.

Midterm Paper - 10%.
Students will write a 3-4 page critical paper on a work or theme discussed in class.

Final Paper - 20%
Students will write a 7-10 page critical paper on one of the dramas discussed in the class.

Attendance Policy
Attendance is important in this class. Five unexcused absences will result in your final grade being lowered by a letter grade. More than five unexcused absences can result in a failing grade for the course. Excused absences may be granted for religious holidays or university-sponsored events, provided you make a written request to me no less than two weeks in advance and that you complete any required work before the due date. Three 15-minute-or-more tardies counts as an unexcused absence. Keep track of this!

Late Work Policy
Pop quizzes cannot be made up. Exams can only be made up if a written excuse is provided before the date of the exam. If a serious and unavoidable problem arises that causes you to miss an exam, you should notify me as soon as possible. If you do not contact me within a week of the exam, it cannot be made up. Late papers will lose 5 points per day (and I don’t mean per class day). If you have some circumstances that cause you to require an extension, I must be informed of them prior to the due date.

Academic Integrity Policy
Purdue students and their instructors are expected to adhere to guidelines set forth by the Dean of Students in An Academic Integrity Guide for Students, which students are encouraged to read. (It can be found online).

Academic dishonesty is defined as follows: "Purdue prohibits ‘dishonesty in connection with any University activity. Cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the University are examples of dishonesty.’ [University Regulations, Part V, Section III, B, 2, a] Furthermore, the University Senate has stipulated that ‘the commitment of acts of cheating, lying, and deceit in any of their diverse forms (such as the use of substitutes for taking examinations, the use of illegal cribs, plagiarism, and copying during examinations) is dishonest and must not be tolerated. Moreover, knowingly to aid and abet, directly or indirectly, other parties in committing dishonest acts is in itself dishonest.’ [University Senate Document 72-18, December 15, 1972]"

Plagiarism results in a grade of ZERO.

If you have any questions about this policy, please ask.

 

The instructor reserves the right to amend these policies in extraordinary circumstances.