Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Paul Sheehan
Contact via paul.sheehan@mq.edu.au
W6A 622
Tues 11-12; Wed 12-1; or by appointment
Tutor
James Mackenzie
Contact via Email
By appointment
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
ENGL120
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
The unit explores significant drama texts from the late-nineteenth and twentieth centuries, in their social, philosophical and theatrical contexts, with specific focus on the relations between ideological factors and dramatic themes and forms. Topics include: sexual politics; obscenity; the desire for utopia; the instability of identity; theatrical space and form; the nature of social justice; the catastrophe of history; relationships between language and power; experiments in dramatic structure; and aspects of staging and performance. Playtexts studied are selected from works by Ibsen, O'Neill, Brecht, Pirandello, Genet, Beckett, Stoppard and Kane.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Tutorial participation | 20% | No | Weekly |
Essay | 30% | No | 2 September |
Examination | 50% | No | Exam period |
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 20%
Tutorial attendance is compulsory. Students are expected to have read the week’s text, and to come with notes – remarks or queries – that will enable them to participate in the discussion. Failure to attend at least 10 of the 12 tutorials, without supporting documentation (e.g. medical or counsellor’s certificate), will result in zero marks for this assessment task.
Due: 2 September
Weighting: 30%
Each student must write a 1,500-word essay discussing what they see as the key features of modern drama, with reference to one play (from weeks 2-5), i.e., either A Doll's House, Woyzeck, Playboy of the Western World or R. U. R. (Rossum's Universal Robots).
Students are expected to consult secondary sources in the drafting of their essays. This should involve at least three critical / historical texts dealing with the nature and make-up of modern drama, and one or more studies of the playwright / play in question. The bibliography is not an exhaustive list of all the relevant material; the library catalogue contains a range of other useful works that might be consulted in the preparation of the essay.
The essay must conform to the English Department Style Guide, and be submitted by midnight on Sunday 2 September. Essays more than 10% over- or under-length will attract a penalty of at least 10% (the word-length includes notes and references, but not works cited / bibliography).
Due: Exam period
Weighting: 50%
The examination will be three hours, plus ten minutes reading time, and will consist of three questions. The first question is a ‘context question’ in which students will be given a number of passages from plays and asked to identify most of them, and write about their relevance in their context to the concerns of the work, and how they typify its style. Questions two and three are essay questions, drawing on knowledge gained of modern drama and its context in general, and more detailed aspects of specific plays studied in the unit.
This unit is offered internally. Its mode of delivery is supported with an iLearn webpage. Lectures will be recorded weekly and posted on the iLearn site. Guided questions to assist you with your weekly readings are provided in the unit handbook, which is uploaded to the iLearn page.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
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