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ENG20810

Academic Year 2026/2027

Shakespeare (ENG20810)

Subject:
English
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
English, Drama & Film
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Naomi McAreavey
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module explores Shakespeare’s drama through the practices of performance and the material conditions of the early modern theatre. Focusing on Richard III, As You Like It, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, and The Winter's Tale, students will examine how these plays were written for performance and how theatrical conventions shaped their meanings. Rather than treating Shakespeare's plays as fixed literary texts, the module considers them as scripts designed for actors, audiences, and specific playing spaces. Students will investigate staging, casting, gesture, costume, props, music, special effects, and the use of language in performance, while engaging with the architectural and commercial contexts of the public and private theatres. Through close reading, theatre history, and performance analysis, students will examine how dramatic structure, theatrical space, embodiment, and stagecraft shape the interpretation of Shakespeare's plays in both early modern and contemporary performance. The module encourages students to think critically about the relationship between text and performance and to understand Shakespeare's plays as dynamic theatrical events whose meanings emerge through embodiment, collaboration, and interaction with audiences.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

1. Analyse Shakespeare’s plays as theatrical texts by evaluating the relationship between dramatic language, stagecraft, and performance.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the material, cultural, and commercial contexts of the early modern English theatre and their influence on dramatic production.
3. Apply concepts from performance studies and theatre history to the close analysis of Shakespearean drama.
4. Critically evaluate how different staging choices and performance traditions shape interpretations of Shakespeare’s plays across historical and contemporary contexts.
5. Communicate informed, evidence-based arguments about Shakespearean drama through written and oral analysis, integrating textual, theatrical, and historical evidence.

Indicative Module Content:

1. Introduction
2. Richard III: Playtext
3. Richard III: Theatrical Performance
4. As You Like It: Playtext
5. As You Like It: Theatrical Performance
6. Macbeth: Playtext
7. Macbeth: Theatrical Performance
8. Antony and Cleopatra: Playtext
9. Antony and Cleopatra: Theatrical Performance
10. The Winter's Tale: Playtext
11. The Winter's Tale: Theatrical Performance
12. Conclusion

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Advanced Beginner

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Advanced Beginner

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Advanced Beginner

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Not addressed

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Novice

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Advanced Beginner

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Advanced Beginner

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Novice

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Advanced Beginner

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Advanced Beginner

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Advanced Beginner

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

24
Specified Learning Activities

46
Autonomous Student Learning

30
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a seminar-type module that will include a mixture of short lecture content, plenary discussion, individual, pair and group work, active learning, reflection, and writing.

School Moderation Policy: A proportion of written assignments in each module in the School of English, Drama and Film are subject to moderation, meaning they undergo a second layer of review by another grader. This is to promote consistency within and between modules in the same level and discipline.

AI Policy: AI Use Permitted for Limited Support. Students may use AI tools for limited support in this module (e.g. idea generation, practice questions, or as a study aid). However, students remain fully responsible for the accuracy and reliability of their learning. Any use of AI must be cited appropriately.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Participation in Learning Activities: Weekly short seminar preparation exercises (10 possible, submit min. 7) Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
20
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Assignment drafting, reflection and revision based on feedback Week 8 Graded No
20
 No
Student Negotiated or Choice of Assessment: The final written assignment can be a traditional essay or some kind of negotiated "unessay" that demonstrates achievement of the learning outcomes of the module. Guidance will be provided. Week 14 Graded No
60
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students receive written feedback on their draft assignment and then revise their assignment in the light of this feedback. The drafting-feedback-revision process is an essential part of the module assessment. Students will also have the opportunity to engage in peer review activities along the way.

You are not expected to buy any learning materials for this module. All readings will be available in the UCD Library via Brightspace. We will use Drama Online to access online Arden editions of the plays as well as contemporary productions in the Globe and elsewhere.

Plays:
Richard III
Macbeth
As You Like It
Antony and Cleopatra
The Winter's Tale

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 14:00 - 15:50
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