Kellogg Community College students have a chance to brush up on their Shakespearean dialect with English professor Matt Samra’s LITE 223: Shakespeare class beginning in January.
The in-person class is worth three credits and will run from 8:30 to 9:50 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from Jan. 17 through May 4 on campus at 450 North Ave. in Battle Creek.
According to Professor Samra, LITE 223 is “a hidden gem” of a course at KCC that involves reading and unpacking scenes from four classic plays as well as watching supplemental clips from film adaptations of those works.
“LITE 223 is a literature course, not an acting class, so it’s an ideal experience for anyone who enjoys reading,” Samra said. “Students will leave the course with a greater appreciation of Shakespeare’s art and enduring relevance.”
The official LITE 223 course description from KCC’s Academic Catalog describes the class as, “A study of selected Shakespearean plays designed to increase the reader’s appreciation and understanding of Shakespeare’s art.”
Required texts for the class including the following:
- “Henry V,” by William Shakespeare
- “Macbeth,” by William Shakespeare
- “The Merchant of Venice,” by William Shakespeare
- “Much Ado About Nothing,” by William Shakespeare
- “Shakespeare: World As Stage,” a biography by Bill Bryson
Practical benefits for those taking the class as part of potential degree or transfer requirements include the following:
- LITE 223 fulfills one of the two class requirements from the Personal and Cultural Engagement category of General Education/Applied Core classes required to earn an associate degree at KCC.
- LITE 223 is among the classes that can be used to fulfill requirements in the Humanities and Fine Arts category of the Michigan Transfer Agreement.
- LITE 223 transfers to more than two dozen colleges and universities in Michigan, including Michigan State University and Western Michigan University, the top transfer destinations for KCC students. Click here for a list of colleges and universities in Michigan LITE 223 will transfer to.
According to the official learning outcomes for the course, students who complete LITE 223: Shakespeare will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of dramatic conventions in Shakespeare’s plays.
- Utilize critical analysis strategies to deconstruct and interpret specific passages, scenes and sonnets.
- Demonstrate an understanding of historical, political, cultural and religious factors that helped shape Elizabethan life and drama.
- Explain why some scholars view Shakespeare’s body of work as the secular bible of the western world.
For more information about LITE 223: Shakespeare, contact Samra at samram@kellogg.edu. For information about signing up for winter/spring classes, the first of which begin Jan. 17, visit kellogg.edu/registration.