Course Description

In this part of the Triad of Inquiry course, we will focus on William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Although it is more than 400 years old, Merchant is strikingly relevant to the twenty-first century.  The play raises significance questions about gender roles and gender instability; for example, Elizabeth I, who was queen at the time the play was written, engaged in a non-normative gender performance which is mirrored in Portia, a central character in Shakespeare’s play.  The gendered power dynamic is made even richer by a potential romance between two of the main male characters, Antonio and Bassanio.  Additionally, the play’s discussion of anti-Semitism and racism is famously complex, as is its consideration of economic class and its use of theology and even fairytales.  We will look at these aspects of Merchant in depth, and we will also spend time talking about how to read Shakespeare to ensure everyone is confident about the text.  For further information about this part of the Triad of Inquiry course, please email Dr. Faubion at sanren@unm.edu.  

Texts

William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice (any good annotated edition—but avoid No Fear Shakespeare and other “translations” of the play into more modern language)

Requirements

Short homework assignments; a presentation; a synthesis paper; careful preparation for and respectful, engaged participation in class discussion

About the Instructor(s): Renée Faubion

Renée Faubion earned an M.A. in Slavic literature from the University of Kansas and a Ph.D. in American and British literature from UNM. She has received four awards for excellence in teaching. Her primary interest is in gender studies, including how gender performance and expectations shape responses to cultural phenomena such as serial murder and gothic literature.