In this course, we will study several plays drawn mainly from the earlier part of Shakespeare's career, conventionally classified as comedies and histories. These are plays you will never forget; they are by turns brilliant, beautiful, exciting, sad, raunchy, funny and disturbing. Study of each play will include literary analysis, cultural and historical context, and performance history. Students in the class will have some input into which plays we read, but the syllabus is likely to include such works as Richard II, Henry IV parts I and II,  The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, Much Ado about Nothing and Measure for Measure. This course is WRITING INTENSIVE and will require the preparation of a substantial term paper (8-10 pages) incorporating close reading, secondary sources and independent research. As steps on the way to completing this project, students practice a close reading (3-4 pages), create a proposal (4-5 pages), and an annotated bibliography (2-3 pages). Quizzes, a midterm, and a final exam may also be required.