ENGL 2010 emphasizes the development of an effective academic style in essays using traditional rhetorical patterns and culminating in a major research essay. In this course, as in all sections of English 2010, students will build on the skills learned in English 1010, focusing on critical thinking, argumentation, research, and documentation.

The thematic focus of this course is William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a play still frequently read, performed, and adapted into other creative media. Through two formal essays, we will 1) analyze the text as a literary work and 2) examine and interpret some film adaptations of the play. More broadly, we will examine why Macbeth remains culturally resonant in the twenty-first century.

• Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine, Folger Shakespeare Library, 2013.
• Additional short readings on Shakespeare, writing, and adaptation are available in the Canvas course modules
• A notebook and your preferred writing implement for in-class activities and note-taking
• A folder or some way to organize the handouts I will share in class

Please bring your text, a notebook, and a writing implement to each class meeting

Required Film Viewings

• Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood (1957)
• Vishal Bhardwaj’s Maqbool (2003)
• Select scenes from adaptations by Justin Kurzel (2015) and Joel Coen (2021)

Sources and Evidence: Locate, evaluate, and integrate credible and relevant sources to achieve various writing purposes.

Genre Awareness: Demonstrate critical and conceptual awareness of genre in reading and writing—including organization, content, presentation, formatting, and stylistic choices.

Context and Purpose: Analyze rhetorical situations and adapt to the audience, purpose, modalities, and the circumstances surrounding a range of reading and writing tasks.

Language Awareness and Usage: Recognize and make intentional, critical, and contextually-informed language choices across a range of rhetorical contexts/situations.

Recursive Writing Processes: Develop flexible, iterative, and reflective processes for invention, drafting, workshopping, and revision.

Informal Writing. You will complete 9 short writing assignments, which will be graded based on content rather than technical aspects of your writing—although I will provide ungraded feedback on writing matters as needed. These assignments will directly connect to our readings, writing assignments, research, and the writing process. 25%

Formal Writing. You will write two Macbeth-focused essays—a 5 to 6-page essay focusing on a thematic element of Macbeth (20%), and an 8 to 10-page essay on a film adaptation of the play (35%) with a draft (5%). (60%

Classroom Engagement. Your classroom engagement grade includes Classroom Discussion (7.5%), and In-Class Activities (7.5%). 15%

While I will take attendance daily, you will not get a grade for simply showing up. Please see my attendance policy below.

Grading. Final grades will be determined by the percentage of the 100 possible points earned: 94-100% A, 90-93% A-, 87-89% B+, 84-86% B, 80-83% B-, 77-79% C+, 74-76% C, 70-73% C, 67-69% D+, 64-66% D, 60-63% D-, and 59% and below F. Also, if your grade lands at a .5, I will round it up (I.e., 89.5 = 90).

Please complete all assigned reading assignments on the day designated below before attending class, and be prepared to participate in class discussion and other activities.

Spring Break

There is no formal final exam for this class; however, I will be available to you in my office during our scheduled exam times should you have any questions:

Monday, 4/20: 1:00-2:59 (Section 21)

Tuesday, 4/21: 9:00-10:50 am (Section 19)

Late Assignments. All work is due as indicated in the syllabus. In Canvas, there is a final turn-in date of 24 hours after the original due date, during which I will accept work with a point penalty calculated by the system. Thereafter, all assignments will receive a 0 unless you have arranged for an extension at least 48 hours before the deadline. Please note that extensions are not guaranteed, and I will expect you to meet with me in person to discuss your needs before I approve any extension request.

Canvas Usage. All assignments must be submitted via Canvas for a grade. Under no circumstances will I grade essays that are emailed to me. Instructions for Informal Writing assignments will be provided in Canvas, while instructions for the two major essays will be distributed in class. If you are not in class to receive the assignment packet, you must come by my office during office hours to pick it up. I will not email it to you.
You will also use Canvas to access required readings in pdf. form, various handouts, and links to online resources, including links to film adaptations of Macbeth.

Classroom Etiquette. I expect all students to come to class having done the reading and prepared to participate in class discussions and activities. I have a strict “no cell phone/no computer policy” in my class, although I will make exceptions when we are doing activities that require you to research online. Get into the habit of leaving your devices in your backpacks unless we have a designated technology day.

Generative AI Policy. Students are not allowed to use generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude AI, etc.) to produce content for their essays in this class. Presenting AI-generated work as your own constitutes a violation of SUU Policy 6.33: Academic Misconduct and opens the violator up to a series of potential sanctions.

Attendance. Attendance is required to earn a successful grade in this class. If you don’t attend class, you won’t be able to participate in classroom discussion and in-class activities, which count toward 15% of your final grade.

Students with more than 2 weeks/4 class meetings worth of unexcused absences will receive a course reduction of 1 full letter grade, with each subsequent missed week/2 class meetings further reducing your grade by 1 full letter grade:

5 = B
7 = C
9 = D
11 = F

Excused absences = University-sanctioned excuses, including travel for athletes, academic-related events, and ADA accommodations.

Please note that if you are more than 15 minutes late to class, I will count you as late, and 4 late marks will equal an absence.

University Sanctioned Excuses. Student Athletes and any other students traveling on university business (conferences, competitions, fieldtrips, etc.) must provide me with the dates of their absences as follows:

• Students Athletes: within the first two weeks of class via documentation from your coach or the athletics office (I require them to email me directly!);
• Other Situations: within a week prior to your excused absence (or as soon as you know) with documentation from your instructor or department chairperson.

All assignments are still due as indicated in the syllabus unless you meet with me to arrange an extension 48 hours in advance.

The SUU Undergraduate Writing Center invites all students to the Writing Center in Braithwaite Center 101, where qualified peer tutors are ready to help with any stage of the writing process. Fall hours start September 2: M-R 8 am–9 pm, F 8 am–5 pm, and Saturday 11 am–3 pm. All appointments are free, and in-person, online, and written feedback appointments are available. To schedule, visit