Does literary studies have a history, and if so of what kind? In this course we will focus on and contextualise one pivotal moment, method or text in the history of literary studies as a discipline. This course will involve a rigorous case study in the development of a specific interpretative practice, an in-depth study of a specific critical community and/or a deep dive into the contexts and communities surrounding the creation, production and reception of a single text. Through placing critical practices within their social, political and historical context, students will gain a broader and deeper understanding of the debates that have shaped and continue to impact literary studies today. Topics could include but are not limited to: histories of rhetorical and poetic theories; histories of contesting canons; review cultures; literature and ethics; the production and reception of Shakespeare's work; Modernism and close reading; book clubs, fan cultures and the institution; the threats and promises that social media and AI bring to literary criticism. As this is a research-led course, the approach and focus will be shaped by the research specialisms of the convenor.

In 2026 this course will be run as a 3-week intensive.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. research the relationship between social, political, historical contexts, and interpretive practices;
2.  understand important debates regarding how literature is evaluated, interpreted, shared and preserved;
3.  critically evaluate different methodological practices and theoretical frameworks for analysing literary texts; and
4.  identify the significance of critical communities to shaping research methods and theoretical frameworks in literary studies.

Required Resources

William Shakespeare, King Lear, R A Foakes (ed) Arden Shakespeare Third Series, 2009.

We will be using notes and essays from this edition. Please purchase this edition. there should be many second-hand options.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Style guide for written work

1. Format

You must leave a margin of approximately 2cm on each side of your page

Your text should be double-spaced.

Please number your pages.

2. Style

QUOTATIONS:

If they do not exceed two or three lines, quotations should appear in the text in inverted commas, “like this.”

If quotations are longer, they should be set apart from the main text (skip a line), without inverted commas, indented and single-spaced.

Quotations should fit with the syntax or flow of your sentence, or otherwise should be separately introduced (see examples below).

Deletions from quotations should be indicated by three full stops (…), and additions by yourself should be enclosed in square brackets [thus].

All quotations should be followed by a page reference; for poems: section and/or line reference; for plays: page reference, or act and line reference as appropriate.

Examples:

In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the Duchess insists that “Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it” (95).

In Through the Looking Glass, Alice is indifferent to the transience of beauty:

What mattered it to her just then that the rushes had begun to fade, and to lose all their scent and beauty, from the very moment she had picked them? (215)

TITLES OF WORKS REFERRED TO:

a) Titles of books, plays and films, long poems, and periodicals should be italicized or underlined.

book, play or film: The Bell Jar; The Merchant of Venice; Clueless

long poem: Paradise Lost; The Waste Land

periodical: Film Quarterly

b) Titles of chapters, articles, essays, short stories and short poems in collections or periodicals should be put in “inverted commas”:

chapter, article or essay: “Down the Rabbit-Hole”; “Emma becomes Clueless”

short story or short poem: “Bliss”; “London’s Summer Morning”

3. Citation of sources

You are welcome to use in-text citation or footnotes – simply ensure that whichever system you use is clear, consistent and provides sufficient information for the reader to find the source of the reference.

A suggested means of documenting your published sources is that recommended by the Modern Language Association in its MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 8th edition. Useful summaries of the relevant guidelines are available here: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html

All you have to do to acknowledge the sources of direct quotations is to include a Bibliography at the back of your essay, with the relevant publication details. When you incorporate a quotation from the text in your essay, cite the author’s name and the relevant page number(s) in brackets immediately following the second pair of inverted commas, or just the page number if the author is clear from the context. If your bibliography contains several works by the same author, identify your citation by author name and title or shortened title.

EXAMPLES OF CITATION IN TEXT:

Henry Giroux argues that youth are often portrayed in Hollywood films as “dangerous, mindless, addicted to drugs or socially irresponsible” (284).

Chris Crawford argues that “The Sims does not come close to true interactive storytelling” (“Interactive” 261).

EXAMPLE BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Crawford, Chris. “Interactive Storytelling.” The Video Game Theory Reader, edited by Mark J.P. Wolf and Bernard Perron, Routledge, 2003, pp. 259-74.

—. The Art of Computer Game Design. McGraw-Hill, 1984.

Giroux, Henry A. “Neoliberalism and the Disappearance of the Social in Ghost World.” Third Text, vol.17, no.2, 2003, pp. 151-161.

Note that not all items in your bibliography may be quoted in the text; however, you should list in the bibliography all sources that have influenced your thinking in writing the essay.

HOW TO CITE A BOOK:

Last name, First name. Title. Publisher, year of publication.

Example:

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics. Harper, 1994.

HOW TO CITE A CHAPTER OR ARTICLE IN A BOOK:

Author Last name, First name. “Chapter/Article Title.” Book Title, edited by First Name Last name, Publisher, year of publication, pp. page numbers.

Example:

Crawford, Chris. “Interactive Storytelling.” The Video Game Theory Reader, edited by Mark J.P. Wolf and Bernard Perron, Routledge, 2003,pp. 259-74.

HOW TO CITE A JOURNAL ARTICLE:

Last name, First name. “Article title.” Journal Title, vol. number, no. number, year of publication, pp. page numbers.

Example:

Giroux, Henry A. “Neoliberalism and the Disappearance of the Social in Ghost World.” Third Text, vol.17, no.2, 2003, pp. 151-161.

HOW TO CITE A MAGAZINE/NEWSPAPER/JOURNAL ARTICLE FROM AN ONLINE SOURCE:

Author Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Publication Title or Name of Website. Day month year of publication/posting. Exact URL of content (not the main webpage).

Example:

Doane, Rex. “A Conversation with Terry Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes.” Salon.com, 27 July 2001. http://dir.salon.com/people/conv/2001/07/27/zwigoff_clowes/index.html?pn=1

HOW TO CITE A FILM:

Film Title. Dir. Director’s first name last name. Distributor or production company, year of release.

Example:

On Our Selection. Dir. Ken G. Hall. Cinesound, 1932.

HOW TO CITE A NEWSPAPER (OR OTHER PUBLICATION) ARTICLE WITH NO AUTHOR:

“Article title.” Title of newspaper. Date, edition (if required), pp. page number.

Example:

“Study Ties Self-Delusion to Successful Marriages.” New York Times, 2 Jan. 1998, late ed., pp. A11.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	O'Week: Tuesday 10-12Introduction: King Lear historical sources and contexts
2	O'Week: Tuesday 1-4King Lear contexts of production: theatre and courtKing Lear contexts of production: printing and editing
3	Week 1: Tuesday 10-12King Lear: critical reception: gender and classKing Lear: critical reception: ecocriticism	Assessment 2: Essay 1
4	Week 1: Tuesday 1-4Seminar planning and preparation
5	Week 2: Tuesday 10-121:1 Consultations	Assessment 2: Essay 2
6	Week 2: Tuesday 1-41:1 Consultations
7	Week 3: Tuesday 10-12King Lear: language	Assessment 2: Essay 3
8	Week 3: Tuesday 1-4King Lear workshop: bodies and spacesKing Lear: theatre and reviews
9	Week 4: Tuesday 10-12King Lear: presentations	Assessment 1: Presentations
10	Week 4: Tuesday 1-4King Lear: presentations	Assessment 1: Presentations
11		Assessment 2: Essay 4 is due in Week 6

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
1. Seminar leadership (presentation)	20 %	1,2,3,4
Essay	80 %	1,2,3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Canvas’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

All items of assessment must be attempted in order to complete the course.

In-person participation is expected for all seminars. 

Assessment Task 1

1. Seminar leadership (presentation)

Lead 50-minute seminar (in pairs): select adaptation(s); set reading; develop lesson plan

Sessions 9 & 10 (Week 4)

20%

See Canvas for detailed information and rubric.

Assessment Task 2

Essay

4 x short reflection essays (1000-1500 words each)

Due Session 3 (Week 1), Session 5 (Week 2), Session 7 (Week 3) and Week 6

80%

See Canvas for detailed information and rubric.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students