Lauren Robertson

Shapiro is retiring. Take this course if you're able. 1 Columbia University: Arts & Sciences Fall 2024 Course: ENGLUN1335_001_2024_3-ShakespeareI : ENGLUN1335_001_2024_3 - Shakespeare I Instructor: James Shapiro

I think the workload is pretty fair, about one play of reading a week with a discussion post, with two papers, a midterm and final. Professor Robertson is a notoriously tougher grader on the essays, so I definitely recommend taking your time with them and GO TO OFFICE HOURS- she will help you so, so much with the writing process (and she'll likely push you in a good direction). To perfect a Robertson essay is to edit, edit, and edit, so expect long nights at Butler for those two papers. I will say I believe her exams are graded less harshly- the midterm was ID's with context and main themes of the play, and the final was the same + two short comparison essays. The bar writing-wise is lower, but you really need to know your specific details from lecture, so make sure to take good notes in her class. This isn't the kind of class you can sleep in and do okay in- your notes are key!

SO MUCH! Prof Robertson is a genius and I want to be just like her when I grow up. This class was seriously so great

Fun assignment; 5-6pp paper; 10-12pp final paper

Wow, what an amazing class this was! Professor Robertson is truly one of the best lecturers I have ever encountered- there were some classes that my friends and I would genuinely leave in awe after. She has a way of really grasping your attention, delivering so much valuable historical insight, context, analysis and close-reading while also being very charming and friendly! She learned all of our names (and I believe there were about 50 of us), and she would often reference several student's discussion posts in class, which felt really nice as we could tell she actually read them and engaged with our observations. She has a seamless way of blending her lecture with engaging questions with us, as well as some fun days in which students would read/act out short passages of the plays or we would watch a clip of a production. Overall, this was definitely the best english class I've taken at Columbia so far, and Professor Robertson is a true gem of the English Department!

through this course I was both able to substantially increase my abilities to critically think and analyze aspects of plays such as language, theme, and representation as well as cite specific quotations at which deeper meaning and analysis is possible.

What an incredible and engaging professor who selects excellent secondary readings that expose you to diverse methodological approaches and who facilitates classroom discussions adroitly. A fabulous English class.

Short weekly discussion posts graded on completion (though I don't think she does these for every lecture), roughly one play per week, one midterm, one final, and 2 papers

In this course, Shakespeare II, I gained a deeper understanding of Shakespeare's remarkable talent and insightfulness. By studying 12 of his plays, I learned to appreciate the complexity of his characters and the intricacy of his plots. This experience has enriched my perspective on literary analysis and enhanced my ability to interpret and discuss classical literature more effectively.

This is my second class with Professor Robertson and I can honestly say I am probably going to take another class with her next semester because she is just that good. Her lecture style is so smart, so engaging, and you can just tell she feels so passionate about everything she's talking about. She is singlehandedly responsible for my interest in the Early Modern period and Renaissance drama. Even though it was a lecture, there were a fair amount of opportunities for participation for us so that you're not just sitting there silently the whole time. Professor Robertson would engage with and synthesize so well the things people would say in class, and she would reference our discussion posts too. It felt like she really cared about our ideas and thoughts about the plays. Also, every lecture she gave was so brilliant and would end with a jaw-dropping reveal of the central thesis of whatever her lecture was that day. Seriously...the woman is so smart. The feedback she gave on our papers was also so thoughtful and actually helpful when working on your next piece of writing. I actually feel like I improved as a writer in her class. If you have a chance, absolutely take a class with her. You will not regret it!!