Instructor

Prof. Sudha Shastri

Semester

Autumn ‘20

Course Difficulty

The course is not too difficult, as long as you attend all classes. But it’s more effort than your usual minor course. (You are expected to read the plays before attending classes)
This may have been because it was the first online sem. Subsequent courses she took in Spring ‘21 were supposed to have been very rigorous.

Time Commitment Required

Attend all classes. Apart from that, 3-4 hours a week.

Grading Policy and Statistics

Grading was relative, and stats were particularly generous in our year

Attendance Policy

Online sem, so no attendance policy

Pre-requisites

None

Evaluation Scheme

Quizzes ~30%
Assignments ~70%
Not 100% sure of this, but assignments were worth more than quizzes for sure
The weightages seemed fairly arbitrary, so expect them to change.
No midsem/endsem, but an assignment was due during endsem week, so make of it what you will.

Topics Covered in the Course

The course focuses on Shakespearean plays, and subsequent works of literature that draw from the original texts, such as Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman”. You’ll be doing a few plays in depth, and she’ll ask the class which ones you want to do.

Course Highlights

The symbolism and references in some of the Afterlives are absolutely mindblowing.

How strongly would I recommend this course?

Definitely recommend if you are into literature. But don’t take it expecting it to be chill.

HS 408 Review By: Chaitanya Johari