ATS2492 Reading the past: Shakespearean drama
Faculty of Arts
ATS2492 Reading the past: Shakespearean drama is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ATS2492
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
- ATS2485Reading the past
After ATS2492
No unit lists ATS2492 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prerequisite: Twelve credit points of first-year Arts units.
Overview
In this unit, you will work through three to five key play-texts by, or related to, William Shakespeare (1564-1616), with particular emphasis on the cultural, political, religious, industrial and ideological contexts of the work and its reception. We will be concerned with Shakespeare's works as texts in production, including theatrical and screen adaptations, and as a product engaged with by a reader---i.e. put into production through the act of reading, speaking or adapting the text. The unit will be especially useful if you intend to teach English, Literature or Drama/Performing Arts in the secondary-education system.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Analytical exerciseExercise20%
- EssayWritten40%
- Creative taskProject40%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
explain the various and changing intellectual contexts -- aesthetic, philosophical, religious, scientific, political and social -- of the pre-Romantic period and of the ways in which they form and inform its literature;
- 2
analyse the ways in which a variety of dramatic texts make meaning, as both written texts and forms of performance;
- 3
apply different critical and creative approaches to pre-Romantic texts and to the preoccupations and themes which they embody;
- 4
argue, interpret and analyse effectively through written, oral and/or performative means of communication.
Workload and teaching
- Lectures12 hours
- Tutorials24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
Where it fits
ATS2492 is part of 3 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Fiona Gregory
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Fiona Gregory
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS2492?
ATS2492 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS2492 offered?
In 2026, ATS2492 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is ATS2492?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS2492 have an exam?
No. ATS2492 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS2492?
ATS2492 is part of Literary studies; and Theatre and performance studies .