OU Approaching Literature A210 - Reading

[NightShoe]

I'm due to start A210 after Christmas and I have read all of the set texts apart from the Shakespeare. Those of you who have completed this course, could you tell me if I need to read these or not? I have just completed AA100 and found that although there were set texts listed, we only studied extracts or had audio versions of plays, so I'm wondering if this is the case with A210.

Blimey it was a while ago. I think it's worth reading the Shakespeare though (of course I'm a fan and so would say that). What texts do you have to read?

As You Like It
Othello
Henry V

I do like Shakespeare, probably because we had to study one of his plays per school year at secondary school and then go to see the play. Sadly, we did not study any of the above!

I don't remember doing those, mind you it was about 10 years ago. I think that they're worth reading through... OR you could wait until you have the course materials and see what they want you to do with the texts. Have you read Aphra Benn's The Rover? You'll have to know that because as I remember it they talk a lot about her and why she wasn't "important" back then.

Love Shakespeare. If you need someone to watch a play with (and it's in London) just holler!

Yes, you should, as you might have to use them in the exam.

Yes, it is worth reading them.

Thanks everyone, I had better get cracking on reading them then.

Marslady, I wish I was in London because I would love someone to go to one of the plays with, but sadly I am in the South West . I haven't read the Rover, but I know it is in the course materials rather than on the suggested reading list so I think I will be able to fit that one in if I get all the others read before february.

I think that you should try to read The Rover because they refer to Aphra Benn a fair bit. I didn't and felt lost for a while. I felt as though I ought to have known more about her. Much easier to read beforehand as it makes it easier to reread later.

Thank you for the tip Marslady, have just ordered it on Amazon, I love one click ordering!

I think in the exam there's always a Shakespeare text question - you know the one where they print a bit of text and you have to analyse it. IIRC the format of the exam is always the same, so you pretty much know what's coming. It would be a good idea to download the last couple of exam papers and see what the questions are. For example, I remember doing As You Like It because I knew there'd be a textual analysis question so could revise that very thoroughly. Is one of the TMAs based on a Shakespeare as well? I certainly wrote about Henry V in one of them. (I took this in 2006). Hope this is of some help.

I think they also provide a VHS/DVD of The Rover, starring Daniel Craig and Andy Serkis which is incredibly dull, but worth watching!

I got away with just reading Henry V and concentrating on it - just didn't get around to reading the other 2 but it was fine. I def wrote on Henry V both for the tma and in the exam. And I passed!

I found the Aphra Benn section really hard but that was my own fault because I hadn't done enough reading. Also I didn't particularly enjoy The Rover, but that's just me. There's loads of critical essays if you google it which helped me a lot.

It's excellent that you've done most of your reading - that's half the battle!

Good luck