Fitzhenry, Bill  

Professor Fitzhenry is one of the best professors that you will ever have an opportunity to learn from at Poly. He is a very enthusiastic person who is passionate about what he does. His lectures were always informative and he would keep the students interested by welcoming comments and questions. Discussions were always fun and relaxed, even for those who didn't like to speak in class. The selected reading was entertaining, however, if there was a particular assignment that was hard to understand, Professor Fitzhenry would discuss it in class or not quiz us on that reading. The grading was definitely more than fair. If there is an emergency or something suddenly happens, he is really understanding. If you want to get the most out of an English class, take Professor Fitzhenry. He'll make you appreciate English and actually enjoy it, even if you're not an English major.

Prof. Fitzhenry is the best teacher I have had at Cal Poly. I had this class at 8am, and anyone who can inspire you to get up and learn about Old/Middle English that early is definitely doing something right. He was exceedingly knowledgable about everything we discussed in class. The great thing about Fitzhenry is that you may read something, and go to class completely bewildered about the meaning and he will take the time to explain it, and truly bring it to life. He is soooooooo funny- I think my side hurt most days when I left class. If you are deciding between him and another prof, take Fitzy- everyone should experience taking a class from someone who is honestly in love with what they teach- truly amazing.As for class info, we had quizzes mostly on Fridays that covered reading from the night before. The midterm and final tests were hard because they covered a lot of info, but he really gives you an idea what to study. My best advice is to keep up on the readings and pay attention to passages he goes over in class- you WILL see them again.

Prof. Fitzhenry is a great teacher. If you don't like him, you have problems. This guy comes to class in a great mood every single day. He never ever rips on a student and even if a student says something dumb, he still encourages them and respects their opinion. The only thing that hurt me in the class was the passage IDs on the midterms and finals. MARK DOWN EVERY PARAGRAPH THAT YOU GO OVER IN CLASS. Those are the ones that he will put on the tests. Overall, take Fitzhenry if you can. A great great guy who makes coming to class enjoyable, even when the class is gay.

Do you see a pattern here? Fitzy is one of the best professors at Poly. His classes are based on discussion mostly and there didn

Fitzy is so much fun! He tells jokes that are not really funny, but then he laughs at himself, which makes everyone else laugh at him. His grades were very fair, and I'm not just saying that because I got an A. As long as you go to class, and read the material you will do very well in his classes. His quizzes were objective questions about the material we were supposed to have read, and his tests were the same with a long essay or two thrown in. There were a couple papers for this class as well, which I actually appreciated because I've had several English professors since who put 60% or more of your grade on the final. Fitzy also is very nice personally, and I think truly wants to help his students succeed.

Fitzhenry is a great professor. He is a lot of fun and will hold your attention for however long he needs to. I highly recommend taking him for whatever course he offers. He is really understanding and great to see in office hours if you are having trouble writing a paper or in class. He wants his class to succeed and gives you all the tools to do so.

Fitzhenry is an amazing teacher! His lectures are interesting and they are discussion oriented, which makes class fun to go to. He is really understanding, and going to his office hours really helped for the tests. His tests are difficult, but if you study you will do fine. Enjoy his class!!!

This man is amazing. I never thought that anybody could make medieval literature exciting at 9 am, but he did. Fitzy is one of the most genuine and good-hearted people I have ever met. His frequent comparisons of characters in Chaucer to "Grey's Anatomy" and his knack for coining hilarious key phrases that always help me remember themes and stories make him brilliant. Every student, English major or not, should take Fitzy at least once.

Fitzhenry is an awesome professor. He's extremely helpful in office hours, and is the most encouraging professor I've ever had.

Fitzy is THE best teacher I have EVER had. He truly cares about all of his students and will go the extra mile to help a student understand the reading material. The grading system was clearly communicated, and all of his expectations for us as students were very clear. I would HIGHLY recommend Fitzhenry for ANY class!!!!!

Oh, Fitzy. There are a few classes that I end up actually missing after I'm through with them, and his medieval lit. English core class is one of them. Fitzy is relaxed and hilarious; his grading is very fair (perhaps too fair? but then, I'm a really harsh self-critic); and class is an actual discussion-based lecture that works. Take him!

Favorite professor at Cal Poly! Lots of reading, quizzes every other lecture, one paper worth 20% of your grade, a midterm and final. If you keep up with your readings and actually understand them, you\'ll be fine. The only reason why I loved this class was because of the teacher. He never fails to make the whole class laugh during every lecture. Fitzhenry FTW!

Dr. Fitzhenry is great! As much as I hated Medieval Lit, it is required for all English majors and I don't know if I would have made it through with any other professor. Fitzhenry has a great sense of humor which makes the class SO much better. Considering the difficulty of some of the material, I still got a B. The reading quizzes are probably the most difficult - so do the reading. Other than that, there is a midterm, a final, and a paper. There is a lot of material on the exams, but he grades fairly if you show you are on the right track.

No one dislikes Fitzhenry. He does such a great job of teaching and his sense of humor makes even the most difficult reading assignment a great experience. For example, in one of many stories from "The Canterbury Tales," there is a character with an absurdly long name that looked a lot like the word "asparagus." His response? "Just write 'asparagus' for his name on the test! The overall concept is more important than memorizing how to spell a ridiculous name." We learned a lot from his class. Don't miss out on the experience!

This is the second time I have had Fitzhenry and he is always a pleasure! He gives a reasonable amount of reading and his class mainly consists of just talking about the texts you read for homework. The grade is I believe 30% midterm, 30% final, 25% paper and 15% on 10 pop quizzes. The paper isn't due until the end of the quarter so it gives you enough time to do it and it is not difficult. In addition, the midterm consists of short answer and passage identification. Again, these are not too hard. Overall, Fitzhenry is an amazing teacher and I would highly recommend having him.

Fitzhenry has been one of my favorite professors I've had so far. I actually interviewed someone at Facebook (for a COMS101 class assignment) who recommended me take Fitz's class if he was still teaching. He's just such a nice and understanding guy, everyone in the class seemed very interested in the topics/books we discussed.

I don't know anyone who doesn't love Fitzhenry. His personality basically makes the class-- he's hilarious. Basically, the entire format of the course I took was the following: Fitz assigns a reading for the next period. You read it. Come to class, and spend a most wonderful hour and a half discussing the reading and debating on issues that it raises. His class is for self-motivated lit lovers, no doubt about it. If you don't like reading the material, you can slide by until the midterm or final without really doing anything, but by that point you'll be screwed. Basically there were only two other assignments in the class, a couple of very short papers. You won't get an A on the first one, but he'll make enough comments that you'll know what to do to make him happy on the second one. If you really want to ace that first paper, however, take him a rough draft before it's due. He is always happy to help out in any way possible. His class was my definite favorite this quarter, and I looked forward to every period.

Fitzhenry is fabulous. I am not a morning person (read "I hate getting up before 10:30), but I totally looked forward to getting up for his class. Tests are fair and cover everything. Showing up for class is important, and pop quizzes tend to be on Fridays. His lectures make reading that seemed on the difficult side the night before very understandable and enjoyable. The workload is totally managable. Plus, he makes little jokes that crack the whole class up. He is nice, funny, and helpful. I recommend him to anyone who needs to take an English class.

Fitzhenry is an awesome teacher. He is by far the best teacher in the the English department that I've had since being at cal poly. The assignments are reasonable and his expectations are realistic. 6 unannounced pop quizzes that are really easy as long as you do reading. Midterm/final consists of 8 identification passages and 10 definitions/ short answers and for the final same but he adds a short essay. He made the class really fun and interesting and actually connects with the students than most of the English teachers I've taken who are just super demanding and don't take the time to get to know you. Also he is very understand when you need to leave early or are absent. His class was the first sigh of relief and defiantly not stressful.

Literally a god among men. You could only be so lucky as to have him for an English course. He creates a collaborative class environment where participation is encouraged but not forced and you actually want to do the reading. all in all 10/10

Fitzhenry is such a sweet guy and this class is honestly a breeze in the park. If you've just come from having Schwartz for 203, trust me... you can breathe now. Fitzhenry assigns a doable amount of reading for a twice a week lecture. His lectures are discussion based, make sure to mark out any specific quotes he reads aloud in class because those are often what he uses for Quote ID (on Midterm and Final). He expects you to read but will get in the habit of calling on the same five people within a few weeks. There are 6 "unannounced" pop quizzes throughout the quarter, your lowest quiz score will be dropped. The quizzes are completely context/plot questions so if you haven't read SparkNotes will get you an A easily. They are never on poetry sections other than the very last one I believe. Midterm and Final are easy, only 18 questions each with some realm of choice. Final also had a short essay of which he asks you to work an hour on. I in all honesty thought this class was extremely doable and an easy-A. Fitzhenry is a great professor and I would highly recommend taking him if you have the opportunity!

I cannot explain how amazing Fitz is. Like others said, this class gives you a chance to breathe after 203. After taking 203 and 251 with Schwartz and Cushing where they basically talk at you for 2 hours I was so relieved as an English major to be able to discuss literature again. Fitz is the well-deserved revival that you need in this program and he comes at the right time. His class is engaging and relaxed. You really feel like you can talk to him like a peer and he allows you to go freely with your interpretation and will truly listen. He is one of the sweetest and most intelligent professors I've ever had. If you have him consider yourself beyond LUCKY and look forward to a truly phenomenal quarter. As far as the work load, doable is an understatement. Keep up with the readings (he really does not assign an insane amount) and you'll do fine on the "unannounced" quizzes. The midterm and final were both absolutely fair as long as you read. Compared to Schwartz, you will think that the format (7 passage ID, 10 short answers, plus essay only for the final) is a joke. Fitz is not a professor who wants you to dread English literature. He is understanding and patient and I looked forward to his class every single week to the point where I made sure not to miss any. Honestly just saw him walk by the library this week and I felt like I needed to write this because I actually miss his class. PLUS he does the entire course out of one singular book. A financial blessing.

Fitz is such a great professor!!! Coming from 203 with Schwartz, which was difficult to say the least, his class was so much more relaxed and made me actually want to learn and pay attention. His personality is super funny and laid back, and he makes the material really clear and understandable. There is one midterm, a non-cumulative final, and a four-page paper, all of which are manageable as long as you listen in class and do the readings. There are 5 or 6 short reading quizzes, but he drops your lowest score, which is really nice. Overall, Fitz is a really approachable professor who is fun to learn from and talk to. Definitely take his class if you have the chance!!! :) I'm super sad I'm not in his class anymore!!

Fitzhenry is the sweetest, hilarious, and accommodating professor I have ever had. After coming from 203 with Schwartz (who made me question my entire choice of wanting to be an English major), Fitz reconfirmed my love for English! The third week of classes I got really sick with the flu, and unlike other professors that force you to keep up with all the in class work/quizzes, Fitz told me not to worry about the work I missed and to just know the material for the midterm. He laughs at every joke anyone says and always calls the class "goofballs." He's actually the most likeable human being I've ever met. As for the course, he presents the reading material in such an engaging way that makes you excited to attend class. As long as you take pretty good notes on the quotes we go over in class, you'll do really well! Take him if you can; he'll make your college experience all the more worthwhile.

Dr. Fitzhenry took a GEB class I dreaded completly and made it very enjoyable. He has a unique teaching style. Instead of lecturing for and hour and a half he asked questions and led discussion most of the class. This enabled me to learn the material for myself. His grading is fair and for this class we had no exams, just papers to write. His personality makes the class relaxing and something I found myself looking forward to. Plus it was my first A in english. I'm not an english major.

he's very entertaining and makes class interesting!

Mr.Fitzhenry is the best professor I have ever had. His style of lecture is interesting, he gets the class to participate in discussions without any pressure and his grading policies are very fair. He learns everyone's name and stops to talk to you outside of class. If you have the opprtunity to take him I highly recommend it. He can make any subject fun to learn.

Fitzy is an excellent professor, as you might have guessed from his polyrating. Sometimes I would come to his class feeling tired, sad, or both. But would inevitably come out of it feeling happier, with a smile on my face. By the end of the quarter I looked forward to class, because I would leave happier than when I came in. What else can you ask for? Oh, and the book for the class contains pretty much all the stories written from 500 BC to 1500 AD so it's about 100,000 pages thick. Basically, he goes through all the stories you read page by page and points out interesting stuff. My roommate did very little of the reading, but still knew what was going on in the books. Highly recommended

If you want to take a G.E that is a good class and will actually give you a good grade in the end then take this class. He is so open and helpful. I already fulfilled my C4 requirement but he\'s teaching another one where the GWR is included and he\'s so good I\'m taking the C4 again. The best teacher I have had at Cal Poly by far. Fitzhenry really cares about the student and will work with you to help you get a good grade.

Best professor I've had at Poly. Course has generally biweekly quizzes, a midterm, a paper, and a final. In class, take not of any passages you go over and any terms written on the board. If you know those you can get A's on both tests. For the quizzes, you can sometimes get away with just sparknotes, but in the long run doing the readings is best. Fitzhenry is very engaging in lectures and is very helpful in office hours

where did he go to kindergarten?

Enthusiastic and enganging professor!

I found Dr. Fitzhenry's class challenging, which is good, I enjoy a challenge, but also frustrating. He definitely had favorites in the class and this sometimes resulted in lopsidded class discussions.

Just like everyone else says, Fitzhenry is great, perhaps one of the best professors at Cal Poly. He is very passionate about Brit Lit and never fails to keep us entertained in class. Make no mistake, if you have not been liking literature, Fitzhenry is a great teacher that will get you interested in literature. In 330, you read translated Old English and medieval works like Beowulf, Chaucer, and the Arthurian Legend. Your grade consists of 7 quizes for 15%, a midterm for 30%, a 5-page paper for 25%, and a noncumulative final for 30%. The quizes usually happen every Friday and takes many different forms. Most of the time the quizes are just questions regarding to what happened in the most recent material you read, but occasionally, you have interpretation questions. If you do the readings, you will have no problems. The midterm contains backgournd questions and passage identifications. The background questions come from the terms he writes on the board. For the passage identifications, you have to identify the work, speaker, and significance of the passage. This part seems hard, but he will tell you what passages might appear on the exam and if you mark all the passages he goes through in the books and make a note about it, this part is cake. So it is important to attend every class, but quite frankly, you'll want to attend. The paper requires no outside research and he asks you to take a stand on an issue in one of the works. The final is just like the midterm with an compare and contrast essay on some hard topics. He is very fair in grading and will grade lightly on the questions as long as you show that you understand what is happening. So overall, Fitzy is great and if you need an upper division literature GE, this professor from Duke is an excellent choice for Shakespeare, Medieval, or Industrialism Brit Lit.

Prof. Fitzhenry is really the best teacher I have had at this university so far. He absolutely LOVES his students and his work. He is one of the few teachers that makes me want to go to EVERY SINGLE class meeting, just to hear his jokes, or listen to him talk about his favorite characters in the book we're reading. He is a really fun teacher, and a pretty easy one too. There are reading quizes (roughly once a week, maybe fewer), that are simple enough, if you did the reading. There is one paper due, one midterm, and one final. The final is NOT cumulative, which helps due to all the books you read. The midterm and final are moderately easy if you go to class, and take notes about what we talk about, AND if you mark out every passage he goes over in class, because there are about 7 passage identifications on the midterm/final. In conclusion, Fitz is just about the most enjoyable teacher there is at CP. TAKE HIM!!!

Fitzhenry is one of the best english professor at Poly. the class was easy, weekly quizes are easy if you do the reading. the midterm is also easy, only thing that got me on the midterm and got a C in the class was because of 'passage identification.' he gives you these passages to identufy from the text you read, so make sure you mark all the passages that he goes over in class. the most helpful teacher at office hours at Poly, so go get help during office hours.

Fitzhenry is an excellent and entertaining professor. I took the course to pass the GWR, which I passed. However, engl.330 is Medievel Lit. which is very hard to understand. If Literature is not your favorite subject, a more present Lit. class may be easier. Fitzhenry gives 1 midterm, a final, 6-7pg. paper, and quizzes. The tests are difficult, I studied hard and only received a B. But I definately recommend Fitzhenry, he is very funny.

Fitzhenry is a great teacher. I highly recommend him. There is a lot of reading but it is worth it to have this kind of an english teacher. If you are an English major you will have no problem or for that matter any major. There is a midterm, final, 7 pop quizes on reading, and an essay. All are very straight forward. Pay attention in class and take good notes and you will be fine. Make sure to mark passages covered in class down. Fitzhenry is very knowledgable, nice, and funny.

Fitzhenry is one of those young, enthusiatic professors who make their lectures and class discussions a joy. Good sense of humor, helpful during office hours. Renaissance Brit lit is tough, but he's good at explaining it and giving background. Very reasonable grading standards, very understanding if a student needs extra help, an extra day on a paper. Also good for Shakespeare and Medieval lit.

Fitz is the coolest teacher i have ever had. He is young and makes otherwise boring topics fun. I would recommend him for any english class. I think he is so cool because he workes hard to create relationships with all of his students and is constantly joking....you do have to do some work..but its easy, you just have to keep up with the reading assignments.. FITZ IS THE MAN!!!!!

Great teacher!! Friendly and helpful. He is knowledgeable plus he actually knows how to teach well. You would want to go to his class because he makes it interesting and throws in some humor as well.

As the last English class that I will ever need to take for college, I am so glad that I took British Lit. with Fitzhenry. He does a great job explaining things and making our readings interesting, along with making a few jokes here and there. Also, I would recommend taking him if you need your GWR to be fulfilled as he gives you two chances to pass it, and the prompts he gives you are pretty easy to write an essay about. We definitely went through some really tough reads though, like Faerie Queene or King Lear, but I feel like I could conquer any readings after taking this class, just gotta push through. One Mid-term, one final, a few quizzes, and a 6-7 page paper. Make sure you memorize the poems/readings titles and authors that you have read as passage identification could really bring down your grade as it counts for ~40% of the midterm and final. Overall, Fitzhenry is definitely the best English professor you could have at Cal Poly. I read readings that I would never had read on my own and it was an enjoyable class to go to. He also gives time for group work in every class so it isn't just him lecturing the whole time.

Professor Fitzhenry rules. Hands down the best professor I've had at Poly. Even though the class was early in the morning (for me) he was always enthusiastic and made you wake up and think. It seemed to me that he was generous in his grading. The only reason I failed to receive an A was because of my final exam long essay. Professor Fitzhenry has made me decide to double major in both CSC and ENGL. He makes a great effort to learn all his students names and is always willing to talk to you outside of class. TAKE THIS PROFESSOR!! If you're just trying to get rid of your GE then this is the guy for you.

Fitzy is the greatest!! I know this is written by every person evaluating him, and you might not want to believe it, but he is such an awesome teacher. I never thought I'd have professors like Fitzy in college. I just took him for Intro to Shakespeare this last quarter to fulfill the GWR b/c I didn't want to have to pay $25 and take it on a Saturday. But this is the 4th quarter I've had Fitzhenry. I first took him fall quarter of my Sophomore year, and he was amazing then. . .and it's not because I'm an english major and I love lit. THIS is the guy I recommend to people who HATE english b/c he'll make you like it. He's passionate about the subject and concerned about his students. His grading and tests are VERY fair, and going to class is a must. . . but don't worry, b/c you'll want to go. He's fun and enthusiastic and he really knows how to teach and connect with students. My boyfriend graduated as a civil engineer and he loved going with me to my shakespeare class b/c Fitzy is so real and so fun. TRUST ME. . . you will not regret taking Fitzy for ANY class!

Professor Fitzhenry has to be the nicest man on the planet. He's extremely fair and clear in respect to both his lectures and what he expects of you on tests and assignments. He interacts positively with his students and is genuinely interested in student perspective. There are a lot of scary, scary, horrid Shakespeare professors out there in Polyland, so be sure to take Fitzhenry. *In addition, his belts always match his shoes, and you've just gotta respect that.*

This is one of the most amazing instructors at CalPoly. Read the other ratings and you will see that we all agree he really makes the class fun. This professor welcomes you into the class every day and he makes you feel like the most important student there. He is very interactive with his students and gets the them involved in the conversation. When you answer a question or make a comment on the subject, he really makes you feel like you are on the right track (believe me, some students were way off and he never made them feel or look dumb). I never read Shakespear because I was afraid of it, but he really made it interesting and fun. Definately take him if you can...you have to use a priority for him because his class fills up before regular registration begins.

Alright, Fitzhenry kicks ass and we all know this. But Shakespeare is the dullest and most uninteresting topic i've ever taken a class on. If you have no desire to learn about Shakespeare and want an easy class to fulfill your GE, look elsewhere because this class is as painfull as a full body wax(every other day). But if you have the slightest interest in Shakespeare and like to read jibberish, then this class will be cake. I barely recieved the grade i got. Fitzhenry is dope, Shakespeare sucks.

Fitzhenry is a great professor who is very knowledgeable and professional about literature. Instead of just simply giving lectures and writing things on the blackboard, he engages the students to converse to the class about what we were noticing while we were reading. From this, we get very interesting prespectives of the readings. Reading assignments are very reasonable. He is very fair in his expectations on the tests, quizes and essay. Attendance is mandatory, but I highly doubt that you will find a reason not to attend. Highly recommended and you should do whatever is necessary to get him.

This teacher is aweseome. Take him and you won't regret it. He's one of those teacher's that you want to be friends with because he's just hillarious. And also what I like about him is that he doesn't make anyone feel stupid for speaking up in class and analyzing stuff most of us don't know what really means.

Read the other posts, they're all true. Hands down best professor at Cal Poly, no doubt about it!

Fitz rocks.

Fitzy is definately one of the best English professors at Cal Poly. Those of you who aren't English majors would probably do better in his class than almost any other English professor's. He's very clear about what you need to know, just mark the passages he talks about and take notes on the background info he gives and you're good as gold! He presents the information in a very easy-to-understand fashion and is ALWAYS open for questions. When you do participate he NEVER puts you down or makes you feel stupid (and there were some students in my class who said some pretty stupid things). He also takes the time to learn everyone's name (pretty quickly too) and will call on you, but you don't feel pressured because you know that no matter what you say, he won't make you feel stupid. The quizes aren't a big deal, the midterm and final are fine (but you have to study), and the paper isn't graded very harshly. I recommend Fitzy to anyone!

I don't like English but I loooved his class. I came everyday because I wanted to! Best teacher at Poly

hands down best teacher I have ever had. I wish he taught all my classes. I never once dreaded going to class. He is just awesome.

I was so nervous taking a Shakespeare class. But Fitzhenry presents the plays in such a way that makes you laugh and learn. He is such a wonderful instructor! As far as class work goes, lots of reading, but that goes with the territory of the class. Do the readings, and participate in group discussions, and there is no way you cant pass his class. We had 7 pop quizes, but everyone seemed to know when they were coming, 1 midterm and 1 final. All easy if you did the readings. There were no surprise material to learn. Fitzhenry as an instructor; he is funny, relaxing, energetic, willing to talk to students and discuss issues anyone has. He is caring, and open minded to the interpretations others may have. He truly makes Shakespeare easy to learn and you WILL enjoy going to class. :) I highly recommend him to anyone!!!

IF YOU DISLIKE FITZY, I DISLIKE YOU. I am a business major that hasnt read a book in probably 10-15 years and put this C4 GWR off for a while, but I havent had a better teacher in my life probably. He makes the class more than tolerable and he is just the man overall. His knowledge of Shakespeare is great too (not that I cared), but what makes his teaching so great is his personality. You cant dislike that man. He should run for president or something because he wouldnt lose.

Professor Fithenry is amazing!!! This is probably the easiest English class I have ever taken in my college career. He tells you what passages to go over for the Midterm and Final and he helps to clarify the passages and quotes. Even if you are not a Shakespeare Fan, this class will culture you into liking Shakespeare. Good luck :)

TAKE FITZHENRY ANY CHANCE YOU HAVE!!!I have never written an evaluation for a Cal Poly professor but I feel like an incredibly positive review is the least I can do for Fitz since he is the best teacher I have had at Cal Poly. He is incredibly friendly and keeps the lecture interesting and easy to understand no matter how dense the literature. I took 339 as a free elective because I loved his 251 class (GE requirement) so much. I could not be happier with the amount of time he worked with me in office hours as well as over email. He is truly dedicated to his students succeeding even if they only take his classes as a requirement. I would recommend Fitz to anyone whether you love or hate english because I promise he will make it one of the best classes you take here

Read poly ratings and heard from buddies that this guy is peez. Took the class this quarter ... and [h]is grading is completely fucked and he definitely picks favorites. Wish I took another professor.

With all the glowing reviews about Fitzhenry on this page, I wanted to describe what the actual class is like for Fitzhenry's ENGL 339, Intro to Shakespeare. (I haven't actually finished the class at the time of this writing, but I wanted to write this while this information was fresh in my head.) We covered about a play a week. After taking out the midterm, holidays, the first class (going over the syllabus), and a GWR day at the beginning of the quarter, we covered 7 plays. You read the first half of the play for the one class meeting, and then you finish the play for the next class meeting. I read through all the plays by following along while watching (well, more like listening to) the BBC performances of Shakespeare's works. The library has DVDs for all of the BBC Shakespeare performances, so you can check each play out of the library rather than searching for it on the internet. (Although there's only one DVD for each BBC performance, so grab it fast!) Each play ran about 2 or so hours on DVD, which in practical terms took more like 3 or 4 hours total to watch with pausing and rewinding to make sure I was actually understanding each and every line said. After listening to Shakespeare long enough, you get used to the language. In class, Fitzhenry sometimes spends the first half of the class lecturing on things like definitions. This was one of Fitzhenry's weaker areas; he would write the word "comedy" on the board, define it aloud, and maybe write one or two key words from the definition on the board next to it. He would say the definition twice somewhat slowly (in a "take notes on this" voice). Taking notes during this section of the class meant writing down the longform definition of the terms he said aloud--if you only write what Fitzhenry writes on the board, you're missing a lot. The second half of the class, Fitzhenry would go over specific sections in each play. He would read a specific section aloud, raise a question about how that specific passage relates to the overall play, and call on someone to answer the question. (If you read the play, these will be easy questions.) During this part of the class, take notes by recording Fitzhenry's final comments on the passage rather than recording the student comments or Fitzhenry's response to the student comments. Make sure you mark each passage (yes, EVERY passage) read aloud in class. If it's read aloud, you MUST mark it in your book. The tests are two parts: Definitions and passage ID. The definitions are longform, and the passage ID asks you to identify the play, speaker, and the function of the passage in the play. To study (you can do this the night before and you'll be fine), read your notes for the definitions, and reread all the passages that were read aloud in class. The passage ID sections are only taken from what's read aloud during class. The final exam also has an essay which qualifies for the GWR requirement. The final exam is not cumulative; it only covers the plays from the second half of the course. The class is the a reasonable amount of work compared to other upper-division GE classes. Carve out two nights each week to read Shakespeare for 2 hours and you'll be fine.

Best way to get an A by not reading any of the plays. You must go to class every time. Take lots of notes on every passage he talks about. For each play look online for "important quotes" for Macbeth etc. read them and understand them. Read sparknotes before class to know the gist of things. Write every sentence that comes out of his mouth during definitions. Boom you got an A

I'm not normally the type of student that takes the time to write or rate a professor, but I felt it was important to take this time to perhaps help out another student who may be finding themselves in a similar situation. I graduated with a 2.4 GPA this past Spring, as an AG student, ENGLISH classes SUCKED for me! So of course it was no surprise that I waited till my last quarter to take my C4 GE and still needed to pass the GWR. I went into this class nervous as shit but because of the encouraging reviews on poly ratings I rushed to take Shakespeare with Fitzy - best decision I ever made, He made me want to go to class!! Which is weird, because I hate reading and hate rehashing what I just read even more. Try to go to most of the classes and participate while you are there - even if you think your too cool to do this, trust me...it will pay off in the long run. Fitz pulls from all the interesting stuff from Shakespeare and his writings and doesn't make you feel stupid for not knowing the material. Study sparknotes and highlight important points in his lectures for Midterm and Final (especially the quotes which are worth the most on test) and kick ass on the essay. Fitz Rocks!

To preface, I absolutely hate Shakespeare. That said, Fitzhenry made this class one of my all time favorites because of the energy and enthusiasm he brings to class very single day. I honestly looked forward to this class because of Fitzhenry and his style of teaching. He never made anyone feel dumb about any comment they made about a certain play. I can't say enough good things about Fitzhenry but if you have him as an option, TAKE HIM. You will not regret it.

He is great! Actually outstanding. He is very funny and keeps the class interesting. You have to be ready to talk in class, because his classes are based on class discuscion. I would tell any student to take his class, no matter what it is. He is one of the best professor here at Poly.

Fitzy is one of the most difficult professors I've ever had. He demands nothing but the best from his students. He also made learning complete delight, and I'd happily take him again. He gets an A as an instructor!

BOYCOTT!!!