Read these instructions carefully before
proceeding, and check them again before submitting your essay.
Essay 1 must be no less than 1500 words in length, double-spaced,
and in Times New Roman 11 pt. font. Avoid unnecessary white space (including between
paragraphs) and/or padding. There is no need to begin with your name or mine, the
course name/number, the date, etc. Begin simply with a title, followed immediately
by your opening paragraph. Failure to adhere to these length and formatting
requirements will result automatically in a grade of zero for the assignment. No
exceptions. The essay is due by the date and time specified in the course Schedule. No
exceptions. Submit the essay as an attachment using EduCat. The file name should consist
simply of your last name followed by the number 1, all lower case letters and no
spaces. For example, if your name is Letitia Hildegard Smith, the file should be
simply smith1.docx.
Though tragedy typically has a
single plot, King Lear has two. Discuss the
ways in which the Gloucester-Edmund-Edgar sub-plot complements the
principal plot involving Lear and his daughters.
Shakespeare was as much a poet as
playwright. Discuss the ways in which a specific type of imagery is used
to enhance some important thematic aspect of King Lear. You could focus on the imagery of light and
darkness, the human body, sexuality, or some other set of images
appearing frequently throughout the play. Be sure that your observations
about the images are organized around a single
thesis/argument rather than presented merely as a list of
instances (see second item under General Instructions above).
Analyze and compare two lyric poems by Alice Oswald. You may focus on some combination of thematic content (meaning) and form (the material aspects of the poem). Formal features might include structure (stanzaic arrangement, the relationship between rhyme scheme and syntax); figures or sound effects such as meter, rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, assonance, caesura, enjambment, repetition (e.g., anaphora and anadiplosis); tropes or conceits (imagery and metaphor). Do not merely list examples. Rather, be selective in choosing which of these features to include, for your analysis should be organized around a thesis, an argument about some significant difference or similarity. Consult the introduction to lyric poetry for review. For clarification of poetic terms, consult Sylva Rhetoricæ.
Compare Shakespeare’s
handling of female characters in King Lear
with Behn’s in The Rover. Do not
automatically assume that their gender determines the authors’
sympathies (or lack thereof). You may well conclude that Behn is more
sympathetic toward women than is Shakespeare, but either way be sure
that your argument is based on evidence from the readings.
Even though it concludes with the
pairing-off of characters in marriage, as is typical of comedies, The Rover remains in some respects a deeply
disturbing and unsettling play. Discuss the ways in which Aphra Behn’s
comedic conclusion complicates her society’s apparent social
values.
Formulate some other topic or problem, based either on something from the class discussions, or something addressed neither there nor in any of the prompts above. Another option is to alter one of the prompts. Consult with me first if you plan to do this.