English 304: Shakespeare: Major Plays
Prof. Boyer
Spring 2003
Your assignment is to write an essay of 4-5 pages, typed, double spaced, on some aspect of one or more of the three comedies we have read since the first paper: Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, and Measure for Measure. You may refer to one or more of the earlier plays, but the focus of your paper should be on the most recent three plays. There is no assigned topic (although some suggestions appear below), but in determining what you will write about, you should follow the guidelines in my "Instructions for Short Papers" handout. One or more of your response papers may give you a good starting place for finding a topic. You might also find good ideas on the General Introduction to The Norton Shakespeare and in the introductions to each play.Your essay should develop an interpretive argument about the topic and analyze, in as much detail as possible, the specific evidence within the literary text that supports or complicates your argument. The key to a good paper is to have specifics from the text that support your general conclusions. You should not use outside sources in preparing your paper (although of course any sources you do use must be properly cited to avoid charges of plagiarism). But feel free to use introductions from The Norton Shakespeare, any additional sources for factual or background material, and any other literary texts you may wish to cite.
Here are some suggested topics:
1.
Gender and/or women's issues in Shakespearean comedy (one or more plays).
2.
Deceit in one or more of the comedies.
3.
Disguises in one or more of the comedies.
4.
Is Measure for Measure a comedy?
5.
A specific theme or motif in one or more of the comedies.
6.
Comic endings in one or more of the comedies.
7.
The function of low comedy in one or more comedies.
8.
New Comedy and / vs. Green World Comedy in one or more of the comedies.
9.
Justice and Mercy in Measure for Measure.
10.
Social issues in one or more of the comedies.
Your paper must adhere to the course style sheet or to MLA format as presented in the MLA Handbook, including matters of margins, double spacing, handling of quotations, etc. Be sure to follow MLA format for quoting verse. Your paper must include a Works Cited page listing the edition of the play you use and any other sources you cite. (See my home page http://english.sxu.edu/boyer for a link to my "Literature Students' Guide to the MLA Handbook, 5th edition.") Be sure to edit and proofread.Above all, this assignment asks you to consider one or more literary texts, to come up with an idea for analysis, and then to go about analyzing it. Use plenty of evidence from the play, of course, but what I'm most interested in is your idea and the way you develop it. Merely saying that there is something important about a particular scene or speech, or something important about a parallel or a difference between two characters isn't enough. Think closely about the importance, about the parallel or difference, including what it doesn't cover. Keep asking "So what?" That's what both your discussion and the evidence you cite is supposed to tell your readers.
Once you have an idea, I'd suggest doing some freewriting on the idea–get your thoughts written down without worrying about organization, grammar, word choice, or punctuation. Then read through what you have, organizing your ideas by clumping similar things together–this usually works to build the most important point. Then try freewriting on that new point. Ultimately, move to writing a draft.
I am happy to talk about your paper with you at any stage of its development, from topic selection on. Make an appointment to see me, or send me your questions by email.