Schedule Changes and Mid-Term Paper Assignment

Because of the Snow Day, I've had to revamp the schedule and have shuffled several things around.  Instead of watching a film version of Lear, we'll simply watch another scene or two from the Trevor Nunn version (with Ian McKellen) in class, and move right to a film version of The Tempest when we return from break. NOTE that Presentations aren't too far away...start discussing them with your groups and divide the workload.  It won't be too difficult, but you need to pool your resources and then decide on an 'angle' of interpretation for modernizing the play.  See the schedule below for details:

MARCH

M 3:       [Snow day]

W 5:       King Lear,  Acts 2-3

F 7:        King Lear, Act 4

M 10:     King Lear, Act 5

W 12:     Supplemental Readings

F 14:       Supplemental Readings/Mid-Term Paper due

[M 17-F 21: Spring Break]

M 24      Introduction to Chinese Opera

W 26      The Tempest (2011, Oh)

F 28:      The Tempest (2011, Oh)

M 31:     Film Discussion

APRIL

W 2:       The Tempest, Acts 1-2

F 4:         The Tempest, Act 3

M 7:       The Tempest, Acts 4-5

W 9:       Supplemental readings TBA

F 11:       Introduction to Postcolonialism

M 15:     Cesarie, A Tempest/Paper #2 due

W 17:     Cesaire, A Tempest

F 18:      Cesaire, A Tempest

M 22:     Production Presentations

W 23:     Presentations continued

F 25:      Presentations continued

M 28:     Presentations continued

W 30:    Presentations continued

MAY

F 2:         Final Thoughts

 Final paper due Wednesday, May 7^th @ 5pm

Mid-Term Paper Paper/Abstract: Theme and Variations

Many writers in the course of his or her career strike on a series of pet themes which they then develop over the course of several works.  For some, it is like working out an intricate equation, while for others it becomes an obsession, an idea that he/she simply cannot resist and attempts to view from as many angles—and through the guises of as many characters—as possible.  Shakespeare is unique in this respect since he wrote such a large body of plays, many of which share key themes, ideas, characters, and points of view.  As Philip Edwards writes in his book Shakespeare: A Writer’s Progress, “The diversity of Shakespeare’s plays is quite astonishing...[yet] at the same time, one play constantly reminds us of others, and very often we have the feeling of one play building on another” (27). 

For your Mid-Term paper, which I regard as an “abstract” for your final paper, I want you to trace a theme or a pair of related themes in at least TWO of the three plays we’ve read so far (As You Like It, The Merchant of Venice, King Lear).  By “theme” I mean a specific idea, character, plot development, philosophy, sentiment, or poetic element.  What you decide to examine is up to you, but it should be something specific, intriguing, and requiring close reading and research to make sense of.  For example, don’t merely say “Shakespeare likes to write strong women,” or “Shakespeare writes comedies that are also tragic.”  Find some element of these ideas that is more specific and might help us understand why the women are strong, or why the comedies turn tragic, etc. 

In your paper, I want you to examine how this theme/idea is stated, developed, and/or transformed from one play to another.  You must be aware of when each play was written to do this effectively (for example, is one play a revision of an earlier one in this regard?). As Phillip Edwards reminds us, “[Shakespeare] was never interested in writing the same place twice...two, three, or four plays considered as a group will assert something that none of them taken alone asserts” (27).  So try to listen for the changes in each play, how variations creep into the theme as Shakespeare experiments with it, takes it apart, and perhaps puts it back together as a completely new idea.  To this end, you might consider looking at two themes that seem different, but are actually connected through the characters, plot, or language. 

Here are some general possibilities you might consider exploring in more detail:

Sex and Love; Female/Male Friendship; The Language of Love; Justice and Mercy; The “Other” vs. Society; Cross-Dressing Women; The Role of Masks; The Family; Flattery and Deceit; Fools and Servants; Country vs. City (or Nature vs. Man); Symbol vs. Reality, etc.  However, these are only suggestions—you are not required to develop any of them.  Be curious, attentive, and find your own! 

REQUIREMENTS

• The Paper should be at least 5-6 pages double spaced (this is a minimum, not a maximum requirement)
• You must use close readings/discussions of at least 2 plays
• You should use at least 3-4 secondary sources, including filmed versions, adaptations, articles from the Norton Critical editions, or other sources you’ve discovered from your Group research (however, don’t use 3-4 films and no articles)
• DUE FRIDAY, MARCH 14^th (the Friday before Spring Break)