NOTE: The questions for Chapter 4, "Reasons" from Love: A Very Short Introduction will follow shortly (I don't want anyone to miss this post, so I'm keeping it at the top until after Friday).
Shakespeare,
“The Art of Love” Mid-Term Exam
The
“Character” of Comedy
Answer ONE of the following questions in a short essay response, double spaced, using support from at least one of the plays, though you can use more than one (esp. on question 2) and de Sousa, if you like. This should not be a polished essay like Paper #1, but a thoughtful informal response with some attention to detail (but no more than you could do within a single class period).
Q1: Compare ONE of the characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream or Twelfth Night to a character in a modern comedy (film or series). Explain why you think the Shakespearean character is a prototype of the modern character: what similarities do you find in their mannerisms, language, ideas, and aspirations? How does seeing the modern character through Shakespeare’s character help us understand them better? Be specific and quote from the play to illustrate ideas you see (translated) in the modern character.
Q2: Which characters in Midsummer and Twelfth Night are basically the same character? In other words, how is Shakespeare using a set of stock characters in all his comedies than he merely renames and places in different contexts? What makes these two characters so similar in their mannerisms, language, ideas, and aspirations? Also, what might we learn about one character by studying the other one? Be specific and quote from at least one of the plays to illustrate your ideas.
REQUIREMENTS
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This is due either in class on Friday, October 6th
or by
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Remember, it’s a mid-term, not a paper, so don’t try to
spend too long on it or make it too perfect. But please make this longer and
more detailed than a daily response question. Be thoughtful and creative. Teach
us something!
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This is worth 15 points!
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