Topic: Drama is representation of life. It examines the individual and mirrors society, and in doing so, it functions as social commentary and criticism. As a genre of literature, drama refers to written text as well as physical performance. It embodies a corpus of creative and imaginative works of arts meant to entertain, teach morals, inform, and educate its audience. Although drama may look different from one time and society to another, it most often reflects the patterns of life that exists in society and among humanity, including its problems and aspirations. Playwrights have long used drama to help us understand ourselves and our environments by reflecting human nature staged in compelling human condition. In this way, through social commentary and criticism, drama becomes an important tool for social reflection and cultural understanding. Such criticism and commentary can be direct and literal, or it can be conveyed through figurative means, such as symbolism, allusion, allegory, and spectacle, leaving the interpretation of the message up to the readers and viewers.
So considering their commentary on humanity’s problems and aspirations, choose two plays from our assigned readings in which you find a strong thematic basis for comparison and write an analytical essay interpreting your comparison of the plays, explaining the social commentary or criticism. By analyzing the relevant elements of drama and literature, show how the plays comment on human nature, the human condition, and important issues facing humanity. Interpret what the plays together suggest about humanity and life in the real world, and explain your interpretation.
Subject: “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell and “Othello” by William Shakespeare that share a strong thematic connection and basis for comparison warranting further analysis. Keep your analysis focused on the plays. The plays are the subject of your analysis.
Structure:
Complete a minimum of 5 pages (not counting the works cited page) of written analysis in and thesis-and-support essay structure, as covered in the Week 1.
Include the formal elements of thesis-and-support structure and be sure to stay focused on the two plays you’re writing about. Remember you’re writing an analysis of your comparison and the text of the plays: the plays together are your subject.
Give your essay a title that is creative and relevant to the plays and to your comparison of them. (Consider an informative subtitle to accompany your creative title.)
Develop a formal introduction paragraph with a hook, a well-developed orientation, and an interpretive thesis — all focused on your subject.
Develop a thesis statement that is complete with all the required parts: subject, opinion, and logic. (The plays are your subject, your interpretation of your comparison of the plays is your opinion, and what you see happening in the plays or in your comparison that leads you to your opinion is your logic.)
State your thesis at the end of your introduction paragraph. Have your hook and orientation build up to your thesis, and then make certain that every supporting paragraph that follows relates to and supports that thesis.
Provide at least four supporting paragraphs that are each complete with a topic sentence, a sufficient number of evidence sentences that support the topic sentence, and a summary statement — all unified by your thesis.
Maintain a balanced analysis of points of comparison between the plays.
Use your own words and ideas for all your topic sentences. Topic sentences are to be analytical, meaning that they address your subject and connect it to a supporting topic. (Do not use any plot points or plot summary without connecting it to a topic. Do not use quotations in a topic sentence or summary statement. Supporting paragraphs should begin and conclude with your own ideas.)
Only use quotes as part of your evidence sentences. The evidence sentences of your supporting paragraphs are the only sentences in your essay that may include quotations from your research and subject. (Think of quotes as support; therefore, they belong in between topic sentences and a summary statements.)
Bring your analysis to a fitting close with a conclusion paragraph that stays focused on your subject, gives your essay a sense of completion and resonance, and reaffirms your thesis in retrospect of the analysis you’ve presented.
Research:Research:
Search databases for a minimum of four peer-reviewed articles that are written about the plays specifically, that you can reference to support your analysis. Use the titles of the plays as keywords in the various search terms you try.
All articles attained through research must be written about the plays you are analyzing, must come databases, and must be peer-reviewed. (If you find an indispensable source that’s in the databases but is not directly about the plays or theories, you may use it as an extra source, but don’t let it lead you off topic, and you’ll still need to meet research requirement of four articles about the plays and two about theory. That would make seven secondary sources in that case to document on your works cited page.)
Quotations/Synthesis:
Support your thesis with evidence, examples, and quotes from both plays. In every supporting paragraph, include at least one significant and representative quoted passage from a play as effective support. That’s a total of four quotes from the plays (two from each play), minimum, one in every supporting paragraph. All of your points should be founded in the text of the plays, and you should quote enough to make the connection clear. Do not quote for summary. Do not quote fragments or incomplete thoughts. Quote important passages for support.
Support your thesis with research. In every supporting paragraph, include at least one significant and representative quoted passage from a peer-reviewed article about the play/plays. Quote a total of four peer-reviewed articles (two about each play), one in every supporting paragraph. Do not quote summary of the plays. Do not quote fragments or incomplete thoughts. Quote important passages.
Quotations are to be used in the evidence sentences of supporting paragraphs only. Do not use any quotes from primary or secondary sources in your topic sentences or summary statements or in your introduction or conclusion paragraphs.
– Use mechanics of quotation. Remember quotations cannot stand alone: every quote needs to be integrated and made part of your own sentence in a way that maintains the grammatical integrity of your sentence. Otherwise, it’s free floating. For a long quote that needs to be set off from the rest of the text of the paragraph, use a colon to introduce it. Review MLA mechanics of quotation and documentation for plays.
Formatting:
Format your essay according to 9thedition MLA guidelines, including headers, heading, margins, indents, spacing, and mechanics. Use 12-point font, Times New Roman. Follow this link for complete details: MLA 9th Edition Formatting and Style Guide and use the official website for extra guidance: MLA.org – Formatting.
Cite all quotations and sources according to 9thedition MLA guidelines, including in-text parenthetical documentation and corresponding works cited page.
Use appropriate mechanics for short quotes and long quotes, according to MLA guidelines.
Your works cited page should have at least six listings: two for your primary sources (the plays) and four for your secondary sources (research). Your works cited page is to correspond to your parenthetical documentation and to list only those sources you have actually referenced in your essay.
Other important requirements:
Don’t mention the terms “human nature” or “human condition.” They are too broad for your purpose. Your assignment is to connect your subject to a more specific topic within the broader concepts of the human condition and/or human nature.
Throughout your essay, be direct, stay focused on your subject, maintain an active and academic voice, eliminate filler, make no announcements, and revise your writing thoroughly.
You may summarize to develop your orientation and briefly for the sake of supporting a point — but not as filler. Summarize no more than necessary.
Be mindful that you’re emphasizing and staying focused on what’s important about your subject and opinion: maintain a sense of exigency.
Rubric: Your essay will be scored primarily, based on the inclusion and completion of assignment requirements for structure, focus, qualifying research, synthesis, effective use of researched material and quotations, and MLA formatting for layout and mechanics of quotation and documentation, including parenthetical documentation and corresponding list of works cited, and secondarily, based on conventions of English writing, including spelling, grammar, and usage, for readability.
