Drama
Essay
(Total
value: 150 points)
Due Date: 12/2/08
General
Guidelines:
Prompt:
The focus of
your paper will be either Death of a
Salesman, or The Importance of Being
Earnest. Write an argumentative
paper with your thesis statement located as the final sentence of your
introductory paragraph.
Below
are some questions that you may find useful to the development of a focus and
thesis:
Death of a Salesman
The Importance of Being Earnest
1)
Critics
have debated which of Wilde's commitments this play represents, the "art
for art's sake" movement or the socialist. After reading the play, explain
which side you take: Is this a basically frivolous play, or does it "aim
to correct" some serious aspect of behavior?
2)
Discuss
the character of Lady Bracknell. What social
attitudes is Wilde parodying with her?
3)
How
does stage business (note stage directions, and imagine how the characters
would be moving their bodies and faces) enhance the play?
4)
Discuss
what aspects of his society Wilde is satirizing.
5)
How
does hypocrisy play a role in this drama?
How to turn in this essay: a paper copy is due during class on
the due date. Additionally, an electronic copy is due, prior to the beginning of class, on the due date, and it must be
turned in to TurnItIn.com as a MS Word doc or docx
file. Use the TurnItIn.com �file upload� method on the submit screen. You will
be instructed during class about how to create a TurnItIn.com account, and how
to turn in your work. Your essays will be considered late until both the paper
copy and the electronic copies are turned in. All other rules for late work, as
delineated in section fifteen of the course syllabus, also apply. Moreover,
your electronic turn-in must be an exact duplicate of
the paper copy. In other words, no further corrections or revisions will be
accepted. Also, if the electronic and paper copies do not match up it will have
a negative impact on the assignment�s grade.
Due Date: 12/2/08