ENG 208 – Literary Analysis Essay #1 – DUE Tuesday, 10/14 - Romeo and Juliet

ENG 208 – Literary Analysis Essay #1 – DUE Tuesday, 10/14 via EMAIL

Romeo and Juliet

If you prefer to hand it in as a hard copy, it will be due by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, 10/14—slip under my door in ROOM 1150 (RED AREA).

Essay #1 (of 4-5 pages with additional Works Cited page attached) is due on Tuesday, October 14, via EMAIL. Late papers—those submitted with a Wednesday, 10/15 OR LATER time stamp—will receive 2 permanent points off for lateness. Thus, do not wait until the last minute--that's when computer issues, Internet problems, etc., arise--it is your responsibility to have your work in on time. You will be given until Tuesday, October 21 to revise, if necessary. Otherwise, the original grade stands. The revised paper may be emailed to me. There will be NO exceptions to this.

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1) Act II, Scene III (2.3) of Romeo and Juliet opens with Friar Lawrence picking herbs which contain both medicinal uses as well as poison. He calls them “baleful weeds and precious-juicèd flowers” (2.3.8). In an essay, discuss how the speech of Friar Lawrence can also be seen to be commenting on the ancient feud between the Montagues and the Capulets, and perhaps upon the outcome of the relationship between Romeo and Juliet.  Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation. In addition, find one critical essay (external secondary source) to quote from.

2) Romeo and Juliet ends tragically with the death of the young lovers, as foretold by the Chorus in the Prologue of the play. It is clear that Shakespeare attributes a large role to Fate and Fortune in the play; yet, we also see that Romeo and Juliet are fully human, with flaws and frailties, and that they make deliberate choices. Further, they show an awareness of the consequences of those choices and, therefore, must bear some responsibility as well for the tragic outcome of the play. In an essay, discuss how Romeo and Juliet (or other characters) govern their own choices by their actions and speech. Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation. In addition, find one critical essay (external secondary source) to quote from.

3) Baz Luhrmann, the director of the 1996 version, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (which we will finish watching on Wednesday, 10/1), is quoted as saying “Let’s make this movie rambunctious, sexy, violent, and entertaining the way Shakespeare might have if he had been a filmmaker.” In an essay, compare and contrast three (3) scenes from the text of the play with three (3) scenes from the Luhrmann adaptation, and discuss why you think the presentation of these scenes is or is not successful. Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation. In addition, find one critical essay (external secondary source) to quote from.

4) The 1996 Luhrmann adaptation, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, offers a broadly diverse cast (by race and ethnicity), pays cinematic homage to a number of other film genres, and includes many references to modern-day politics, consumerism, to sexuality, and to popular culture itself. However, Romeo, Juliet, and Paris are all portrayed by white actors. In an essay, choose at least two characters from the play, analyze at least two of their speeches, and discuss whether their portrayals in the film have been successfully re-articulated for a modern audience. Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation. In addition, find one critical essay (external secondary source) to quote from.

NOTE: If you are answering Questions #4 OR #5, here is the MLA citation:

William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet. Dir. Baz Luhrmann. Perf. Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, Peter Postlewaite. 20th Century Fox, 1996. DVD. 

Criteria for Grading

In your essay, you must include support for your response from whichever primary text you have chosen, as well as from at least one outside critical essay—which you must research. Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation, including a Works Cited Page. The expectation is that you will write grammatically correct and coherent sentences, following standard composition form.

Again, your short essays are evaluated using the following criteria: you have answered the question asked—meaning, you have written a clear thesis statement with supporting points and you have answered the question completely); you have cited adequately from the source reading as well as secondary sources (critical essays) using MLA style; and, you have demonstrated strength in your writing that is appropriate to a 200-level literature course (well-structured sentences and paragraphs, proper spelling, grammar, no run-on sentences or sentence fragments, proper punctuation, use of transitions, logical conclusion). If you receive “NG”—meaning “Not Gradable”—due to numerous composition errors (ex: poor grammar, misspellings, lack of thesis, poor sentence structure, not MLA-compliant, etc.), you are strongly advised to take your paper to The Learning Center (2nd Floor) to work with a tutor for assistance in revising the essay for resubmission.
 

Plagiarism results in an "F" on the paper with NO POSSIBILITY of revision or “extra credit” make-up work. If you plagiarize, you have automatically lost the ability to earn any grade higher than a “B” grade for the course. If you plagiarize a second time, you automatically fail the course.

YOU MAY NOT USE the following as sources, as they are NOT considered scholarly works: SparkNotes, CliffsNotes, ClassicNotes, Enotes, GradeSaver, or any other student guides. Also, a Wikipedia entry may NOT be used as a source—however, if the “Source” section of a Wikipedia entry contains a scholarly work (a journal article or academic book) that you want to quote from in your paper, you are free to retrieve the work from the library (hard copy or from a database) and incorporate it into your paper. VALE contains a number of excellent databases through which you can find good literature resources (ProQuest, Literature Resource Center, etc.) You may also check Google Scholar—it keeps getting better and better!

You must write well if you are to receive a good grade in my course. I do not “curve” grades—also, I do not pass students whose writing does not show that they have properly met the standards of what I consider acceptable. The Learning Center is open every day and evening and is available to you. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that your papers are proof-read before you hand them in. Below is how I break down the points:

Clear thesis statement, well-organized supporting points and conclusion: 10 points

Cited adequately and correctly from the texts (primary and secondary): 5 points

Demonstrated writing strength (sentence structure, spelling, grammar): 5 points