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SHAKESPEARE 1: Essay Topics  2nd Essay- Persuasive Essay on Much Ado about Nothing: "Can Tricks Be Used for Good?" A argumentative essay requires the writer to take sides on an issue and attempt to convince others that his/her view is best. In this play some of the characters (like Don John) use tricks (deception) in an attempt to cause harm; others (like Don Pedro and Friar Francis) in an attempt to do good. If Don Pedro's trick is an "evil trick," are the other tricks "innocent" or even "redemptive"? This assignment requires the student to decide on whether or not any of the tricks actually work for good. Assume that your reader disagrees with you, and present arguments which might persuade him/her to agree with you. SHAKESPEARE 2: Essay Topics  3rd Essay- Persuasive Essay on As You Like It: "A Healthy View of Marriage?" A argumentative essay requires the writer to take sides on an issue and attempt to convince others that his/her view is best. In this play marriage is one of the central themes. There are four sets of lovers. What are they like and why do they marry the men they do? What does the play say about marriage? This assignment requires the student to decide on whether or not this play reveals a healthy view of marriage. Assume that your reader disagrees with you, and present arguments which might persuade him/her to agree with you. This assignment requires you to create an original coat of arms for your family. You are encouraged (but not required) to send the tutor a picture of your coat of arms by jpeg scan through the email or directly through the regular U.S. mail. However, you are required to write a paragraph which explains the following aspects of your coat of arms: (1) the theme of the coat of arms: (2) the meaning or reason for the theme; (3) the symbols used; (4) the meaning of the symbols; (5) the colors used; (6) the meaning of the colors; (7) the motto used; (8) the reason for (and meaning of) the motto. For help on creating a coat of arms try visiting your local library and/or visit sites on the Internet such as these: 3rd Assignment: Write an expository essay of 250-400 words (one or two type-written pages) on the topic: The purpose of this essay to pick your favorite character(s) and to find your own favorite examples of chivalry in the first five plays (Richard II; Henry IV, Pt. 1; Henry IV, Pt. 2; Henry V; and Henry VI, Pt. 1). Refer to the handout: “Shakespeare's Histories: Summaries & Key Questions for ideas. Then attempt to explain how those examples provide a relevant way of life for us today. In his book Dating, Intimacy & the Teenage Years Dr. Karl Duff does exactly this kind of thing. He doesn't refer to Shakespeare, but he does show how the chivalric code applies to life today. Here's an example: “Men were designed by God to protect women physically, economically, and emotionally. Sex outside marriage provides none of these… Girls, listen! … Male love is proven when the man protects you!” (p. 70). You don't have to be as specific as Dr. Duff, but you should try to think of ways in which the code of chivalry could help our society today. An expository essay is a style of writing which explains something. Expository writing is the kind of writing which you find in most magazines, newspapers, and owner's manuals. Assume that your reader is not familiar with chivalry or with Shakespeare's Histories. Give some examples of chivalry from the play(s), and then explain how those examples show a code of behavior which is needed in our world today. Guidelines for Writing a Book Review on Fiction: 1. The setting--where does the story take place? Is it a real place or an imaginary one? If the author does not tell you exactly where the story is set, what can you tell about it from the way it is described? 2. The time period--is the story set in the present day or in an earlier time period? Is it set in the future? Let your reader know. 3. The main character(s)--who is the story mostly about? Give a brief description. Often, one character can be singled out as the main character, but some books will have more than one. When there are several main characters, you are free to focus on one which is of particular interest to you. 4. The plot--what happens to the main character? WARNING! Be careful here. Do not fall into the boring trap of reporting every single thing that happens in the story. Pick only the most important events. Here are some hints on how to do that. First, explain the situation of the main character as the story opens. Next, identify the basic plot element of the story--is the main character trying to achieve something or overcome a particular problem? Thirdly, describe a few of the more important things that happen to the main character as he/she works toward that goal or solution. Finally, you might hint at the story's conclusion without completely giving away the ending. 5. The conclusion-- The four points above deal with the report aspect of your work. For the final section of your outline, give your reader a sense of the impression the book made upon you. Ask yourself what the author was trying to achieve and whether or not he achieved it with you. What larger idea does the story illustrate? How does it do that? How did you feel about the author's style of writing, the setting, or the mood of the novel. You do not have to limit yourself to these areas. Pick something which caught your attention, and let your reader know your personal response to whatever it was. (Adapted from the Lakewood Public Library Online: Lakewood, Ohio: http://www.lkwdpl.org/) SHAKESPEARE'S PERSPECTIVE Shakespeare's Redemptive Viewpoint: Shakespeare wrote from a God-centered, redemptive perspective. As Louise Cowan writes, "Shakespeare saw life as leading to a final end of reconciliation and love." It is this Biblically based optimism and foundation for hope which inspired Shakespeare's "comic" (happy ending) view of the world. In his comedies, Shakespeare depicted a world of love and joy, fllled with forgiveness, and leading to a happy end. The challenge or obstacle in the comedies is the threats to love and community which are resolved through redemptive tricks and deceits. In the tragedies, the challenge or obstacle is the pride of a tragic hero who suffers some downfall. The challenge of the hero is how to respond to the downfall. Will the hero submit his pride to truth and justice (and ultimately, to God), or will he remain fixed in a defiance which demands his own way. To quote Cowan again, will the hero "submit to a power higher than his own pride or continue with himself as the center of existence"? ("Othello and Macbeth choose self; Hamlet and Lear allow themselves to be remade.") Shakespeare's Astute Observation of Character: Shakespeare was an outstanding observer of the weaknesses and strengths of human character. Many of his characters have become immortal in the sense that they 'capture' types of human personality and character which are universal. There is much profit to be gained from comparing and contrasting Shakespeare's characters with each other, and from learning the reasons for their strengths and weaknesses. SUGGESTED ESSAY TOPICS General Topics for Consideration: Suggested essay topics include the following: 1. Shakespeare's View of Pride. For example, the essay might examine how excessive self-interest and ambition in a heroic figure can lead to tragic consequences for himself and others. 3. Shakespeare's Insights about Men and Women. For example, the essay might examine how women often appear frail in the plays, but prove to possess an inner an strength upon which men depend. 4. Shakespeare's Relevance Today. For example, the essay might examine Shakespeare's redemptive view of the world and of human relationships and how that viewpoint would help us today. 5. Shakespeare's View of Justice and Mercy. For example, the essay might examine how Shakespeare described a moral universe in which evil leads to harmful consequences and needs to be judged, but in which there is a redemptive power in forgiveness and mercy leading to a greater good which the characters don't deserve or expect. 6. Shakespeare's Insights into Human Character. For example, the essay might attempt to explain why certain characters are appealing and/or repulsive, and why this is so. Or, the essay might examine how characters such as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth function like Adam and Eve, in giving into temptation, and causing a terrible "fall;" or how a character such as Hero, in "Much Ado About Nothing," functions as a kind of "Christ figure," experiencing a kind of "death and resurrection," and bringing a redemptive surprise and a happy ending. 7. Shakespeare's Biblical Allusions. An allusion is an indirect reference. Shakespeare's plays are filled with Biblical allusions, as in the obvious allusion to Matthew 7:1-2 in "Measure for Measure." Select a play which has some Biblical allusions which are of interest to you. Identify what the allusions are, and how Shakespeare uses them in the play to make his point(s). 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