Why Shakespeare? (ENGL162), Spring 2022
Writing Assignment One: Listing Patterns on Page & Stage Prompt 2 of 2: Deconstructed Essay Due: Mon., 3/7 by 11:59:59 PM
Writing Assignment One is designed to help you figure out how a Shakespeare play works on its own terms. To do well on this assignment, you’ll need to push yourself to carefully observe patterns you might not have noticed before. We will focus especially on poetic language on the page and on performance on the stage.
Our focal text for this assignment is Macbeth on the page (the course text) and on the stage (The Royal Shakespeare Theatre performance of the play, which you can access via the Library database Drama Online). This assignment is designed to be completed in three parts: 2 list groups + a short writing assignment based on those lists. The writing component is described below; be sure to carefully read and complete the list groups, described in a separate handout and available on Canvas, before beginning this final phase. List-making is the key to succeeding on this assignment.
DECONSTRUCTED ESSAY
For the final phase of this assignment, you will write what we might think of as a deconstructed essay: you will submit three separate sections that, if joined together with an introduction, conclusion, and connecting paragraphs, could become a standalone essay. But for this assignment, you’ll stop short of that last step. Instead, submit:
Analysis #1: Patterns on the Page (400 words) Analysis #2: Patterns on the Stage (400 words) Synthesis: Insights for Macbeth (200 words)
Analysis #1 and Analysis #2: ✤ In 400 words, help the reader of your essay to see two patterns you have observed. ✤ “Analysis” literally means to unloose or break up. That’s precisely the work your analysis should do: you should
break up the passage into pieces, then use the best pieces as evidence to convince the reader that what you’re seeing is actually a pattern and not a mere coincidence.
✤ Don’t simply restate the evidence from your list. Rather, select the best evidence and present that evidence in a logical order. As readers, we respect and are persuaded by writers who sift the evidence and present us with a crafted narrative (rather than a litany of also, also, and another…).
✤ Quote direct evidence from the text. When you quote (instead of paraphrasing), you are following one of the most important rules of effective writing: show, don’t just tell.
✤ Use the first person plural “we” to draw readers into the conversation. For instance: “If we look at the lines that immediately follow, we see that Lady Macbeth picks up on and plays with this pattern of sounds.”
✤ Critique verbs such as “think,” “believe,” and “feel” should give way in your analyses to evidence verbs such as “demonstrate,” “reveal,” or even “suggest.” (Remember that understanding precedes critique.)
✤ Use specific character names, place names, appropriate literary terms, etc., whenever possible. ✤ Each analysis section should be 400 words (no less than 350 and no more than 450). ✤ Each analysis section should consist of two full paragraphs, one for each pattern. The patterns may be related
or unrelated. You need not argue that the two patterns complement each other; however, if the patterns do build on each other, strikingly contrast each other, or otherwise pair well, don’t hesitate to point that out.
Synthesis: ✤ In 200 words, suggest how your specific evidence from one scene of the play (your analyses) leads to insight(s)
about the whole play. ✤ How do the various parts add up to something bigger? What does someone learn from reading your analysis?
What might they understand about the play or about a character or about the context or some other aspect of the play that they might not have been able to see or understand before?
✤ Think of this final section as the one where you help a reader move from specific observations (analysis #1 and #2) to a broader insight.
✤ Aim for 200 words (no less than 150 and no more than 250). This section should be just one paragraph.
Why Shakespeare? (ENGL162), Spring 2022
Logistics ✤ Cite passages by act/scene/line number(s) based on the course text (1.3.9-12 = act 1, scene 3, lines 9-12). ✤ You are not allowed to use first person singular pronouns (I, my, me, mine) except when quoting the text. The
reason? Pushing subjective reactions to the sideline for this essay will help you focus on objective evidence. ✤ To receive full credit for “Logistics,” your heading should follow this template:
[Your Name] ENGL162- [Your Section] / [TA’s Last Name] Focal Scene: 4.1 [Indicate your focal scene] Word Counts: 362 / 408 / 211 [Indicate word counts for each of the 3 sections]
✤ I do not expect you to use outside sources for this assignment, but if you do so, you must cite them properly. ✤ Use standard formatting: 12 point Times font with 1” margins and double spacing. PDF submissions only.
GRADING BREAKDOWN Lists: 30 points (15 points each) Analyses: 50 points (25 points each) Synthesis: 10 points Logistics: 5 points for carefully following directions about word counts, word usage guidelines, etc. Quotation: 5 points for accurate and consistent citation of act, scene, and line numbers
Note: 40% of your grade depends upon completing lists on time and following directions (30 % for lists + 5% for logistics + 5% for quotation citation). The takeaway: get in there and start digging. Don’t overthink it. If you do the work, you will have plenty of good material to work with when it comes time for writing.
