ASSIGNMENT:

You must answer TWO of the following essay questions listed below (#1-#7).Each essay will be worth FIFTY points.Each response must be 3 pages long.

Essay questions should be answered in full essay format (use five paragraph model as guide) with a clear strong thesis guiding your argument.Each prompt is broad; however, your thesis should be narrow and focused.There is no need to summarize the text, but you should refer to specific examples within each text.You should clearly cite three texts—using MLA format—for each answer; you must cite these works as they appear in the required anthology for this course!Remember, proofread for grammar and spelling and clearly indicate which number you answer.No outside sources are necessary. Remember:Finally, upload it to Canvas as an attachment.

1.Various types of humor run throughout all the works that we have discussed in the latter half of this semester.Explain the role of humor in the works that you highlight.

2.Women assume a prominent position in the works that we have discussed in the latter half of this semester.Choose three women (one from each of three works) and examine how each serves as an example of a strong and/or powerful woman.

3.The notion of extremes, or foils, is prevalent in all the works that we have discussed in the latter half of this semester.Choose three sets of characters (one set from each of three works) that serve as opposites, or foils, to each other.Explain why each set of foils is important to the work and what role the set of foils serves.

4.Examine the role of religion in three texts that we have discussed in the latter half of this semester.

5.Examine the role of sin (or transgression) in three texts that we have discussed in the latter half of this semester.

6.Examine how three of the writers that we have discussed in the latter half of this semester have challenged the conventions of his time.Defend your answer with examples from the works we covered.

7.The wheel of fortune appears throughout the texts that we have discussed in the latter half of this semester.By wheel of fortune, I mean the role that chance or fate plays in the characters’ lives.For example, one moment a character is down, while at the next moment, he may be on top of the world.Explain how the wheel of fortune affects the lives of these people for better or for worse using examples (one from each of three works).

Your thesis should be argumentative. For example, “Women play an important role in Greek Theatre” does not work, because this statement is merely descriptive. However, “Antigone, Lysistrata and Penelope demonstrate that women wielded significant power in Greek society” is a clear, forceful thesis that you can nicely argue, with additional focus, in an essay this size.You may find this library guide helpful:http://libguides.camdencc.edu/literarycriticism (Links to an external site.).Since this essay is in MLA format, a Works Cited page is required.All of your sources will come from your Norton Anthology, so you should check the Purdue site for how to cite a work in an anthology.Remember, each time you quote, paraphrase or summarize the work in your essay, you need to cite the author and page number.

Here is the list of works that you can use for your final essays:

Beowulf

Inferno

“The Nun’s Priest’s Tale”

“The Wife of Bath’s Tale”

Hamlet

Two Essays and both have to be 3 pages long with work cited for both essays. You answer one question for each essay but question has to be different then the one you used. Has to have three works in both essays but you can use the same works for both essays.