English 231/231W: survey of Shakespeare
Midterm paper: Interpreting Shakespeare's plays

The "meaning" of a Shakespearean play can be elusive. His plays have multiple meanings and work on different levels. Your assignment is to explain meaning in one (or more) of the plays we have read. The meaning you explain—also called interpretation—should be plausible and reasonable. To make it plausible and reasonable you will have to put together an essay that persuades based on evidence supported by the elements of the play. Be sure not to try to do too much. Use only one (or at the most two) critical approaches. Depth is better than breadth in literary analysis.

Be sure to consider the following things:

• facts within the plays
• language
• the elements of a story (plot, point of view, characters, setting, themes, symbolism, tone and style)
• Shakespeare's background, experience, etc.
• culture and history of Shakespeare's England
• the critical approaches taken to literature (Formalist, Biographical, Historical, Psychological, Mythological, Sociological, Gender, Reader-Response, Deconstructionist, Cultural)
• your own background, experience, history, and culture

 Requirements:

• Typed
• 5-7 double-spaced pages ("W" students 8-10 double-spaced pages)
• Standard, reasonable margins and fonts
• Name, class, quarter clearly stated
• Cite sources using Modern Language Association (MLA) standards or guidelines for quoting Shakespeare's plays (see webpage).
• Turned in on time

 Essay will be evaluated based on the following concepts:

• Completion of requirements
• Thoughtfulness (see above)
• Standard writing criteria (focus, detail, organization, and clarity)