Compare representations of revenge in hamlet and candide

Assignment Help English
Reference no: EM13760317 , Length: word count:2100

For this essay, let us bring our skills as close readers to the table in our search to understand literature. It might seem intimidating at first; maybe you do not know the difference between alliteration and chiasmus. But, as an intelligent scholar, you DO know the difference between a sentence that repeats the same sound (alliteration) and a sentence that has one logical structure and then, halfway through, reverses that structure (chiasmus). So, for this assignment, I do not ask you to pull from the lexicon of literary criticism - instead, I ask you to analyze what you see happening in the literature in your own words. When I look over your essay drafts, I might suggest some vocabulary from literary criticism, but in the meantime, just write what you see happening.

This essay should be thesis-driven. This means that, somewhere in your introduction (usually at the end), you will make a distinct claim about what the language is doing in the text. The claim should demonstrate your own "take" on the text and also give an indication of the way you will prove that claim.

While I always make it a rule to accept almost any substantial essay topic that you might propose, for this essay I would like you to choose from the following three suggestions. If you have a better or different idea, I am open to it, but you must e-mail me and receive approval before Spring Break begins. Please read through all three suggestions, as it will help you focus on the unique aspects of your individual essay. As you can see, each of these prompts ask you to analyze literary representation.

Suggestion 1: Compare the dramatic representations of madness in Hamlet and Medea. Choose one passage (of around 10-15 lines) from each play and compare how the language conveys a degree of madness. Note: this essay topic does not ask for a comparison of the relative "madnesses" of Hamlet and Medea as characters (we already did that in our weekly activity); nor does it ask for an explanation of the causes of their madness. Instead, this prompt asks for you to describe the ways a character's words (from the mad character herself/himself or from another character describing his/her madness) reveal or portray madness. How do their words reveal that something upstairs is amiss? This requires that you perform a "close reading" (or, "explication") of the passages you choose. Describe the ways the words, images, phrases, logic (or illogic), or other elements represent madness. This essay asks you to focus on the writing of Euripides and Shakespeare, not the characters as if they were real people.

Suggestion 2: Compare the literary representations of mourning in Gilgamesh and Hamlet. Choose one passage (of around 10-15 lines) from each text and describe the ways these two texts represent characters mourning the death of a loved one. You might choose to focus on the moments of greatest despair, or you might choose to focus on the moments of relative acceptance of death, or something in-between. Either way, this prompt asks you to look at the ways the words themselves describe the process of mourning. The best essays in this category will refrain from making value judgments about who mourns "better" (obviously, Gilgamesh does, since Hamlet dies), but will instead make a claim about the ways the texts themselves represent mourning. How do these two texts represent mourning?

Suggestion 3: Compare the literary representations of revenge in Hamlet and Candide. Choose one brief passage from each text and describe the ways the texts portray either the act of revenge or the plotting of revenge. Candide is a very comical text and does not seem to take anything too seriously, yet it is riddled with characters murdering (or attempting to murder - spoiler alert) each other for grave or petty offenses. Hamlet is a very serious text and dwells on one act of revenge almost endlessly. How do the texts of Voltaire and Shakespeare represent revenge?

Reference no: EM13760317

Questions Cloud

Collective bargaining to both management and employees : Show the level of education is graduate level not 1st grade level - do not repeat the same sentences or paragraphs in other parts within the project.
Write an essay on american literature before the civil war : Write an essay on American Literature before the Civil War. Based on the readings from weeks one and two, discuss the images of America the European writers constructed to promote colonization and settlement.
Health of community : In your current practice and as a health leader in your community how will you collaborate with other healthcare providers to promote the health of your community.
Undertaking an international assignment : Choose a country from those we have studied in this course. Now, assume that you are a relocation specialist who must advise a global manager and his or her family on what to expect when they go to this country.Specialists in relocation have determin..
Compare representations of revenge in hamlet and candide : Compare the literary representations of revenge in Hamlet and Candide. Choose one brief passage from each text and describe the ways the texts portray either the act of revenge or the plotting of revenge.
Research and describe two current hospitality trends : a. Research and describe two current hospitality trends that have been seen in the last decade.b. Summarize your understanding of hospitality philosophies and their impact on the two trends you researched.
Elements of a fraud prevention and detection program : Use the Internet, Strayer databases, or your text, to research the key elements of a fraud prevention and detection program, and prepare a plan.
Science paper : The concepts, principles, and methods of health education in designing and analyzing health education programs.
Agile versus process maturity approaches : From the e-Activity, define CMMI, explain its purpose, and describe how two process areas of CMMI deliver on its purpose. Give an example of how the CMMI six-point scale is used to assess the software development process in an organization.

Reviews

Write a Review

English Questions & Answers

  Write a profile

Write a profile on bishop poleni.

  Education system

Write a rearch paper on education system

  Write an report

The U.S. President Barack Obama said America can "win the future" by rebuilding its manufacturing sector (on June 8, 2011, after visiting an automotive training center at a community college in Virginia, outside Washington). Do you agree, and why?

  Discuss the accuracy of this statement

'Consideration does not have to be adequate or commercially realistic, nor does it need to be expressed in monetary terms, it merely needs to be "sufficient".' Discuss the accuracy of this statement.

  Write an essay on the youngest billionaire

Write an essay on the youngest billionaire

  Transformational leadership in the public sector

The more hierarchical an organization's authority structure, the lower the reported practice of transformational leadership behaviors.

  Modal verbs or modal constructions

Identify all the modal verbs or modal constructions in the passage

  Write a latter to mom thanking to adopting and caring

Write a latter to mom thanking for adopting and caring,

  Ways of knowing & authority in your discipline

To explore and become familiar with your discipline; to prepare you for your major researched essay.

  Writing an effective business letter

Prepare a letter in either block or modified block format, addressed to your employer or supervisor and copied to your marker.

  Discuss the kingdom of saudi arabia

Discuss the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  Developing an annotated bibliography

Developing an annotated bibliography

Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd