ENGC27 Drama: Comedy
Winter 2016
Dr. Laura Jane Wey
Topics for Midterm Paper
Please write a 5-6 page essay (excluding bibliography) on one of the following topics. Be
sure to give your essay a title. Your essay should have a clear central argument that is based
primarily upon close readings of the text. Secondary sources are optional.
Please submit a hard copy of your essay in class on Monday, February 22nd. In addition,
you are required to upload your essay to www.turnitin.com. The course ID is 11530486, and
the password is lysistrata. 2 points will be deducted for each day that a paper is late.
Students who only submit their essays electronically will not receive any comments, nor will
their appeals to have their marks reassessed be considered.
Formatting instructions:
Essays should be double-spaced, in 12-point type, with 1-inch margins all around.
Make sure the pages are numbered in the upper right corner. Please do NOT make
a separate cover page for your essay; instead, include your name, your student
number, and the course title in the upper-left corner of the first page, and attach the
bibliography on a separate page.
*********************************************************************************************************
1. Lysistrata and Much Ado about Nothing both feature at least one unusually
powerful female character. Please choose either one of these plays and discuss:
how are female characters portrayed in the text? What is the basis of a female
character’s power? How does she negotiate the constraints of the largely
patriarchal values of her family/society?
2. The Brothers, Much Ado about Nothing and Volpone all rely heavily on deception as a
plot device. Choose any one of these three plays and discuss: other than advancing
the plot in general, what is the significance of various important acts of deception in
the play? How does deception dovetail with the overarching concerns of the play as
a whole?
3. Underneath a lighthearted façade, all four plays we have read so far explore
“serious” themes such as effective governance in Lysistrata, childrearing in The
Brothers, marriage in Much Ado about Nothing, or avarice in Volpone (to name but the
most obvious). Please choose one theme of interest to you in any of these plays and
consider: how does the play probe this particular theme? What different viewpoints
regarding the issue does the play present? What is the play’s final take on the subject?
4. Other essay topics possible if developed in consultation with the instructor
before February 10.
Winter 2016
Dr. Laura Jane Wey
Topics for Midterm Paper
Please write a 5-6 page essay (excluding bibliography) on one of the following topics. Be
sure to give your essay a title. Your essay should have a clear central argument that is based
primarily upon close readings of the text. Secondary sources are optional.
Please submit a hard copy of your essay in class on Monday, February 22nd. In addition,
you are required to upload your essay to www.turnitin.com. The course ID is 11530486, and
the password is lysistrata. 2 points will be deducted for each day that a paper is late.
Students who only submit their essays electronically will not receive any comments, nor will
their appeals to have their marks reassessed be considered.
Formatting instructions:
Essays should be double-spaced, in 12-point type, with 1-inch margins all around.
Make sure the pages are numbered in the upper right corner. Please do NOT make
a separate cover page for your essay; instead, include your name, your student
number, and the course title in the upper-left corner of the first page, and attach the
bibliography on a separate page.
*********************************************************************************************************
1. Lysistrata and Much Ado about Nothing both feature at least one unusually
powerful female character. Please choose either one of these plays and discuss:
how are female characters portrayed in the text? What is the basis of a female
character’s power? How does she negotiate the constraints of the largely
patriarchal values of her family/society?
2. The Brothers, Much Ado about Nothing and Volpone all rely heavily on deception as a
plot device. Choose any one of these three plays and discuss: other than advancing
the plot in general, what is the significance of various important acts of deception in
the play? How does deception dovetail with the overarching concerns of the play as
a whole?
3. Underneath a lighthearted façade, all four plays we have read so far explore
“serious” themes such as effective governance in Lysistrata, childrearing in The
Brothers, marriage in Much Ado about Nothing, or avarice in Volpone (to name but the
most obvious). Please choose one theme of interest to you in any of these plays and
consider: how does the play probe this particular theme? What different viewpoints
regarding the issue does the play present? What is the play’s final take on the subject?
4. Other essay topics possible if developed in consultation with the instructor
before February 10.
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