Example of a short paper assignment on a theme from English 205 readings (Spring 2010):
Choose one of the following options for your topic.
Option 1: The uses of disguise and deception
"Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness," says Viola (2.2.27). Who uses disguise and deception in Twelfth Night, and why? Does the play seem to bear out Viola's statement or not? Explain your answer using specific examples from the text.
Option 2: Olivia and the carpe diem theme
Olivia receives several verbal insults from other characters in Twelfth Night. Orsino, for example, calls her a "marble-breasted tyrant" (5.1.121), while Viola labels her "the cruell'st she alive" (1.5.228). Examine the character of Olivia in light of the play's carpe diem theme. Does the play favor "seizing the day" in matters of love or not, and how does Olivia function within the carpe diem theme? Explain your answer with specific references to the text.
Option 3: The wisdom of a fool
Your text's introduction to Twelfth Night claims that Feste, while he "does not have a major part in the comedy's plot . . . occupies a place at its imaginative center" (1079). Viola says of Feste, "This fellow is wise enough to play the fool" (3.1.59). What sort of wisdom, if any, does Feste have? In what sense does Twelfth Night display the wisdom of fools and foolishness (and the folly of the "wise")? Look especially at the songs and statements of Feste as you support your answer.
Guidelines:
1. Your paper should be 1-2 pages long, double spaced, 1 inch margins.
2. Necessary plot summary should take up no more than 2 or 3 sentences. Your goal is to answer the above questions thoughtfully in the form of a thesis sentence, which you back up with well-chosen references to the text. Your thesis states your informed opinion. Your support makes your thesis persuasive to a reader.
3. This paper does not require outside sources or a works cited page. Document references to the Norton Anthology text of Twelfth Night parenthetically (as shown above) by citing act, scene, and line numbers.
4. Notes on style: Use MLA format for your paper. Titles of plays are indicated by underlining or italicizing, not by quotation marks. Always place periods and commas inside quotation marks. Do not surround the title of your paper with quotation marks.
5. Your paper should show your familiarity with the entire play, not just a scene or two.
6. Always quote exactly. Quotations should be incorporated smoothly into your own sentences. Avoid long quotations (more than 4 lines), as the brevity of this paper leaves no room for them.
Choose one of the following options for your topic.
Option 1: The uses of disguise and deception
"Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness," says Viola (2.2.27). Who uses disguise and deception in Twelfth Night, and why? Does the play seem to bear out Viola's statement or not? Explain your answer using specific examples from the text.
Option 2: Olivia and the carpe diem theme
Olivia receives several verbal insults from other characters in Twelfth Night. Orsino, for example, calls her a "marble-breasted tyrant" (5.1.121), while Viola labels her "the cruell'st she alive" (1.5.228). Examine the character of Olivia in light of the play's carpe diem theme. Does the play favor "seizing the day" in matters of love or not, and how does Olivia function within the carpe diem theme? Explain your answer with specific references to the text.
Option 3: The wisdom of a fool
Your text's introduction to Twelfth Night claims that Feste, while he "does not have a major part in the comedy's plot . . . occupies a place at its imaginative center" (1079). Viola says of Feste, "This fellow is wise enough to play the fool" (3.1.59). What sort of wisdom, if any, does Feste have? In what sense does Twelfth Night display the wisdom of fools and foolishness (and the folly of the "wise")? Look especially at the songs and statements of Feste as you support your answer.
Guidelines:
1. Your paper should be 1-2 pages long, double spaced, 1 inch margins.
2. Necessary plot summary should take up no more than 2 or 3 sentences. Your goal is to answer the above questions thoughtfully in the form of a thesis sentence, which you back up with well-chosen references to the text. Your thesis states your informed opinion. Your support makes your thesis persuasive to a reader.
3. This paper does not require outside sources or a works cited page. Document references to the Norton Anthology text of Twelfth Night parenthetically (as shown above) by citing act, scene, and line numbers.
4. Notes on style: Use MLA format for your paper. Titles of plays are indicated by underlining or italicizing, not by quotation marks. Always place periods and commas inside quotation marks. Do not surround the title of your paper with quotation marks.
5. Your paper should show your familiarity with the entire play, not just a scene or two.
6. Always quote exactly. Quotations should be incorporated smoothly into your own sentences. Avoid long quotations (more than 4 lines), as the brevity of this paper leaves no room for them.
