Texts*: ● Oedipus the King by Sophocles ● Othello, Act I by William Shakespeare

Texts*:
● Oedipus the King by Sophocles
● Othello, Act I by William Shakespeare
● A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
● Close Reading assignments and materials from class
*No outside sources may be used for this assignment.
Prompt
In unit 2, we studied plays from three different time periods, each exemplifying the conventions of
drama from that time. For this assignment, compare and contrast the dramatic elements used in each
(I suggest not selecting more than 3 conventions). To do this, you may need to:
● Define and explain the conventions of the time period of the play using examples from
the texts to illustrate these ideas
● Explain how the conventions from one time period are similar or different from another
time period (to demonstrate how some conventions remained while others have changed over
time)
● Explain how the use of these conventions helps to add meaning to the play for a viewer
(or reader) and how it may have changed their experience as an audience”
In order to show the relationships between conventions, you will have several options. You can*:
● Write a 3-5 page literary analysis essay
● Create a slide deck (e.g. Google slides, PPT) that uses slides to help organize ideas and
demonstrate relationships
● Create a poster that visually demonstrates the connections between the conventions of each
time period**
● Develop a project of your own (subject to instructor approval)
*Regardless of which modality you select to complete this assignment, you will still be required to
include the information bulleted above and still be required to meet the specifics outlined below and in
the “What I looked for as I graded” section of the prompt.
**If you elect to create a poster, please note, your due date will be Thursday, 10/31/24 by 1:00PM
PST (submitted in class)
Some things to keep in mind:
Audience:
● For this assignment, your reader is educated and theater-going, but may not have read or
seen these plays and may not be familiar with the specific dramatic conventions used in each.
This means you may need to explain and/or define terms for them and also provide them with
short summaries (no more than 3-5 sentences) of the plays.
● Because you are writing for an educated, theater-going audience, you must use the tone,
diction, and formatting appropriate for your readers. This means you should write in the
literary present tense, use first or third person (avoid second person), cite all sources in MLA
format, use MLA citations and formatting appropriate to the modality you select, and include a
Works Cited (regardless or modality).
Use specific quotations from each text to support/illustrate your ideas.
● Be sure to explain the context, meaning, and significance of all evidence or quotations you
include.
● If you are using a visual modality, be sure you include the proper visual elements to help your
viewer understand how conventions are similar, different, or have progressed over time.
What I will look for as I grade:
Unity/Coherence/Organization (30 points)
Your project should:
● Include a clear thesis with a topic, point, and reasons
● Indicate which reasons are being discuss (e.g. through clear topic sentences in all body
paragraphs that mirror your thesis, clear headers on slides, headings on a poster)
● Include transitions between ideas and paragraphs (e.g. through headings, use of visual
elements, or use of actual transitions in an essay)
● End with a concluding paragraph/slide/area of poster that offers a final big take-away idea for
readers
Development/Support (40 points)
Your project should:
● Provide complete explanations of all claims and ideas
● Use specific examples and quotations from the texts for support
● Provide multiple examples to illustrate each claim
● Explain what evidence (1) means, (2) why it is important, and (3) how it supports your idea
● Make connections between ideas
Style/Fluency/Grammar (10 points)
Your project should:
● Use the tone and diction appropriate for an educated, theater-going audience
● Use the literary present tense
● Use first and third person only
● Be written using clean and concise language
● Have no (or only 1 or 2) grammatical errors that impede a reader’s understanding of an idea
● Have fewer than 5 grammatical errors
Proper use of MLA Style and Works Citation (20 points)
Your project should:
● For essays:
○ Have 1-inch margins on all sides
○ Use Times New Roman 12-point font
○ Be a true double-space throughout
● For all modalities:
○ Include in-text citations for all summaries, paraphrases, evidence, and quotations
included
○ Have a properly formatted Works Cited
○ Include a header with your last name and page number on all pages/slides
○ Your first page/slide/on the top left of your poster (can be small) should have Your
Name, Your Professor, Essay Assignment, and Due Date on the upper left margin.

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