If you decide to choose the Dogberry question, there are obviously a fair few action points that you need to address.
1. You need to know Dogberry's scenes very well indeed. It shouldn't take you long to re-read them WITH a study guide.
2. You need to be fully aware of the usual comedic qualities of Shakespeare comedy.
3. You need to plan in advance what your main points are.
4. You need to be fully aware of how and where Dogberry uses Malapropisms. It is not enough just to say that Shakespeare uses them. Look for specifically funny ones, or ones which are particularly relevant to a Shakespearean audience.
5. You need to be able to understand what how the audience would perceive Dogberry - both then and now.
Planning.
Introduction - This whole unit is about the genre of COMEDY, so you have to focus heavily on the genre of the play and how Dogberry fits into this. Ensure that you make the marker aware that you know Shakespeare comedies have 'conventions'. You need to seem totally knowledgeable on the subject. This does not mean listing the conventions. It means casually mentioning one or two, and making it obvious you know the others exist.
The main body of your essay - Start off by strongly forming your opinion. Are Dogberry/ The other watch characters funny? Why specifically? If not, why not. Don;t try to be facetious over this. Use sound arguments to EXPLAIN why in each case. You need to know what your thoughts are before you start writing. This will take a fair amount of study. Mind map what it is about Dogberry which makes him fit the 'comedy' role, and what it is about him that doesn't.
To do this, you COULD compare him, on an individual level, to each of the conventions. Does he fit them?
Remember, however, that Dogberry's comedic qualities are fairly self-evident. You are really arguing over whether or not the comedic technique of word-play and malapropism is the most prevalent comedic value in the play,
By doing this, you'll find quite a few paragraphs you can write.
Compare him to other characters who are, perhaps, more comedic and point out their differences. Why are some funnier than others?
Then think about your reaction to Don John, and the potential reaction of an audience.
Once you have mind mapped as many points as you can about whether or not he/they are the most comedic characters, use your common sense to order your points in terms of how good they are.
Ie, which ones sound the most profound? Which ones do you have the most impressive evidence to support (remember, you must ALWAYS support with evidence - usually multiple pieces of evidence).
Then simply start to write your essay.
Basic overview
Always make sure you're directly answering the question and always make sure you're referring directly to the genre and how he/they fits into it in terms of comedic conventions, audience reaction etc.
You should try to use technical vocabulary wherever possible: Enjambment, imagery, hyperbole, lexical field etc.
Sunday, 5 January 2014
Further Guidance - Don John Question
If you decide to choose the Don John question, there are obviously a fair few action points that you need to address.
1. You need to know Don John's scenes very well indeed. It shouldn't take you long to re-read them WITH a study guide.
2. You need to be fully aware of the usual comedic qualities of Shakespeare comedy.
3. You need to plan in advance what your main points are.
4. You need to have an idea what the usual features of a tragedy are also.
5. You need to be able to understand what how the audience would perceive Don John- both then and now.
Planning.
Introduction - This whole unit is about the genre of COMEDY, so you have to focus heavily on the genre of the play and how Don John fits into this. Ensure that you make the marker aware that you know Shakespeare comedies have 'conventions'. You need to seem totally knowledgeable on the subject. This does not mean listing the conventions. It means casually mentioning one or two, and making it obvious you know the others exist.
The main body of your essay - Start off by strongly forming your opinion. Is Don John too dark/threatening? Is it difficult to decide? Well, you need to know what your thoughts are before you start writing. This will take a fair amount of study. Mind map what it is about Don John which makes him fit the 'comedy' role, and what it is about him that doesn't.
To do this, you COULD compare him, on an individual level, to each of the conventions. Does he fit them? For example, is he a stupid master or an intelligent servant? Hmm, arguably. Is he a character who adds to the complexity of the text by featuring in an intertwining plot? Yes.
By doing this, you'll find quite a few paragraphs you can write.
Also, think about the tragic conventions. What is it about Don John that might make him heavily suited to being in a tragedy?
Compare him to other characters who are, perhaps, more comedic and point out their differences.
Then think about your reaction to Don John, and the potential reaction of an audience.
Once you have mind mapped as many points as you can about whether or not he is a comedic/dark character, use your common sense to order your points in terms of how good they are.
Ie, which ones sound the most profound? Which ones do you have the most impressive evidence to support (remember, you must ALWAYS support with evidence - usually multiple pieces of evidence).
Then simply start to write your essay.
Basic overview
Always make sure you're directly answering the question and always make sure you're referring directly to the genre and how he fits into it in terms of comedic conventions, audience reaction etc.
You should try to use technical vocabulary wherever possible: Enjambment, imagery, hyperbole, lexical field etc.
1. You need to know Don John's scenes very well indeed. It shouldn't take you long to re-read them WITH a study guide.
2. You need to be fully aware of the usual comedic qualities of Shakespeare comedy.
3. You need to plan in advance what your main points are.
4. You need to have an idea what the usual features of a tragedy are also.
5. You need to be able to understand what how the audience would perceive Don John- both then and now.
Planning.
Introduction - This whole unit is about the genre of COMEDY, so you have to focus heavily on the genre of the play and how Don John fits into this. Ensure that you make the marker aware that you know Shakespeare comedies have 'conventions'. You need to seem totally knowledgeable on the subject. This does not mean listing the conventions. It means casually mentioning one or two, and making it obvious you know the others exist.
The main body of your essay - Start off by strongly forming your opinion. Is Don John too dark/threatening? Is it difficult to decide? Well, you need to know what your thoughts are before you start writing. This will take a fair amount of study. Mind map what it is about Don John which makes him fit the 'comedy' role, and what it is about him that doesn't.
To do this, you COULD compare him, on an individual level, to each of the conventions. Does he fit them? For example, is he a stupid master or an intelligent servant? Hmm, arguably. Is he a character who adds to the complexity of the text by featuring in an intertwining plot? Yes.
By doing this, you'll find quite a few paragraphs you can write.
Also, think about the tragic conventions. What is it about Don John that might make him heavily suited to being in a tragedy?
Compare him to other characters who are, perhaps, more comedic and point out their differences.
Then think about your reaction to Don John, and the potential reaction of an audience.
Once you have mind mapped as many points as you can about whether or not he is a comedic/dark character, use your common sense to order your points in terms of how good they are.
Ie, which ones sound the most profound? Which ones do you have the most impressive evidence to support (remember, you must ALWAYS support with evidence - usually multiple pieces of evidence).
Then simply start to write your essay.
Basic overview
Always make sure you're directly answering the question and always make sure you're referring directly to the genre and how he fits into it in terms of comedic conventions, audience reaction etc.
You should try to use technical vocabulary wherever possible: Enjambment, imagery, hyperbole, lexical field etc.
Further guidance - Hero Question
If you decide to choose the Hero question, there are obviously a fair few action points that you need to address.
1. You need to know Hero's scenes very well indeed. It shouldn't take you long to re-read them WITH a study guide.
2. You need to be fully aware of the usual comedic qualities of Shakespeare comedy.
3. You need to plan in advance what your main points are.
4. You need to have an idea what the usual features of a tragedy are also.
5. You need to be able to understand what how the audience would perceive Hero - both then and now.
Planning.
Introduction - This whole unit is about the genre of COMEDY, so you have to focus heavily on the genre of the play and how Hero fits into this. Ensure that you make the marker aware that you know Shakespeare comedies have 'conventions'. You need to seem totally knowledgeable on the subject. This does not mean listing the conventions. It means casually mentioning one or two, and making it obvious you know the others exist.
The main body of your essay - Start off by strongly forming your opinion. Is Hero too tragic? Is it difficult to decide? Well, you need to know what your thoughts are before you start writing. This will take a fair amount of study. Mind map what it is about Hero which makes her fit the 'comedy' role, and what it is about her that doesn't.
To do this, you COULD compare her, on an individual level, to each of the conventions. Does she fit them? For example, is she a stupid master or an intelligent servant? No. Is she a character who adds to the complexity of the text by featuring in an intertwining plot? Yes.
By doing this, you'll find quite a few paragraphs you can write.
Also, think about the tragic conventions. What is it about hero that might make her heavily suited to being in a tragedy?
Compare her to other characters who are, perhaps, more comedic and point out their differences.
Then think about your reaction to Hero, and the potential reaction of an audience.
Once you have mind mapped as many points as you can about whether or not she is a comedic/tragic character, use your common sense to order your points in terms of how good they are.
Ie, which ones sound the most profound? Which ones do you have the most impressive evidence to support (remember, you must ALWAYS support with evidence - usually multiple pieces of evidence).
Then simply start to write your essay.
Basic overview
Always make sure you're directly answering the question and always make sure you're referring directly to the genre and how she fits into it in terms of comedic conventions, audience reaction etc.
You should try to use technical vocabulary wherever possible: Enjambment, imagery, hyperbole, lexical field etc.
1. You need to know Hero's scenes very well indeed. It shouldn't take you long to re-read them WITH a study guide.
2. You need to be fully aware of the usual comedic qualities of Shakespeare comedy.
3. You need to plan in advance what your main points are.
4. You need to have an idea what the usual features of a tragedy are also.
5. You need to be able to understand what how the audience would perceive Hero - both then and now.
Planning.
Introduction - This whole unit is about the genre of COMEDY, so you have to focus heavily on the genre of the play and how Hero fits into this. Ensure that you make the marker aware that you know Shakespeare comedies have 'conventions'. You need to seem totally knowledgeable on the subject. This does not mean listing the conventions. It means casually mentioning one or two, and making it obvious you know the others exist.
The main body of your essay - Start off by strongly forming your opinion. Is Hero too tragic? Is it difficult to decide? Well, you need to know what your thoughts are before you start writing. This will take a fair amount of study. Mind map what it is about Hero which makes her fit the 'comedy' role, and what it is about her that doesn't.
To do this, you COULD compare her, on an individual level, to each of the conventions. Does she fit them? For example, is she a stupid master or an intelligent servant? No. Is she a character who adds to the complexity of the text by featuring in an intertwining plot? Yes.
By doing this, you'll find quite a few paragraphs you can write.
Also, think about the tragic conventions. What is it about hero that might make her heavily suited to being in a tragedy?
Compare her to other characters who are, perhaps, more comedic and point out their differences.
Then think about your reaction to Hero, and the potential reaction of an audience.
Once you have mind mapped as many points as you can about whether or not she is a comedic/tragic character, use your common sense to order your points in terms of how good they are.
Ie, which ones sound the most profound? Which ones do you have the most impressive evidence to support (remember, you must ALWAYS support with evidence - usually multiple pieces of evidence).
Then simply start to write your essay.
Basic overview
Always make sure you're directly answering the question and always make sure you're referring directly to the genre and how she fits into it in terms of comedic conventions, audience reaction etc.
You should try to use technical vocabulary wherever possible: Enjambment, imagery, hyperbole, lexical field etc.
Studying for this essay - Some advice
Ok people, here are the basic things which you need to keep in mind when you're writing this essay.
1. Don't be overwhelmed by it. All you need in order to complete a draft is a good knowledge of the play, and a good knowledge of what elements traditionally make up a Shakespearean comedy, and/or comedy as a whole. You have all had this in class, so you have the basics.
2. Keep in mind the word limit. Do NOT go more than 15% over the word limit, or we will have HUGE problems. This should bring you some comfort, as you will soon realise that 1400-1500 words is not much at all, and you will probably spend your time whittling down your points to make your most impressive argument.
3. Do not PLAGIARISE - EVER! I will go on to explain about researching online in a minute. This is a very useful study technique, but you must NEVER directly copy the words of another, or try to pass their thinking off as your own. If you read something really interesting and you want to include it in your essay, speak to me and I will tell you how you should include it/credit the writer.
4. The internet is, quite simply, full of useful stuff. The study guide which I linked you to in the last post will give you a fantastic overview of what you need to know. I'm sure that if you looked long enough, you'd probably even find complete essays that you could copy huge chunks from. Obviously, you aren't going to do that. The consequences of such actions are potentially disastrous for you.
Just do LOTS OF READING AND RESEARCH on the following things:
*The conventions of comedy - what makes a text funny?
*The conventions of SHAKESPEAREAN comedy - what are the usual signs and indicators?
*What was a Shakespearean audience like? What would their attitudes have been towards things like gender, courtship, power, class, marriage, death etc? (any theme which is relevant to 'Much Ado) In essence, you should feel like you 'know' the people who were watching the play first time around.
*If you are commenting on a particular scene, read the various online study guides which are available (such as cliffnotes). The best thing about writing about Shakespeare is that hundreds of people have been there before you. USE other peoples' knowledge - don't steal it!
*If you want to focus on how close comedy/tragedy can be, quickly read a summary of 'Othello'. This is a famous tragedy of Shakespeare which shares many similarities with the COMEDY which you have read. Isn't that weird? Unusual? Yes, it is. So it's worth mentioning at least once in your essay if it is relevant.
1. Don't be overwhelmed by it. All you need in order to complete a draft is a good knowledge of the play, and a good knowledge of what elements traditionally make up a Shakespearean comedy, and/or comedy as a whole. You have all had this in class, so you have the basics.
2. Keep in mind the word limit. Do NOT go more than 15% over the word limit, or we will have HUGE problems. This should bring you some comfort, as you will soon realise that 1400-1500 words is not much at all, and you will probably spend your time whittling down your points to make your most impressive argument.
3. Do not PLAGIARISE - EVER! I will go on to explain about researching online in a minute. This is a very useful study technique, but you must NEVER directly copy the words of another, or try to pass their thinking off as your own. If you read something really interesting and you want to include it in your essay, speak to me and I will tell you how you should include it/credit the writer.
4. The internet is, quite simply, full of useful stuff. The study guide which I linked you to in the last post will give you a fantastic overview of what you need to know. I'm sure that if you looked long enough, you'd probably even find complete essays that you could copy huge chunks from. Obviously, you aren't going to do that. The consequences of such actions are potentially disastrous for you.
Just do LOTS OF READING AND RESEARCH on the following things:
*The conventions of comedy - what makes a text funny?
*The conventions of SHAKESPEAREAN comedy - what are the usual signs and indicators?
*What was a Shakespearean audience like? What would their attitudes have been towards things like gender, courtship, power, class, marriage, death etc? (any theme which is relevant to 'Much Ado) In essence, you should feel like you 'know' the people who were watching the play first time around.
*If you are commenting on a particular scene, read the various online study guides which are available (such as cliffnotes). The best thing about writing about Shakespeare is that hundreds of people have been there before you. USE other peoples' knowledge - don't steal it!
*If you want to focus on how close comedy/tragedy can be, quickly read a summary of 'Othello'. This is a famous tragedy of Shakespeare which shares many similarities with the COMEDY which you have read. Isn't that weird? Unusual? Yes, it is. So it's worth mentioning at least once in your essay if it is relevant.
Essential Reading
For those of you who are struggling at all to get your teeth into the coursework questions, read the following sites.
http://www.shmoop.com/much-ado-about-nothing/literary-devices.html A general study guide to comedy in the play (and a whole plethora of points you can make in your essays. You'll just need to make sure you have evidence to back them up with!
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheSevenBasicPlots an overview of Booker's 'Seven Basic Plot Types'. If you fancy having a read.
http://www.screenr.com/8a8 - A homemade video which sums up the comedic elements in the play. It's not bad
http://www.shmoop.com/much-ado-about-nothing/literary-devices.html A general study guide to comedy in the play (and a whole plethora of points you can make in your essays. You'll just need to make sure you have evidence to back them up with!
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheSevenBasicPlots an overview of Booker's 'Seven Basic Plot Types'. If you fancy having a read.
http://www.screenr.com/8a8 - A homemade video which sums up the comedic elements in the play. It's not bad
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