Drama Essay
Has to be the same play you wrote about for the discussion Read all material listed in the Learning Activities folder. Participate in the discussion located at the Discussion Board link on the course menu. Write an essay of 500-750 words on the use of a single literary device used within one of the dramas you read for this lesson. Be sure to: Include an outline. Use MLA format. Include a Works Cited page. Create the essay with the understanding that this is not a book report. Don’t summarize the play, as that is only appropriate for a sentence or two in the introduction. Explain how a literary device was used in the drama by offering examples of the device and analyzing their importance in the play. Cite examples from the story in support of your argument using proper MLA format (quotations for direct citations, as well as parenthetical references for both these and paraphrases). Check the syllabus for the due date. In this final unit, you will practice applying the skills of analysis to one of the assigned plays. When reading the plays, keep in mind the rhetorical elements of drama: elements of plot (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, flashback, foreshadowing) characterization (which might include a comparison of significant foils) staging theme impact of historical or cultural events that influenced the play any other aspect of fiction can also be used such as symbolism or setting All of these aspects help to create meaning for the reader. Which rhetorical element creates the greatest meaning? That is the element that you will want to address in your analysis essay. This analysis essay is merely a “reader response” essay again, no research needed. State your claims about the text using only evidence from the play to support your points. in-text citations of quotes from plays differ from short stories and novels. If a one-act play, the page number should be included in the in-text citation. Since the plays are digital, there usually are not page numbers so ensure that the author’s name is in the introductory paragraph. If the play has multiple acts, then the act, scene, and line numbers should be included in the in-text citation. Not all plays will have this information available, but most include at least the act and scene numbers (so just include those). The essay only needs to be about two pages in length. *All essays must be formal, so do not use 1st or 2nd person or contractions. And, the essay should have a Work Cited page with only the play listed. The author’s full name and the title of the play should be in the introductory paragraph. (Titles of plays, whether a one-act or multiple-act play, should be in italics, not quotation marks.)
