ENGL 152A

Dr. A. Eastwood

Essay 2

1500 words

Choose one of the prompts below and write a 5-6 page essay (typed, double-spaced) that makes an argument about the topic provided.  Use MLA format for in-text citations, but a works cited page is only necessary if you consult texts other than those required for this course. 

1. In several of the texts we have read so far, the playwright explores the various meanings of a particular word.  For example, “silence” in Epicoene, “fairness” in The Fair Maid of the West Parts 1 and 2, and “heart” in Tis Pity She’s a Whore.  Select an image, metaphor, or idea expressed through the use of a particular word from either A Roaring Girl, Epicoene, Fair Maid of the West Part 1 and/or 2, or Tis Pity and trace its deployment throughout the play.  Your essay will take shape around an overarching argument that you make about the use of this term, theorizing about how the playwright might be using it to construct a particular meaning.  Essays that simply catalogue the various ways the word is used will not be considered appropriate responses to this assignment and will be graded accordingly.

2. Choose an important passage (15 lines or more—you might choose an epilogue or prologue) or scene from The Roaring Girl, Epicoene, Fair Maid of the West Parts 1 and 2, or Tis Pity She’s a Whore and make an argument about how that passage conveys a central or pivotal message about the play.  Prove your claim by performing a careful close reading of the text. 

DUE DEC. 10th