Topic: Hamlet and Oedius the King

Preferred language style: English (U.S.)

English 1302 Paper 3

Assignment: Write a 4-6 page essay analyzing how plot, characterization, theme, diction, melody, and/or spectacle contributed to making Oedipus The King and/or Hamlet tragic. To succeed at this assignment, you will need to do the following:
1) Review Aristotle?s theories on tragedy, and his six elements of tragedy.
2) Decide whether you will analyze a couple of elements in both plays, or more elements in one play. Part of the challenge here is making sure that you appropriately narrow your topic so that you can adequately address it in the time you have.
3) Take a stance on how the playwright(s) use different dramatic elements to make the play(s) tragic, and create a specific, arguable thesis, which you will then work to support with literary analysis throughout the rest of your paper.
4) Support your thesis with logical theories and arguments, which are based on a critical analysis of quotes, examples and passages from the writers? plays. Keep in mind that you want to focus on interpreting and analyzing the plays, not just retelling them.
5) Assume that your audience is made up of readers who are initially opposed to your idea. To convince them to change their minds, you need to have a paper that is free of faulty logic, holes, over generalizations, and unsupported assumptions. Your analysis should be in-depth and detailed, and go beyond just scratching the surface of the issue.
6) Your paper should contain wording that is clear, concise, and detailed.
7) In addition, your paper should include examples taken from at least 6 academic sources as well as solid, in-depth analysis of those examples to demonstrate your ability to elaborate on your main points and engage in meaningful, critical thought. At least 1 of the sources must be from an academic journal. Only 1 source can be from a website. (Please note: the library?s databases do not count as a website).
8) Please use MLA citation for in-text citations and your bibliography. You can find guidelines for this style in The Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers. You must include a bibliography and in-text citations with each draft of each paper unless the instructor specifies otherwise. Any paper that uses outside sources of information and does not have these will not meet basic submission requirements and will receive a score of 0%. In addition, any paper that presents wording, information, or ideas from an existing source as one?s own work may be viewed as plagiarism.
9) Your paper should be typed. Please double-space your essay, and use 12-point Times New Roman font as well as 1-inch margins. The paper should be printed on standard white paper and stapled before being submitted.