This essay assignment will call on you to stage a “conversation” between two or more sources you select in your research. You may select any play listed on the course syllabus. I suggest you also use one of the secondary readings from our syllabus, and that you address the focus that this piece takes on Shakespeare (race, gender, sexuality, etc.) in some way, but this is not strictly required–you may choose to write on any scholarly sources or debates you’d like.

You can approach this “conversation” a number of ways, but here is one idea of how you can proceed:

1)Find one article or book chapter on a play and topic that interests you and give a brief summary of it (again, this can be something we have read for class, or it can be generated from your own research): include a discussion of its main arguments, the evidence used to support the argument, the theoretical approach(es) you can identify, and what you see as the key conclusions or interpretations.

2)Then, select a source with which to compare that reading. Discuss how source 1) above responds to this article (or vice-versa) and how you place yourself in this conversation. Do you find yourself drawn to one interpretation over the other, or do you identify more of a synthesis between these two sources?

There are a number of ways you can identify your essay or chapter for step 2); here are some suggestions:

-Identify a source listed in footnotes and/or the bibliography of one of the readings we have used this term.

-Perform a search in Google Scholar for one of our secondary texts and identify a source that cites it (note the “cited by” link in the results).

-Use the MLA International Bibliography to find an essay on a similar topic to an essay or book chapter we have read. Use keyword searching on relevant terms to generate a list.

You should also feel free to talk to me about identifying your essays if you are having a difficult time finding something.

Once you have found your second essay, read it and discuss how the main essay engages this source in “conversation.” How is it responding to, building upon, or otherwise engaging with the claims of the cited author? Do you find a synthesis to these positions? What do you find especially useful in building your own ideas or arguments about the play in this “conversation.”

Your essay should be about 4-5 pages, double-spaced, and should make an argument or attempt to answer a central question or problem (such as those suggested above). It should follow MLA style for all citations and adhere to the guidelines outlined in my style sheet. It is due by Friday, October 30th.