Compose a two-page paper in which you write an analysis of the assigned drama’s speech. Start by identifying what you believe to be the play’s “definitive moment” (the most important, conclusive, ultimate passage). This moment may be related to plot or a character. Either way, once you find it, analyze the speech featured at this point in the play.
Considering the following questions may help you gather your thoughts, but, your essay should do much more than merely list the answers. As in the paper that you wrote for Week 1, the current essay should have a thesis (main claim) and argue it using supporting evidence from the play. End your paper with an appropriate conclusion.
• Why is the speech in the play’s definitive moment important?
• What matters most in this speech—what the characters say or what the subtext implies?
• Did you anticipate the events/ideas in the play’s definitive moment as you read previous passages, or were you surprised?
• If you anticipated the definitive moment, tell why. Were there hints about it or did you get a clue from your general knowledge of drama? What makes this key speech important in terms of plot and/or character development?
• Does the speech give you new insights into the play’s meaning(s)?
• Does the speech reveal something new about one or more characters?
• Does it offer a “moral” or serve to teach a lesson?
Keep in mind that when analyzing literature, you can identify several reasonable interpretations of an important event, and this assignment gives you a lot of room to be creative. You and your classmates are likely to identify different passages as the play’s definitive moment. Even if several of you pick the same speech, your interpretations of it may be different. There is no one “right” answer for this assignment.
Please arrange your paper using APA style and employ excerpts from the play to support your ideas. Include in-text and reference citations, also formatted in APA style. At this point, there is no need to use “outside” sources to complete this essay. For now, your evidence should consist of experiential knowledge (what you have learned throughout your life) and the play’s text. Quoted material should never exceed 25% of the document.