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Speak your speech, I pray you: ENG 266 Mid-term Exam Okay Shakespeareans, You’ve been waiting for this

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Speak your speech, I pray you: ENG 266 Mid-term Exam

Okay Shakespeareans,

You’ve been waiting for this.  Here’s the Mid-Term.  So far, we’ve read and discussed Big Willie’s Romeo and Juliet, and Merchant of Venice.  Below you’ll find ten choices; out of the ten choose one (only one) to respond to in an essay.  Obviously, as an essay it has to have an introduction, with thesis, support, and a conclusion.  The essay can be as long or as short as you wish, though my guess is the choices will require at least two pages.  You should refer directly to lines, scenes or events from the play you’re discussing as part of your support.  You do not have to use MLA style unless you want to.   The Mid-Term should be emailed to me, not posted on Blackboard, at tcole@lagcc.cuny.edu.  You can use Word, Google Docs, or send it as a PDF (though I can’t comment directly on a PDF, but I’ll send you comments along with your grade; for Word or Google Docs, I’ll return the essay with comments and a grade directly on it).  Be creative, daring and have fun (seriously  $%"#).  Your essay is due Monday, February 7^th. 

 Your choices:

Here are five choices using Romeo and Juliet.

1. Is Romeo a good example of the “courtly lover”?  (I gave you material on this in the Big Willie section.)  Why or why not?
2. I also gave you material in the Big Willie section on the Humours.  For these four characters: Juliet, Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt, what do you think is their dominant “humour” and why do you think so?
3. A number of Shakespearean critics argue that Juliet becomes increasingly mature over the course of the play.  Do you agree or disagree with this thought?  Why or why not?
4. At the end of the play, the Prince of Verona issues the ominous statement that “Some shall be pardoned, and some punished.”  Who should be punished and who pardoned at the play’s end?
5. Now this is really hard.  There’s a lot of hiding in this play.  Romeo tends to hide all the time.  Why?  What does this show about his personality?

By the way, the first image is from a 1996 film version of the play with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.  The scene shows the Montagues.  Leo is Romeo, and their guns, incidentally, are a brand called “Swords.”

And here are five choices using Merchant of Venice.

1. Could The Merchant of Venice be performed successfully as a four-act play?  In other words, a number of critics argue that the fifth act doesn’t really add

anything to the play.  Would you, as a director, keep it in or cut it out?  You must explain why you would do one or the other.

2. Obviously, money and its importance is a recurrent theme in The Merchant of Venice.  Illustrate how it affects any three characters of your choice.
3. Describe the relationship between the three major female characters, Portia, Nerissa, and Jessica.  How do each of them perceive the others?  Hey, to me Jessica seems a bit jealous of Portia, and Portia and Nerissa seem to have almost a sisterly relationship.  But you should not necessarily agree with me.
4. This is hard.  Look at three scenes of the play that feature Shylock.  In each of the scenes that you choose, is he a figure of fun (to be made fun of, or laughed at), a villain, or a persecuted human being?
5. This is harder.  Many Gender-based critics suggest that Bassanio and Antonio have a homosexual or at least homoerotic (fantasies, but no physical sex actually taking place) relationship.   How would you describe the relationship between Antonio and Bassanio, and why?  Make sure you refer to the text for support.

The image is from a 2005 film version of Merchant of Venice.  It shows (from left to right) Jeremy Irons as Antonio, Al Pacino as Shylock, Lynn Collins as Portia, and Ralph Fiennes as Bassanio.