Choose one of the following topics:
Theme Essay
Option 1: In Glaspell’s Trifles, a division between male and female spheres arises and deepens as the play progresses. Explain how staging is essential to reflecting and revealing this division. Be sure to discuss set, stage directions, and placement of characters onstage. Primary Source: Drama Text and Secondary Source: Play Performance
Option 2: In The Importance of Being Earnest, describe the dynamics of the male/female relationships as the progress in the play and how Wilde portrays this social mating game and inversion of gender expectations through character development. In a world in which the stereotype of women is as fragile, delicate, innocent flowers, is that what we see? Or, as in the animal kingdom, are the women here the hunters (and the men implicitly the prey)? Primary Source: Drama Text
Comparative Essay
Write an essay that compares/contrasts the way two or three of the elements of drama in Trifles and The importance of Being Earnestcontributes to their theme or sub themes. You might choose to analyze the setting or characterization, or an element of plot etc. Make sure that you discuss the connection of the theme(s) to the elements of drama and have defined your concepts clearly. Primary Source: Drama Texts
Film Adaptation Essay
What makes a successful film adaptation of a stage play? Construct a Mise-en-scene analysis of several of the cinematic elements including shot (framing, angle, and camera movement), sound (including music), lighting, and editing within The Importance of Being Earnest. You may either focus your analysis on the performance in general or on particular scenes. You must compare and contrast the use of these cinematic elements as well as its contribution to the overall message and artistic presentation of the film or the scene comparatively to the drama work presented as a play or to the text. Sources: Film 2002 version, Youtube play and or drama text.
Requirements for the Drama Essay:
Appropriate introduction with creative background on the play, writers, and or the elements of drama, with a clear and sound thesis that responds to one of the above prompts.
Body paragraphs should have topic sentences that support the thesis as well as concluding/transition sentences.
Solid quotation with parenthetical references –name and page numbers after the quote. Min two quotes per body paragraph. If citing from the film use: (The Importance of Being Earnest) as citation, no need to time stamp quotes etc. Also an accurate Works Cited page at the end of the essay.
Proper insightful conclusion
4-6 pages Typed and submitted to canvasby day of our final
A Level will need, in addition to the above:
At least 4.5 full pages excellently written as an innovative, creative, and perceptive response to the assignment.
Thesis has a depth and quality to it that engages the prompt and expands on the implications of the drama prompt.
The organization of the body paragraphs is clear, coherent and reflects a careful writing process with thorough analysis and support. Have two-three highly effective integrated quotes per body paragraph in proper format with smooth transitions.
Include correct MLA in-text citations and works cited etc.
Meet all aspects of the “A” level on 301 rubric
