This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

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Assignments

Papers

Students are required to write three papers, plus a substantial revision and expansion of the first paper. Successful writing in this course will largely depend on the organization of each essay, the strength of the reasoning, and competence with the fundamentals (spelling, punctuation, grammar, and syntax).

The following table gives brief descriptions of the paper assignements, along with two examples of student work (courtesy of the anonymous MIT students and used with permission).

ESSAYS TOPICS SAMPLE STUDENT WORK
Essay 1

What do the witches mean/represent in Shakespeare's Macbeth? (5 pp.)

With the understanding that there isn't a "right" answer to this question and that scholars continue to argue the meaning of the witches, consider the role of the witches from your own point of view, taking into account in particular what you have learned about the social history of witchcraft at the time of Shakespeare.

  
Essay 1 revision and expansion Either expand the original discussion or add material relating to any one of the adaptations of Shakespeare's Macbeth that we have studied. Compare the role of the witches in Shakespeare's play to the witches in Verdi's Macbeth or to the spirit in Kurosawa's Throne of Blood, asking whether in these later adaptations the witches "meant" the same thing. (8 pp.)  
Essay 2

Develop a paper on Faust in consultation with your section instructor. Material can come from material discussed in class or from other examples. (6 pp.)

Results: For instance, Prof. Harris asked her section to engage directly with the readings on learned magic, alchemy and astrology and to include some comparison of Goethe's Faust with Gounod's Faust in terms of their argument. The students worked on a range of topics, such as opposing roles of religion and demonology, science and the supernatural, and academic integrity and the contract with the Devil.

"Power and Humanity in Faust and Aladdin" (PDF)

"Blame and Innocence in Faust" (PDF)
Essay 3 Write an analysis/critique of the content and presentations of the oral reports. (6 pp.)  

 

Note on Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious offense that involves using another person's words or ideas without acknowledging the source of the information. This can be considered intellectual theft. All written work must be either your own or appropriately cited. Plagiarism can, at a minimum, result in a failing grade in this course.

Oral Presentations

At the end of the semester, several class sessions are devoted to preparing and delivering group oral presentations on aspects of the works considered in the last third of the course. Each group of about five students will work together to create a coherent presentation in which each student speaks in turn for about 3-5 minutes. The groups will be divided half and half between the general topics of 1) Spiritualism and Henry James's Turn of the Screw and 2) Henry James's Turn of the Screw and Britten's opera.