General Overview:

Your final research paper is the longest and most important assignment in English 2 because it is your opportunity to prove that you can write and research competently at the college level. Based on our class discussions of drama, you will write and research an 1800 word paper (the bibliography will not be included in the word count) that answers one (1) of the following research questions:

Prompt 1: In class we’ve spent a lot of time talking about the classical idea of the qualities that can be found in a tragic hero. Choose 2 of the following characters – Hamlet, Laertes, Antigone, Blanche Dubois, Troy Maxson, Rose Maxson and argue whether or not they should be considered tragic heroes and why you came to your conclusion. Note: You cannot choose to write on two characters from the same play. You must choose characters from different plays.

Prompt 2: Because drama is meant to be performed in front of an audience, it is vital that a successful play feature a compelling and complex protagonist. The plays that we have read have featured a variety of interesting female characters that have all been flawed in one way or another. Despite their flaws, who do you believe to be the two strongest female characters from the dramas we have read and why? Your paper should make a clear argument for which character you believe to be the absolute strongest, and why that character deserves to be considered a stronger woman than your choice for runner-up. It will also be up to you to define what makes a ‘strong female character’ in your opinion.

Prompt 3: One recorring theme that we’ve seen emphasized in all our plays complicated nature of our characters’ families and family life. It’s fair to say that all of the family relationships that we’ve seen portrayed in our 4 plays have had their issues, but should we call them all dysfunctional or can we still find strong, supportive family units in the plays that we’ve read? Do the family issues that we’ve seen in these plays stem from characters who are well meaning-yet-flawed in their relationships, or from characters who are mean-spirited, selfish, abusive, or who otherwise lack redeeming characteristics? For this prompt, argue which families you believe represent the most

Research Requirements:

For this paper, you will be required to use five (5) secondary sources that are appropriate for an academic paper to bolster your argument. ‘Use’ here means that the secondary must be quoted or paraphrased and cited in-text within the essay to receive research credit; sources listed on a bibliography but not cited within the essay will not count towards the research requirements. Remember to include a bibliography of your research with your work, either within the same word document as your paper or as a separate attachment. Also remember that the story you’re analyzing is a primary source, and does not count as a secondary source (for the purposes of this paper, anything in your textbook will be considered a primary source and won’t ‘count’ towards your secondary research requirement). Failing to follow the research requirements will result in failure for the assignment.

N.B.: Sparknotes, Wikipedia, Shmoop, 123helpme, Yahoo Voices, Gradesaver, the Dictionary, etc are not considered appropriate academic sources. If you use them to help brainstorm make sure to cite them on your bibliography, but they will not count towards your 5 required sources. The library website features a database of literary sources that you might find helpful, such as jstor.org, Literary Sources, and Academic Search Premier. You can find these resources here:

http://smc.edu/AcademicAffairs/Library/Pages/Liter…