Some Topics for Paper #2
due March 4, 2002
length:
about 1250 words
Apply
Bacon's discussion of human error to the mistakes made by characters in Othello
and The Tempest.
Discuss the theme of lying vs. truth-tellling
in three of the following works: Genesis, Utopia, Ralegh’s "The Lie," Othello,
Bacon's "On Truth"
Compare and contrast ways in which one character
is created and developed in the Bible, a play by Shakespeare, and one other work
[see "A paradigm for literary study]
Select an emblem or picture and relate
both its content and its form of expression to passages in one or more of the
works we have read, for instance, Wither's emblem on Truth-- http://emblem.libraries.psu.edu/withe172.htm--
in relation to Bacon's essay on Truth and to Psalm 1
A discussion of a poem by Donne or Herbert centering upon their use of
Biblical references found in the Bible
Browser
A discussion of the literary elements of one of Bacon's essays--e.g.
beginning, middle and end, uses of figurative language, parallelism, contrast
and paradox
Compare and contrast a single poem by Donne or Herbert with
one of the Psalms
Discuss the theme of private property and wealth in
the gospel of Matthew, Utopia, The Tempest, and Bradford's "Of Plymouth
Plantation."
Compare/contrast
a poem by Bradstreet or Taylor with a Biblical poem or a poem by Donne or Herbert
[English 204 only]
Discuss one or more poems by Donne or Herbert or Taylor
in light of the descriptions of the "conceit" or extreme metaphor by
Tesauro on page 1606-7
Look up the word "Ecstasy" in the OED
and compare and contrast versions of this experience as described by Donne and/or
Herbert and/or [204only]Edward Taylor and/or the writers of Psalms and The Song
of Solomon.
The ideas of freedom [or liberty] vs. bondage [or slavery]
in Exodus and Matthew, The Tempest, Bacon's "Of Truth," On Plymouth
Plantation, "Aereopagitica" and Paradise Lost, the poems of Donne and
the poems of Mary Wroth [choose any two works]