dreamdust

a day without hyperbole is a day wasted

Essays

A selection of my old school essays, which some of you may or may not find useful. Don’t plagiarise. It’s a crap thing to do.

*** ENGLISH LITERATURE ***

Mansfield Park – Jane Austen

  • “… though Mansfield Park might have some pains, Portsmouth could have no pleasures.” Bearing in mind the recent intentions of Henry Crawford, how far do you sympathise with Fanny during her stay in Portsmouth? Read essay…
  • Taking one of the characters to whom we are introduced in the early chapters of the novel, show how Jane Austen manages our understanding of him/her. (Mrs Norris) Read essay …
  • What do the events at Sotherton reveal to the reader about the younger characters? Read essay …
  • “Sir Thomas’ return made a striking change in the ways of the family, independent of “Lovers’ Vows”. Under his government, Mansfield was an altered place. Some members of their society sent away, and the spirits of many others saddened, it was all sameness and gloom, compared with the past – a sombre party rarely enlivened.” In light of this quotation, comment on the significance of the Theatricals in “Mansfield Park”. Read essay …

The Homecoming – Harold Pinter

  • In Harold Pinter’s “The Homecoming”, to what extent is violence the most important tool of power? Read essay …

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis de Bernières

  • Louis de Bernières believes in the triumphant goodness of human life and its ability to continue. How is this belief shown in “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” Read essay …

Othello – William Shakespeare

  • Show how Shakespeare develops the characters of Iago, Desdemona and Othello in Act One. Read essay …
  • Show how Shakespeare demonstrates the contradiction between public face and private morality in “Othello”. Read essay …
  • “Iago is not the only character who is not what he seems”. Discuss this view of characters in “Othello”. Read essay …

The Merchant’s Tale – Geoffrey Chaucer

  • Consider Chaucer’s view of marriage as presented in The Merchant’s Prologue and Tale. Read essay …
  • “‘The Merchant’s Tale’ is full of menace.” Discuss the contribution of menace to the effectiveness of this tale. Read essay …
  • “‘The Merchant’s Prologue and Tale’ is startlingly modern whilst remaining firmly rooted in a mediaeval context.” How far do you agree with this? Read essay …
  • Discuss Chaucer’s use of variety in “The Merchant’s Prologue and Tale”. Read essay …

Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

 

*** HISTORY ***

The French Wars of Religion

  • Explain the changing fortunes of the Huguenots in France in the period 1560 – 1589. Read essay …

The Revolt of the Netherlands

  • “It was less any particular ability on the part of the Dutch than the foolishness of Philip II himself which decided the outcome of the Dutch revolt.” Discuss. Read essay …

Religion under Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I

  • “In the period 1559-1611, England undoubtedly became a Protestant nation.” How convincing is this claim? Read essay …
  • Consider the judgement that religious policies in England in the period 1529 – 1558 had essentially secular aims. Read essay …

Politics under Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I

  • How fragile was the authority of the rulers of England 1536 – 1558? Read essay …

 

*** THEATRE STUDIES ***

  • With reference to some of the issues in “A Doll’s House”, what advice would you give to an actor preparing to play the role of either Torvald or Nora? (Stanislavski / “A Doll’s House” ) Read essay …
  • Brecht wanted stage presentation to be closer to the atmosphere of a boxing ring. Discuss how his use of technical and visual elements aimed to create this. (Brecht) Read essay …
  • Stanislavski and Brecht sought to challenge the theatrical conventions of the day. Compare the specific ways they attempted to do this. (Stanislavski / Brecht ) Read essay …
  • Evaluate how design factors were used to enhance the impact of any production you have seen. (Red Shift’s “Hamlet” ) Read essay …
  • With detailed reference to one theatre event you have seen, assess how the production elements created an impact on you. (“The Tempest”) Read essay …
  • As an actor, select one character from “The Seagull” and discuss how you would create the role, bearing in mind its function in the plot and its relationship to other characters. (“The Seagull”) Read essay …
  • With close reference to the text and action of “The Tempest”, show how the role of Caliban could be interpreted in performance in order to bring out the character’s functions in the play. (“The Tempest”) Read essay …

SARAH DOOW PHOTOS

High quality photographs available as prints, cards and postcards

The veg patch

NEW YORK

Five days in the Big Apple - now read all about our adventures!

Danger of Death!



Give people fair warning before they mess with your stuff!
Mugs, T-shirts, bags etc available at CafePress.com

Search the site