Choose one of the following and compose a short essay in response to each (this section is worth 100 points: Essay possibilities (write an essay, 700+ words) 1. According to two texts we’ve read/seen this semester, consider: do human beings have any control over their lives? What influence do outside forces have on us? How can we tell if they are good or bad, for us or against us? Compare and contrast what two texts say about what controls life—human action or fate/destiny? 2. According to Much Ado about Nothing, what is the foundation of a desirable relationship? What is indicated in the play’s language about relationships that adhere to cultural norms and those that reject the popular trends of masculine and feminine stereotypes? How does this compare or contrast with either another literary text that we’ve read and its depiction of relationship norms? 3. Using two texts we’ve read over the course of the semester and discuss the depiction of gender roles in each. Compare/contrast how femininity and masculinity are idealized and represented. How do these depictions compare/contrast with current discussions of gender and sexuality? 4. Examine the similarities and differences between the original text of Much Ado about Nothing and the film version of that text that we watched in class. Craft an essay in which you take a position on whether the film is an authentic and thorough representation of the text. Were there any significant alternations, errors, or omissions in the film that effected the themes Shakespeare embedded? Explain. 5. Choose one of these characters: Benedict, Claudio, Beatrice or Hero. Does the film of Much Ado About Nothing accurately represent this character? Explain your analysis of the way the character is portrayed in the movie and in what way that representation adds to/detracts from the overall thematic focus Shakespeare intended.
