Tempest Paper: Hour 5

For this assignment, I want you to COMPARE and CONTRAST the movie version of the play to the text.  Clearly, the director of the movie had to make many choices in terms of both language and casting.   This should be a 2-4 page paper, size 12 Times New Roman font, one inch margins, without spaces between paragraphs. 

1.)     Prospero is a woman (mother) in the movie, although in the play Prospero was a man (father).  What effect does this have on the play and your interpretations?  Examine specific lines and speeches, as well as the physicality of the character.  Consider Prospero’s relationship with Miranda—what is being said about parent/child relationships?  What is being said about forgiveness?

2.)     Prospero is a woman in the movie, although in the play Prospero was a man.  What effect does this have on the play and your interpretations?  Examine specific lines and speeches, as well as the physicality of the character.  Consider Prospero’s relationship with the slaves/spirits as well as the men from the shipwreck/past.  What is being said about forgiveness?

3.)     What was your opinion of Caliban’s character in the movie?   Is that how you pictured him?  Is that how you imagined he would act?  Look at specific lines and speeches, as well as the physicality of the character.  What does this say about the nature slavery?  Do you pity him?  Why or why not?

Your process should be something like…

1.)     Pick your topic (one of the three)

2.)     Go through your book and find places/specific language that relates to your topic

3.)     Analyze these places in writing: What is being said?  How do you think it should be played to best convey the meaning?  Use actual lines from the text and be original—no one will have the exact same interpretation.

4.)     Consider the movie and analyze it in writing: What worked?  What didn’t work? Was meaning lost or gained?  Did you like the interpretation?  Use specific images and references to audio.

5.)     Conclude: So what?  What is Shakespeare saying about parent/child relationships, forgiveness, or slavery?

6.)     Check your thesis (it should NOT be “are alike” or “are similar” but deal with the theme you chose)—makes sure you are consistent throughout and write a TIGHT analysis.

**A thesis statement is a single declarative sentence that states what you want your readers to know, believe, or understand after having read your essay.

·         You will keep revising your thesis statement as you revise/write your essay. Where the thesis statement is most important is at the end of the process, during revision.

·         You want your essay to come to a point, to have a clear thesis that every reader will understand.

·         LET’S HOLD HANDS!  You need to put your thesis in your introduction in order to help the reader understand where your paper is headed.

This paper is DUE January 20^th with at least one draft and a completed peer editing sheet.  It will be the last grade of semester one.