TH310 Term Paper Comparative analysis of the innovative forms of drama from Ancient Greece, Elizabethan England, and contemporary America
Your critique will be approximately 1000 words in length — typed and double-spaced. Form and content will be evaluated in your writing.
Compare and contrast Sophocles Oedipus, Shakespeares Hamlet, and Mirandas Hamilton as works of dramatic art that express the mythic journey of the tragic hero. Focus your analysis of the title characters by utilizing the terms that Aristotle described in the Poetics and that we have studied this semester (i.e., hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis). Why are they heroes, not anti-heroes? Each of the three plays reflects the aesthetic values, culture, and social-political context of their unique societies. Consider the functions these plays serve(d) for their diverse audiences in ancient Athens, Elizabethan England, and modern America today. Describe the audiences relationship to the story (i.e., empathy, catharsis), the poetic language, and the innovative performance styles. How do the themes and subject matter of the three plays intersect? Do the three societies share values or similar histories? Please explain with specific examples. Identify commonalities and differences relating to symbol, character, and dramatic structure. How do the protagonists/tragic heroes – Oedipus, Hamlet, and Hamilton – transform from the beginning of the plot to the end?
Conclude your paper by answering why having knowledge of these plays is important and what we can learn from them in our world today. What does Hamilton, in particular, say about us as a modern society (specifically the United States today)?
Your essay needs a thesis statement that you will provide evidence for in the body of your paper. Include quotations from the play, particularly language that supports your interpretation and analysis.
