Dr. Michael Delahoyde
English 205 -- Spring 2013
Washington State University

I. IDENTIFICATIONS. "Tedious and brief?" [Total 30 points.]

The same as before: identify who says "Lord, what fools these mortals be," or "Kill Claudio," or who is the patron saint of shoemakers? -- that kind of question, taken from the materials of the second half of the term: Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and other in-class materials. This "merry war" will take place during the scheduled class period, Friday, April 19th. Then you will say, "These wounds I had on Crispin's day."

II. QUOTATIONS. "Merry and tragical?" [Total 40 points; answer 8 for 5 points each.]

A combination of identification and, more importantly, significance questions will follow quotations from the materials of the second half of the semester, extracted for their representativeness of our discussions over key points these weeks. If you read the plays and paid attention in class, only a close review of notes is necessary for preparation. My website notes may be of use also. "I'll devise thee brave punishments," but it is advisable that you convert all your sounds of woe into hey nonny nonny.

III. TAKE-HOME ESSAY. "Hot Ice." [Total 30 points.]

Answer the following question thoroughly and precisely, and aim for about four (4) pages, double-spaced. The essay should be a virtuoso piece of brilliance manifested in impressive eloquence, with facile reference to specifics and quotations from the Shakespearean texts where appropriate.

Key to becoming a scholar or thinker is that you move beyond just answering questions and learn how to articulate what the appropriate questions are in the first place. Now that you've been through a good portion of Shakespeare's works, create a valuable Shakespeare essay question of your own, perhaps focused on a particular quotation from one of the recent plays. Avoid the obvious, contrived, or trite. State this question at the beginning of your essay and then and answer it at length. The question should lead to discussion of several plays and/or Shakespeare works we have looked at this semester.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

IDENTIFICATIONS

"I woo'd thee with my sword,
And won thy love doing thee injuries;
But I will wed thee in another key...."

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"And as I woo'd for thee to obtain her,
I will join with thee to disgrace her."

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"Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably."

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"This star of England."

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"It is the wittiest partition that ever I heard discourse, my lord."

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"For we have now no thought in us but France,
Save those to God, that run before our business."

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"She died, my lord, but whiles her slander liv'd."

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QUOTATIONS

"Friendship is constant in all other things / Save in the office and affairs of love."

How does this principle apply to each of the last three plays of the semester?

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". . . the scene
Is now transported, gentles, to Southampton;
There is the playhouse now, there you must sit...."

Identify the speaker and the play.
How is this moment peculiar, compared to normal transitions?
What does this suggest about Shakespeare's subtler message here?

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"Thou toldst me they were stol'n unto this wood;
And here am I, and wode within this wood...."

Explain the pun (the three meanings of wood/wode in this play).
For what literary genre (beyond "play") is this a typical setting,
and what state of mind does this setting signify?

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"Kill Claudio."

Who says this to whom?
This moment occurs shortly after what famous scene?
How is this a significant turning point in the play?

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