What is each of the sources contributing to the conversation, and what questions do you have about them?

1)
Research papers should be a minimum of 2000 words. In most cases,
your paper should focus on one play. Cite a minimum of six sources
(at least three of which are peer reviewed critical articles relevant
to interpreting your play).
2)The
paper should not be simply a report of what other critics have said,
or a report on a historical topic (like pirates or staging
practices), however. The heart of this paper is literary (and/or
dramaturgical) analysis. You must have a strong central argument
about the signicance of the play, and support that argument with
close readings of the play’s language. The argument of this paper
should be based on close analysis of specific passages and
observations about patterns and structures in the play, bringing in
relevant historical context as needed.
For
the Proposal and Annotated Bibliography,
you need to
–select
an issue, pattern, or problem in one or our plays or maximum two of
our plays.
–carefully
reread the play and look at the world choice, imagery, structure,
repetition, etc. Examine the details of the text, as they are
relevant to your issue and/or pattern.
–once
you have begun to narrow your topic, and have some idea about what
you want to say, do an MLA search and find out what scholars have
said about this issue and play. Identify a debate or discussion that
your paper can contribute to. ***The point is NOT to echo what
others have said. Instead, you are looking for some sort of “gap”
in the scholarship where you can make a contribution. You can make
your contribution using
–close
readings of the play’s language
–historical
information or other texts (such as the homily of the state of
matrimony, Hic Mulier and Haec Vir, or the historical documents and
texts in the appendices of our introductions)
–theoretical
insights into how the scholarly conversation has been framed, and
what may not have been considered.
–The
proposal
is actually a short paper where you identify the topic and
provisional thesis or the underlying question that your thesis will
answer. In the proposal, position
yourself in a scholarly conversation about your topic, citing a
minimum of 3 articles or book chapters as part of this
“conversation.” You do not have to cite these sources at length,
but you can use them to position your argument, using a “they say-I
say” approach. In addition to these “conversational” sources,
you are welcome to cite more sources to fill in historical context or
other information.
–For
the annotated
bibliography, list the works you have
consulted as if they are in a Works Cited list. Additionally, after
each secondary source, summarize the source in your own words in two
or three sentences. (If an abstract is provided with the article, do
not cut and paste that abstract! Summarize the article in your own
words.) Then, explain
how you respond to this source, or what questions you have about this
source. As Professor Nadeane Trowse
might say, your paper is like a party, and you have invited all of
these “sources” to the party. What
is each of the sources contributing to the conversation, and what
questions do you have about them? Use the “they say/I say”
moves.