School Notes

Students will analyze one (or more) of the following plays:

• Oedipus the King
• A Doll’s House
• The Importance of Being Earnest
• Trifles
• Death of a Salesman
• A Raisin in the Sun
• Fences

Choose one of the following:

A) Focusing on one or more characters from a play, analyze the ways in which the character(s) changes (or remains static). What motivates the character to change? What can readers learn from the character’s transformation – or from a character’s refusal/failure to change?

B) Compare / contrast two characters from a single play – or compare/contrast two characters from two different plays. In your analysis, consider some of the following: character development (flat vs. well-rounded), motivation, choices, reactions, emotional growth (or lack thereof). It is up to the student to create a focused thesis statement. (Tip: Develop a specific opinion based upon your compare/contrast analysis.)

C) Identify and evaluate the messages / themes of August: Osage County. Argue whether or not readers can any valuable “life lessons” from the play.

D) Analyze the symbols within the play (the objects, actions, people, animals, people) which represent something more than its surface appearance. As you explore what the symbols represent, argue whether or not the symbolism adds to the emotional and/or intellectual experience of the play.