Assignment 2: 2000-word essay (60%) due 23:55 Sunday 8 January

For this assignment, you must write a comparative essay on at least two of the plays studied for the course.

Pick one of the following questions:

1.     Discuss the role of any one of the following in relation to at least two of the plays studied for this module: time; gender; recognition; fate.

2.     To what extent are the gods, or God, indispensable to an understanding of the tragic action in any two of the plays studied for this module?

3.     Discuss the relationship between tragedy and social status in at least two of the plays studied for this module.

4.     ‘‘Through the estrangement and the decomposition of the tragic protagonist we are brought face to face with the fragility of our identity, and the fragility of the languages through which we make sense of that identity.’ (Hammond) Discuss this quotation with reference to at least two of the plays studied for this module.

5.     Discuss the treatment of ‘endings’ in at least two of the plays studied for this module.

In your essays, you should refer to the recommended editions of the primary materials, details of which can be found on the reading list and module outline.

Please use the SLLF coversheet (available from this section of the QMplus module), and take note of the guidelines on it. 

The word limit for this assignment is 2000, inclusive of footnotes and quotations but not of bibliography. Over-long submissions will be penalized. Submissions should adhere to the guidelines set out in the School’s Handbook for Undergraduate Students. Your work should be properly presented, with correctly formatted references. Pay careful attention also to the warnings on plagiarism. Above all, complete the task set.

Your final version of coursework for this assignment must be uploaded to QMplus by 23:55 Sunday 8 January, as either a Word document or a PDF file (do not use other file formats). Late submissions without an extension will be penalized, as set out in the School Handbook. Applications should be made in advance of the deadline using the online form available on the School’s landing page.

All coursework for this assignment will be submitted via Turnitin. If you wish to see a Turnitin report on your assignment before submitting the final version you will be able to do so. However, you must ensure that you submit your draft version well in advance, allowing at least 24 hours before the deadline to receive and review your report, and amend and upload your final version of the coursework by the deadline. If you plan to review your work more than once, you must plan your initial submission to allow at least 24 hours between reports.