Posted: September 13th, 2017

Project management

Project management

Discussion questions

chapter 13, chapter 14 and chapter 15
Links needed to complete assignment:
Copy and paste the links into internet explorer for access to short story and chapter 7 which should be reference in paper.
Class book:  https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG125.10.2/sections/ch00
Ashford library:   http://library.ashford.edu/index.aspx
List of poems, short stories and dramas:  https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG125.10.2/sections/list

1.    Using the play Riders to the Sea (Synge) as an example, discuss what elements and qualities make drama unique as a literary form. Support your ideas with textual evidence from Synge’s play. In your post, take into consideration how the literary themes of Riders to the Sea relate to the dramatic form.

2.    Shakespeare’s Macbeth is often considered one of literature’s greatest tragedies and is said to reveal much about human nature. Do you agree or disagree that the play conveys much about humanity or about the human experience? What, if anything, does the work suggest about human beings or society? Support your views with textual details and analysis.

In your response, address how Macbeth’s subject matter, themes, form, or other literary elements might (or might not) be characteristic of tragedy. How do tragic qualities of the play contribute (or not) to the story’s larger message(s)?

3.    Throughout this course we have explored the similarities and differences between the literary forms of the short story, the poem, and drama. For example, one major difference is that both poetry and drama frequently place a strong emphasis on performance before an audience that is physically present, while the short story is more commonly intended for individual reading.
With that said, it is important to remember that all literary works cannot always be easily classified into a single genre. Moreover, literary works which might be classified as belonging to one genre might possess many qualities more typical of other genres. For example, Shakespeare’s Macbeth is classified as drama, but in many respects takes the form of poetry. In other words, sometimes the differences between categories like drama, poetry, and the short story are not so easily defined. Often a short story might contain poetic or dramatic qualities, or a poem might include narrative and dramatic features.

In your post, summarize the major similarities and differences between the forms of drama, poetry, and the short story. Demonstrate your ideas with textual examples from the course readings. In your response, include at least one example of each literary form. If you wish, you may also point to examples which indicate the blurring of literary genres (e.g., the poetic qualities of Macbeth or the dramatic elements of Gift of the Magi).

4.    All literature involves some kind of performance which is intended for an audience. Sometimes, however, the performative quality of a work (i.e., the fact that it is being presented to an audience) is more obvious than at others. Drama and poetry, for example, tend to emphasize overt performance more than do short stories, which more often are read silently and in solitude.

How is the more direct performative aspect of drama and/or poetry reflected in these forms? (Consider for example, each genre’s uses of literary structure, language, technique, and style.) How do these literary elements affect your reading experience?

In your post, identify key qualities of drama and poetry which emphasize their performative qualities. Discuss how these characteristics shape your reading response. Support your views with at least one example of a dramatic text and one example of a poem.