Begin by summarizing the article’s main points using quotes, paraphrases, and principles explained in
They Say / I Say. Find places in the article where you agree with the author and places
where you disagree or would like to add something, but you must use specific textual
evidence from the play to do so.
Use one or two paragraphs in your essay to identify a dominant theoretical lens used in the
article. Would an alternative theoretical approach deepen the analysis, and if so, how?
You do not need to engage the entire article! Choose your entry points into the discussion
thoughtfully.
You will be engaging four “voices” simultaneously; 1) the play’s text and 2) the play’s
subtext, 3) the voice of one peer-reviewed article and 4) your voice.
Your analysis/interpretation should reference a moment or an episode from a cinematic
version or adaptation of the play. Alternatively, it could also be the cover of a book cover or
a poster from a particular edition or a poster for a play or movie production, as long as that
cover sheds some light on how one might interpret your chosen theme. The point
is to be clear in the use of visual rhetoric in your analysis.
For cinema, use the language mentioned in Some Cinematic Terms and, if appropriate, in
the document entitled, Narratology terms.
You MUST use specific textual evidence (i.e., quotations) to support your claims.
Unsubstantiated claims, even if correct, will not be recognized. If the text doesn’t explicitly
state what you want to show, you must paraphrase in your own voice to say what you think
is implied (sub-text) and WHY you think that (transparency of thought process).
the whole play doesn’t have to read just whatever you see fit.