When you identify a part of the play that sparks debate and poses an interpretative problem, it will be part of the play that raises an important question in which you could create a well reasoned and sustained argument. The question that part of the play raises could look like one of these:

Make an argument that answers an interpretive question that you raise about The Tempest. Support your argument with close reading and use secondary texts to indicate and engage with other points of view concerning the question that you raise. You might begin with the historical texts that we studied in class, and you should also refer to at least two sources that you find through your own original research.

When you identify a part of the play that sparks debate and poses an interpretative problem, it will be part of the play that raises an important question in which you could create a well reasoned and sustained argument. The question that part of the play raises could look like one of these:

What is the central conflict in the play?

What is the ultimate significance of the actions that are taken, or set in motion, by Prospero in the play?

What is the character and purpose of Prospero’s magic?

What is the significance of Prospero’s propensity to lie, to withhold information from others, or to remain opaque and not respond directly to questions that he is asked?

What is the significance of Prospero’s secrecy for the development of the play’s narrative?

What is the cultural meaning of the relationship between Prospero and Caliban?

Once you’re done with the first part (choosing a question or creating your own), the the majority of the time spent on this assignment should be used on the second and third parts of the assignment. The second part asks you to present what you find to be the most persuasive way of answering the interpretative problem that you selected. The third part asks for you to produce a convincing argument in support of your answer. The argument (the third part) provides support and a rationale for your proposed answer to the interpretative problem. It is the heart of this assignment. It is what you should spend most of your time working on, and it is what most of the writing that you do for the assignment should consist of.

P.S: The files that are all available in this order are the historical sources (given by the prof). The ones that I want you to use two of are found in the annotated bibliography order, feel free to choose any.

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