English literature Essay ( 3-4 pages ) Due: Dec 11th

© 2017 Fidel Fajardo-Acosta. This document and all its contents are copyrighted material and may not be reproduced or distributed to others in any form, in whole or in part, without

explicit written permission from the copyright holder.

ENG 220-A: F. Fajardo-Acosta Fall 2017

Final Exam Essay

Length:

3-4 pages (750-1000 words). It is fine to write more and go beyond the maximum length provided the discussion is useful in the addressing of the assigned topic

Due:

Wednesday, December 13, 5:00 PM

Submission:

Send word-processing file in Microsoft Word (.doc. docx), Open Office (.odt), or Rich Text Format (.rtf). NO PDFs OR OTHER FORMATS PLEASE.

Name your file: YourLastName-YourFirstName-FinalEssay.doc (or .docx, .odt, .rtf, depending on the format used by your wordprocessor)

Send your file as an email attachment to [email protected]

Assignment:

Write an essay interpreting the possible significance and implications of the conversation of Hamlet and Laertes as they are about to begin the duel that will result in their deaths (Act 5, Scene 2, lines 227- 255):

Hamlet Give me your pardon, sir: I have done you wrong, But pardon't, as you are a gentleman. This presence knows, and you must needs have heard, How I am punished with a sore distraction. What I have done That might your nature, honor and exception Roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness. Was't Hamlet wronged Laertes? Never Hamlet. If Hamlet from himself be ta'en away, And when he's not himself does wrong Laertes, Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it. Who does it then? His madness. If't be so, Hamlet is of the faction that is wronged; His madness is poor Hamlet's enemy.

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© 2017 Fidel Fajardo-Acosta. This document and all its contents are copyrighted material and may not be reproduced or distributed to others in any form, in whole or in part, without

explicit written permission from the copyright holder.

Sir, in this audience, Let my disclaiming from a purposed evil Free me so far in your most generous thoughts That I have shot my arrow o'er the house, And hurt my brother.

Laertes I am satisfied in nature,

Whose motive in this case should stir me most To my revenge: But in my terms of honor I stand aloof, and will no reconcilement Till by some elder masters of known honor I have a voice and precedent of peace To keep my name ungored. But till that time I do receive your offered love like love, And will not wrong it.

Hamlet I embrace it freely,

And will this brother's wager frankly play. Give us the foils. Come on.

Laertes

Come, one for me.

Make sure to note the specific textual evidence to support your ideas and fully explain how it proves your points (i.e. quotations and observations are not self-explanatory -- you need to complement them with analysis, discussion and clarification of their significance).

Feel free to refer to details or ideas from other passages of the play or other works read this semester, provided the references are relevant to the interpretation of the given passage.

Write clearly and get to the point. Deal with one idea at a time, fully explain and support it, and then move on to other issues (one idea per paragraph is a useful way of organizing your essay). Consult the Writing Guidelines and read the Grading of Essays and Other Written Work (attached).

All language and ideas derived from outside sources must be clearly acknowledged where they occur in the body of the essay and in a list of works cited at the end.

© 2017 Fidel Fajardo-Acosta. This document and all its contents are copyrighted material and may not be reproduced or distributed to others in any form, in whole or in part, without

explicit written permission from the copyright holder.

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