IDSC211: Creativity and the Arts: Guidelines for Writing the Comparison Essay

Introduction

Now that you've looked at two different artistic periods (the Renaissance and the Impressionist) you've seen how one theme can serve as a basis for different artistic interpretations. Take for examine the crucifixion of Christ. Masaccio's version paints a window into the reality of Christ's death so that the viewer feels present at the event. Gauguin, on the other hand, paints a window into his own mind and feelings. He tries make a point about the conflict between eastern and western cultures.

This same phenomenon happens in literature as well. An obvious example is the story of the Greek heroine, Antigone, who defies a king's command in order to give her discredited brother a proper burial and pays for her valor with her life. Jean Anouilh, a 20th century French play-wright, adapted the play as a vehicle for making a statement about the German occupation of France during WWII.

Assignment

After viewing the plays in video form, write an essay (3-5 pages, double-spaced, 12-point type) in which you compare two treatments of the story of Hamlet: William Shakespeare's Hamlet: Prince of Denmark and Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. In your essay examine the two plays carefully in order to make a statement about each playwright's intentions in writing the play. Support your observations with references to the two scripts which you should own. Refer to Act, Scene, and Line numbers (2.4.25-37) for any quotations or paraphrases you use.

Below you will find a list of study questions you may find helpful as you prepare to write. You will also find four suggested thesis statements and three suggested outlines. Feel free to use or adapt these according to your own purposes.

Questions to Ask Yourself as You Prepare to Write . . .

Material

1. What is the basic story which the playwrights use for their plays?
2. How differences do you notice between the plots?

Method

1. What differences do you notice in how each playwright approaches the story?
2. What is the significance of each of these differences?
3. Who are the central characters of each play? Why do you think the author made these the central characters?
4. What problems do the central characters have to solve in each play? How do they do so?
5. What do you notice about the language of each play? How does each author use language in interesting ways? What are your favorite examples?
6. What aspects of the stage, the area where the play is performed, seem important to you? Why?
7. What difficulties do you have watching each version of the play? Do these difficulties have to do with the language the writer uses or with the content of the language?

Meaning

1. What do you think each playwright is trying to say? What is each playwright perspective on the human experience?
2. What passages from the play illustrate these perspectives?
3. How is each play representative of the time period in which it is performed?

Four Sample Thesis Statements

Here are four sample thesis statements written by Steven Hansen. Each one takes a different approach to the assignment. The first takes a literary approach, the second takes a philosophical approach, the third encourages you to write from a spiritual perspective, and the last takes a historical approach. Feel free to use as is or adapt to suit your purposes.

• It is the purpose of this essay to compare the plays Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard, and Hamlet by William Shakespeare. A close examination of similarities and differences in theme, characterization, and symbolism will reveal that although the surface subject matter is similar, the intent of the authors is vastly different.

• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard, and Hamlet by William Shakespeare are two plays written nearly 300 years apart, but with many of the same characters. Tom Stoppard's play attempts to reconstruct many of the themes, characters and symbols of the original Shakespearian script, while adding his own post-modern twist to the venerable material.

• It is the purpose of this essay to look at the themes, characters, and symbolism of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard and Hamlet by William Shakespeare from a Seventh-day Adventist perspective. Special attention will be given to moral and ethical lessons that can be learned from both plays, and the effect that the choices characters make have on the outcome of their lives. The question of predetermination, and how the characters in the play deal with their pre-knowledge of death will also be explored.

• It is the purpose of this essay to look at the legacy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare in contemporary society. The primary example of this legacy will be Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard. Attention will also be given to how the major themes of both plays are used in contemporary rap music and current culture.

Three Potential Outlines For Your Comparison

OUTLINE ONE

Introduction

You are writing for teachers who have read each play, but assume that your reader has never seen either play. Allow yourself 3 or 4 sentences to summarize each play briefly. What happens in the play?

The assignment asks you to compare what each playwright is trying to accomplish in his version of the story. So, offer a statement about what you think each author is trying to say in the play. For instance, you might use these phrases, filling in the blanks with your own observations: Shakespeare examines ... while Stoppard is more interested in ...

Analysis

Identify an aspect or technique about the play that intrigues you and which you think the playwright uses to get across his message . Let's say that you think each playwright makes effective use of strong central characters (which they do). Discuss how each playwright creates strong characters. Explain why you think they are strong characters. Tell how they help to make the author's point. Provide illustrations from the text. Provide the act, scene, and line numbers (2.4.26-27) for each quotation or paraphrase you notice.

Repeat this process with any other aspects or techniques you notice about the play. You might, for instance, want to concentrate on interesting figures of speech (more famous lines come from Hamlet than any other Shakespeare play; watch for them), unusual or interesting staging or set design, background music, interesting devices the directors use (you'll see lots of these in RGD, like the coin that comes up heads each time it's flipped.),

Conclusion

Now that you've analyzed things that each playwright does to make the play work, explain how these techniques or strategies help playwrights communicate an idea or theme with an audience.

OUTLINE TWO

Introduction

Thesis

Themes

Hamlet

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Characters

Hamlet

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Symbols

Hamlet

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

OUTLINE THREE

Introduction

Thesis

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Themes
Characters
Symbols

Hamlet

Themes
Characters
Symbols

A Letter of excuse for those attending the play:

31 October 2002

Dear Colleagues,

The following students are enrolled in IDSC211: Creativity and the Arts, taught by Bruce Closser (English) and Steve Hansen (Art and Art Design). As part of the class requirements they will be attending a dramatic play in Chicago on Wednesday, November 6. They will leave campus at 10 am and return approximately 9 pm. We appreciate your understanding and patience and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience in excusing these students from your classes during this time.

Sincerely,

Bruce Closser and Steve Hansen

Documenting films and books

Here is how you document films and books:

Hamlet, the Book

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the Book

Stoppard, Tom. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Ed. Henry Popkin. New York: Grove Press, 1967.

Hamlet the Movie

Hamlet. Dir. Franco Zeffireli. Perf. Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Alan Bates. Warner Home Video, 1990.

Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead, the movie

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Dir. Tom Stoppard. Perf. Gary Oldman, Richard Dreyfuss, Tim Roth. Buena Vista Home Video, 1991.