1. Aristotle notes that the tragic hero is a man who is "eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty [a 'tragic flaw' within the person]." Oedipus' actions in fleeing Corinth to avoid killing his father and in pursuing truth to rid Thebes of the plague seem to show a man who is good and just. His killing of Laïos and his stubbornness in seeking his father's murderer seem to indicate a tragic flaw. Arthur Miller's idea of the modern tragic hero emphasizes the clash between the character and the environment, especially the social environment. He says that each person has a chosen image of self and position and that tragedy results when the character's environment denies the fulfillment of this self-concept. Othello seems civilized in Venice as he calms Brabantio's and his own men, but in the rougher world of Cyprus the view of himself as noble and heroic vanishes when, instead of war, the social tumult that Iago creates engulfs him. Write an essay in which you compare the degree to which the characters Oedipus and Othello actually fit Aristotle's OR Miller's definition of the tragic hero. In other words to what degree can you demonstrate that Oedipus', or Othello's "tragic flaw" is exclusively within the person (Aristotle) or is caused by a clash between the person and the environment.

2. Harry Levin, in his introduction to The Rverside Shakespeare, says: "A Shakespearean phrase, like a musical theme, is subject to orchestration. Developed through a sequence of repetitions and variations, modulated into changing harmonies, and counter-pointed with other themes, it can set forth a distinguishing pattern of thought. Sometimes a key word, which invites careful scrutiny, illuminates the basic idea of a play." In a well-organized 5 page essay, trace either the words related to sight in Oedipus Rex or the word "honest" through Othello and show how Sophocles' or Shakespeare's use of a word illuminates the basic idea of his play.

3. Compare or contrast the Iocaste in Sophocles's Oedipus Rex with the Jocasta in Ruth Eisenberg's poem "Jocasta". Make sure you find a thesis which is both arguable and significant.

Format: Use the descriptions given earlier. You must annotate quotes from the play this time. See p for the correct method (parenthetical) to indicate where in the play you took the quote from. Reminder--please do Not use a cover sheet. Also, put only my name (in the left-hand corner )and the title at the top of the first page, make sure you have page numbers, and put your name, the course title, and the date at the end of the essay. Any deviations from instructions will lower your grade.