As I've said many times in class now, the basic approach we've been taking this semester to William Shakespeare's comedies and histories has been to explore the works within their own historical context, then, armed with this understanding, to explore the works' relevance to us today.

For this assignment, I want you to take a comedy or history (not a tragedy or a romance -- Cymbeline, A Winter's Tale, The Tempest) that we have not covered in class and apply this same approach to it on your own.

This means you need to spend time in your essay explaining potentially "lost" meanings of words, personal and societal situations, fashions, customs, laws, etc., that existed in Shakespeare's time that have changed today. This will require research on your part, properly presented.

You will also spend time in your essay discussing the play's current relevance, a discussion hopefully aided by your research of past relevance.

There's no need to split this work 50/50. Rather, have the parts be as long as you need to make the points you wish to make. Remember, I don't have answers to these questions already prepared, and I'm bored with plot summary. This is all about your ability to come up with personal interpretation. Don't worry about being "correct," as much as about working towards your own understanding of the play.

The essay should be about 5-6 pages long. It is due Dec. 4th.