The Tempest Summative Assessment

Criteria A, B

Choose a character and explore how Shakespeare presents their actions. Denounce or exonerate them for their actions. (Crit A, B)

Antonio

Ariel

Caliban

Ferdinand

Miranda

Prospero

Reminders about how authors characterize characters in their work:

Direct characterization, or explicit characterization, describes the character through their physical description, line of work, or passions and pursuits. The writer makes direct statements about a character’s personality and tells the reader what the character is like.

Indirect characterization, or implicit characterization, describes a character through their thoughts, actions, speech, and dialogue. The writer reveals information about a character’s personality through his/her words, actions, and thoughts, along with other characters’ responses to that character (what they say and think about him/her). Indirect characterization shows the reader, guiding the reader to make their own conclusions about a character.

In developing a character analysis, remember that a character analysis presents the reader

with a thoughtful examination of a character. Evidence to support your perspective must come from the work itself.

For your summative, you will:

1. Choose a character in The Tempest to analyze. You may choose from:

1. Antonio

2. Ariel

3. Caliban

4. Ferdinand

5. Miranda

6. Prospero

2. Write a strong thesis statement about Shakespeare’s presentation of your character’s actions. Analyze how Shakespeare characterizes your character through their actions, and whether their actions are “right” or “wrong”.

· Thesis should

· Address the prompt (answer the question)

· Say what you’re going to prove (your perspective)

· Show how you’re going to prove your point (be specific and telegraph the points that you’ll make to support your perspective)

3. Create an outline. This includes topic sentences and multiple quotations for each of the means of character depiction that you chose. Try to choose evidence that you have to explain so that you are able to analyze it thoroughly.

· Topic sentences should make a specific point to support your thesis

· Topic sentences should be clearly connected to your thesis

· Quotations should clearly support the point of your topic sentence

· Quotations should be formatted according to MLA guidelines

4. Write your essay, including an introduction, conclusion, and at least three body paragraphs with a strong piece of evidence (either quotation or paraphrase) in each paragraph.

5. Write a full MLA-formatted citation for The Tempest.

Below are the possible characterization techniques Shakespeare uses for a character:

· His or her actions/behavior

· His or her appearance

· His or her goals (needs, wants, motivations)

· His or her job/line of work

· His or her speech

· How he/she describes him/herself

· How others describe him/her

· Obstacles, and how s/he addresses them

· Other characters’ reactions/responses to him/her

· Manner of communication with other characters

· Reactions/responses to other characters