BM1 - Introduction to Literature - Assignment 2: Richard III/Model Solution
We gave a maximum of 25 points on each question. 100 points could be gained.
- under 35: 6
- 36-49: 5
- 50-50: 4
- 61-70: 3
- 71-80: 2
- 81-100: 1
Question 1
Give a structured summary of the following text passage of the 1597 quarto edition of Richard III.
The Question was designed to lead you into giving a structured summary of a small piece of text. The recapitulation of the passage gave up to 15 points. Any answer which reflected structures got into the range of better marks. Structures could be given contentwise e.g.:
- the Duchess's lamentation - including Richard's attemt to console those on stage,
- Richard's asking for his mother's blessing, his receiving it and his wondering about the scope of the blessing
One could also see a monologue vs. dialogue structure. We did not have one single option on our minds.
If you failed to see vital aspects of the interaction - e.g. if you did not notice the whole part of the blessing, that led to a reduction of points.
Additional points were made with commentary on the communication, the seriousness of the interaction (does Richard actually try to console these people?)
Question 2
Locate the passage within the context of the play
An attempt to summarize the plot made up to 12 points. If you located the passage within the summary that could bring you into the range of 13-15 points. If you were able to tell what a position this scene found in the whole play - what step is reached here, why do we have this scene in the play and at that moment - any argumentation ilucidating the scene's position brought you into the range of the 17 to 25 points.
Question 3
Identify and briefly define three rhetorical elements from the dialogue (you may use the folio edition to widen your choice).
The easy way to get these points was to identify three figures of speech, name them, explain them and tell why they are used (rhetoric is effective speech - hence to what effect are they used?)
The interesting answer was that which reflected the aims and the levels of style which characterised the different speeches.
Question 4
Compared to the 1597 and the 1623 editions of Shakespeare's Richard III, the Arden edition followed a modern decision to read Richard's lines 109-111 as an aside. Would it be possible to play this passage not as an aside? How would that affect our perception of Richard's character?
As this question was aimed at making you think about different choices, there were not only those two options to choose between (neither one was right or wrong) but also several ways to approach the question. If you offered pro and contra reasons for both alternatives, leading a logical, precise and proveable argumentation and then deciding on the one, which was more probable according to your line of thoughts, you were likely to reach full credit. If you only gave arguments for one option, omitting the other but nevertheless arguing convincingly, you were given up to 20 points. It was also a good idea to think how your decision would influence a change in Richard's character, his interaction with others and give reasons based on other passages of the drama, e.g. the scene with Lady Anne, where Richard does, in fact, change his strategy within a short period of time and can be surprisigly open about his deeds.
