Thematic Analysis Paper

This paper should be 750-1000 words, in paragraph (not list or bullet point) format, using good
sentence structure and proper grammar, punctuation and spelling.

1. Choose one or two (no more) central themes from the play you are working on.
2. Discuss how these themes (central, controlling ideas) work either
a. structurallythat is, how they tie the play together so that the action is clear and
connected
b. symbolicallythat is, how they reveal deeper truths or concerns of the author

Note: Please make sure to be specific and cite different (presumably the most important)
examples of where this theme occurs in the play and how it helps us to understand what its
about and how it works as a play.

Example: If you look at the theme of hypocrisy in Hamlet, you could discuss how the various
examples in the play (Claudius, Hamlets concerns, Polonius self-serving advice to Reynaldo,
etc.) show a world that is not quite what it appears to beor at least calls into question what we
imagine to be truth. Or you could look at the image pattern of ears that are attacked (it sounds
strange, I know, but it recurs soooo many times in the play) to show how the various elements
are tied together thematically as well as structurally.

In class: I will ask you to present a short (2 minutes-ish) summary of what your analysis is, and
then we will use that as a springboard for discussion.