ENGL 339: Shakespeare
Dr. Debora B. Schwartz
English Department, California Polytechnic State University
Information on the Final Exam
The Final will be worth 300 pts., equally divided between the 150-pt. objective sections and the 150-pt. essay (possibility of GWR certification). The Final Exam will be very similar in format to the midterm exam, with the addition of a 25-point memory passage.
The Memory Passage section will require you to transcribe 20 consecutive lines from a play read in class. You earn one point for each correctly transcribed and positioned line (20 points maximum; you may transcribe more lines than 20 to create a cushion against errors). No penalty for spelling and punctuation errors. Scoring is by line, not by mistake (so you could make six errors in one line and still miss only one point). One point penalty for each omitted or incorrect line; one half point penalty for each line that is correctly transcribed but out of order. Reproduce lines of verse as they appear in the book (don't run them into a paragraph of prose). You may choose lines from the scene or monologue you presented in class, but if you were part of a group performance, you must transcribe 20 full consecutive lines (as numbered in the Signet Classics edition) -- not just your part. For dialogues, be sure to indicate who is speaking (abbreviations are fine). You will also need to specify the play and the act, scene and inclusive line numbers transcribed (this info is worth 5 pts.)
Passage IDS will be chosen ONLY from the three plays read since the midterm exam (Macbeth, Hamlet and The Tempest). You will be required to identify two passages from each play--no credit for a third ID from the same play. (Some passages from quizzes may reappear on the exam!) No E.C.--identify ONLY six.
Video section will focus exclusively on Olivier's Hamlet and any clips from other versions that were screened in class. (You will need to be able to identify those versions by director and year.) As on the midterm, video questions will require you to identify SPECIFIC NON-TEXTUAL DETAILS from the video, to explain what INTERPRETATION of the text they convey, and to indicate on what TEXTUAL PASSAGES that interpretation can be based. Review Discussion Board postings about Olivier's Hamlet as well as your notes from the video discussion.
ALL OTHER SECTIONS OF THE EXAM will cover material from the ENTIRE COURSE.
FACTUAL QUESTIONS (a BIG CHUNK of objective exam points). Same format and types of questions as on midterm. There will be particular emphasis on background material since the midterm (the online readings Tragedy; Revenge Tragedy; review of Problems with Shakespeare's Text; Establishing a Text: The Example of Hamlet; Romance; assigned sources of The Tempest; and the historical backgroung material on the Tempest Study Guide), but there will ALSO be coverage of material from the first half of the course (including some questions from the midterm -- be sure to PREPARE material you didn't know then!) You are advised to review ALL online readings, paying particular attention to information in bold and to the characteristics and conventions of different genres. As you prepare, recall the type of questions that were on midterm: basic biographical info; dates and publication details for all six plays (quartos, First Folio, base text used for editions); authors (and languages) of sources and models for the genres/plays read in class; literary terminology; etc.
To prepare: Review all online readings and any class notes concerning background material. Review required secondary readings (especially the assigned sources of The Tempest -- their titles, authors/translators, languages, and SIGNIFICANCE).
The Essay will be worth 50% of the exam points. While you may pace yourself as you see fit, the essay is supposed to take up to half of the three-hour exam period. There will be a number of prompts to choose from, all of which deal with one or more issues brought up in the study guides for Macbeth, Hamlet and/or The Tempest. REVIEW THESE STUDY QUESTIONS, as well as the discussion board postings you found most insightful, your notes from class meetings, and the GWR Essay Writing Pointers to prepare for the essay portion of the exam.
Additionally, all prompts will ask you to make connections between two plays, at least ONE of which must have been read since the midterm exam. You MAY NOT write on the same PLAY that you chose as the focus of your final out-of-class essay (50 PT. penalty if you do!). NOTE: you MAY include analysis of the same play you chose as the focus of your midterm exam essay, but only if you focus on a different aspect of that play so that you do not cover the same ground as you did on the midterm exam essay (50 pt. penalty if you write on the same topic AND play). Finally, you MUST write on AT LEAST ONE PLAY READ SINCE THE MIDTERM EXAM. AUTOMATIC PENALTY OF 50 PTS. if both plays discussed are from the first half of the quarter.
Because I evaluate exam essays according to the same standards that I apply to out-of-class writing (except that there's no direct quotation or documentation on a closed-book exam), you should be THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR with the PAPER GUIDELINES and the CHECKLIST provided for your out-of-class writing and endeavor to apply them to your exam essay. Pay particular attention to the instructions concerning the introductory paragraph and argumentation; also review the GWR Essay Writing Pointers. Unless I can tell from your opening paragraph which prompt you selected, what work(s) you are writing on, and precisely what you will argue about it/them, your exam essay will NOT earn GWR CERTIFICATION -- and is unlikely to earn more than a C, regardless of the quality of your observations.
Don't forget to purchase a LARGE FORMAT EXAM BOOK and bring it with you to class!
Your Introduction should make clear which prompt was chosen and explicitly state the specific interpretation you will defend in essay -- a debatable position based on textual analysis and interpretation (not just accurate observations or plot summary). The introduction should provide a "roadmap" of your argument (a sort of narrative outline of your paragraph structure). The organizational structure of the essay should be based on a logical demonstration of the validity of your interpretation (not e.g. the order in which events occur in the play). Making an outline helps! Be sure to include references to specific scenes and speeches from both plays in support of your argument.
To prepare: Review study questions and class notes for each play, concentrating particularly on common themes, structures and techniques. Thoughtfully reread plays if you are not sufficiently familiar with them.
EXAMS TOTAL (50% of the final course grade) will be calculated by adding your scores on the midterm and final exams and dividing by the total number of exam points. The resulting percentage determines the letter grade that will be averaged with your paper total (original and rewrite) and your quiz/attendance total to determine your final course grade. Since the final is worth more points, a strong final can make up for weak performance on the midterm exam!!
Because my exams are meaty, you will probably need the full three hours. If you do not know the material well, you may have difficulty finishing the exam in the allotted time.
HINT: Even if you prepare thoroughly and breeze through the exam, you are strongly advised to use the full time allotted to you. Should you be tempted to leave before the end of the allotted time, don't! Instead, use that time to PROOFREAD EXAM CAREFULLY. Verify that you have followed instructions exactly in each section. Make sure you have answered all required questions on objective portion, but NOT more than are required on a section where there is choice. (Unlike the reading quizzes, there is NO E.C. for doing more than the specified number of IDs; you will simply lose time and points, since any answer that's wrong or incomplete will count off!) Go back over your essay, PROOFREADING for spelling, punctuation, grammatical errors, and effective argumentation (clearly stated thesis; logical development of argument; adequate and relevant textual support for each step in the argument; clear conclusion). This is particularly advisable if you are seeking GWR certification. If you find that you STILL have extra time, add more detail (or more examples) to the textual support in your essay.
A substantial amount of objective material will be thoroughly covered on the exam.. This 50% of the exam will test your knowledge of:
You will have the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the most significant issues in individual works and your ability to make meaningful connections among these works .
- Basic biographical and background information on Shakespeare and his era as covered in the assigned Signet Classics introduction and class lectures." (Note: you will NOT be tested on the interpretations offered in the individual introductions to each play -- but they provide insights that may help you formulate your ideas.)
- The factual information provided on study guides and other online readings and/or e-reserve readings.
- Each play's printing history (from the Textual Note at the end of the text -- know dates!) and primary sources (from background portions of online readings and guides and from the Note on the Source found at the end of each text).
- The two required videos (questions based on the video assignments); you are also responsible for the individual scenes from other video versions which were shown in class (know directors and dates and be able to distinguish between them).
This part of exam will have some combination of multiple-choice, matching, T/F and fill-in-the-blank questions covering background information, as well as a passage ID section (similar to reading quizzes). There will be choice on SOME sections only. Expect:
To prepare for these sections, review material covered in study guides and other online readings, handouts and LECTURES (review class notes!)
- Passage IDs: passages chosen will be similar to those on reading quizzes (in fact: some quiz passages may reappear on exam!!) There will be three passages from each play; you will have to select two from each play.
- Factual questions concerning genres, poetic forms, literary influences, literary terms, biographical information and historical events, including significant dates and the year(s) of composition for each of the plays. There will NOT be choice in this section; you will be expected to answer ALL questions.
- Video Questions based on the video assignments and specific scenes from other video versions which were screened in class.
HINT 1: be sure you know the significance of any words (names, languages or terms) that appear in bold in the online study guides and other online readings.
HINT 2: review names of characters in the plays!!
- Go through factual and video sections quickly; come back to problem questions at end of exam. Remember: it's better to miss a few 1-point factual questions than to write a weak essay when the essay is worth 150 pts.
- Do NOT answer more questions than required in a section where there is choice; there is NO EXTRA CREDIT for additional answers, and all wrong answers count against you.
- For questions you ARE required to answer, it's better to guess than leave a blank!
- Do Passage IDs before essay (to remind you of key passages); refer back to passages when considering choice of essay topics.
- If there is a Passage Interpretation section on the exam, work on your essay first. Because the ESSAY is worth 50% for the exam points, focusing on it first is better use of limited time.
- If you want GWR certification (and even if you don't):
- In the first paragraph, reformulate the prompt and lead up to a fully articulated thesis (not just a statement of your topic).
- Outline before starting to write.
- Reserve at least 50 minutes for the essay (don't agonize endlessly over 1-pt. objective questions).
- Indicate clearly that you want your essay evaluated for GWR certification, or it won't be.
- Yes, you will have choice on many sections of the exam, but you are strongly advised to have read ALL material covered in class -- it will not be possible to camouflage large gaps.
- Again: you will need to be well prepared in order to complete all sections of the exam in the allotted time; expect to use the full three hours.
- While I am known as a demanding tester, I am proud that students consider my exams to be fair. (I don't believe in playing "Gotcha!" with my students.) If you are well prepared, there should be no surprises on the exam -- unless you are surprised by the fact that the exam really DOES cover what I say it will!
- Don't forget to buy an exam book (large format, please) and bring it with you to class.
- Get enough sleep the night before and don't skip breakfast and/or lunch!
- IT IS FREQUENTLY HELPFUL TO STUDY WITH A FRIEND!!
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