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Citing Shakespeare, Both In-Text and on the Works Cited Page

Hello, all,

Here are examples of how to cite Shakespeare both within your writing. If you are writing about Othello, I have provided you with the citation you should use on your works cited page.

In-Text Examples:

DO NOT USE PAGE NUMBERS. Instead, you will place the Act, scene, line numbers in parenthesis:

For instance, Roderigo refers to Othello as “Thick-lips,” a racial slur that plays on the stereotype of people with African origins having large lips (1.1.72). Similarly, Iago attempts to provoke Brabantio by graphically describing how Othello is having sex with Desdemona, stating “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe” (1.1.97-98).

Works Cited Citation for Othello:

Fall 2022 Course Opportunity: Queer Melancholia

I will be teaching a course in the fall for any of you who are interested. Below is the course description.

ENGLISH 25149: Queer Melancholia (Tues/Fri, 1:00 – 2:15 PM)

In our contemporary moment, public discourses about queer life and history often demand an unrelenting positivity or optimism (e.g. LGBTQ+ Pride, It Gets Better, etc.). While there are certainly good reasons to advance the project of imagining a brighter, more inclusive future, it seems equally important to resist the impulse to minimize or ignore the traumas of the past, many of which still haunt queer individuals and communities today. This course explores a range of works through the lenses of queerness, melancholia, and other negative affects—depression, grief, shame—in order to consider what happens when we refuse to turn away from the darker stories, histories, and emotions of queer life. Broad questions we will consider include: How might the refusal to “get over” personal and/or historical trauma provide avenues for meaningful critical, creative, and political work? How might an embrace of melancholia and other “negative” emotions help to foster a sense of queer belonging? What do we gain by encountering stories in which happiness is ultimately refused or made unavailable? To approach these questions, we will consider works by figures such as Sara Ahmed, James Baldwin, Carmen Maria Machado, and Marlon Riggs.

Conference Schedule Sign-Up Available at 9:00 PM TONIGHT (5/3)

The conference schedule sign-up sheet will be emailed to you tonight at 9:00 PM.

Conference slots will be available on Wednesday, 5/11; Thursday, 5/12; Friday, 5/13; Monday, 5/16; and Tuesday, 5/17.

When signing up for your conference slot, please keep in mind the following.

On the following days, you have the option to conference with me either in person in my office (HW 1238) OR over Zoom.

  • Wed, 5/11
  • Thurs, 5/12
  • Tues, 5/17

On the following days, you can ONLY conference with me over Zoom:

  • Fri, 5/13
  • Mon, 5/16

Notes on Model Thesis Statement

Here are some notes on why the model thesis statement we considered in class is so exemplary.

THESIS:

Although Shakespeare originally presents Othello as a character that resists the racial stereotypes cast upon him by the supporting characters in the play, these other characters ultimately capitalize on Othello’s racial otherness to bring forth his downfall, forcing Othello to internalize the very stereotypes he avoided. Othello’s sudden shift in demeanor and openness to Iago’s machinations suggest a deep-seated, insurmountable, and internalized racism within Othello, thereby illustrating Shakespeare’s reinforcement of the racist stereotypes prevalent in Elizabethan society.

WHAT MAKES THIS GOOD:

This thesis is an ARGUABLE CLAIM. In other words, it makes an interpretive argument about Shakespeare’s Othello. Someone could potentially disagree with this thesis

(For example, someone could say that Othello’s fall is not due to internalized racism but is instead due to his fragile masculinity.)

Because someone could potentially disagree with this thesis, it requires that the author present textual evidence from the play and secondary resources and that the author analyze this material.

This thesis is also good because the author does not just offer an interpretation of Othello (that Othello negotiates a “deep-seated, insurmountable, and internalized racism within Othello, thereby illustrating Shakespeare’s reinforcement of the racist), but also makes an argument as to WHY this interpretation is significant: it helps us to better understand the racist stereotypes in circulation in Shakespeare’s society.

SO IN CONCLUSION:

A good thesis will include 1) a concrete and detailed interpretive argument of your chosen text (Passing or Othello) and 2) a statement as to why this interpretive argument is important (Does it offer us insight into the novel/play’s historical context? Does it offer a new way of thinking about gender norms? Does it offer a way of thinking about the novel/play that is not immediately apparent to readers?).

Discussion Post #6: Responding to Millan

After closely reading Diego A. Millan’s article “Intimacy and Laughter in Nella Larsen’s Passing,” please complete to following assignment.

Note that when you submit your comment, you will no longer be able to see it. I am hiding your responses from one another this week to encourage you to think through Millan’s article independently before we talk about it together in class.

Your response should be two full paragraphs in length.

Your first paragraph will be an overview of the article and the argument Millan makes. Specifically, please summarize in your own words Millan’s thesis statement. Additionally, provide an overview of the major points Millan makes throughout the article to support this thesis. You might also consider the kinds of sources Millan uses.

In your second paragraph, comment on whether or not you were convinced by his argument. If so, state specifically what about it was so convincing to you. For example, was there something specific about his analysis of the novel itself that you found compelling? Or were you struck by his attention to the novel’s historical and cultural context? Something else? If you were not so convinced, why not? What about the argument didn’t work for you? Is there something specific from the novel that refutes any of Millan’s claims, in your opinion?

Submit your response by Tuesday, 4/12, @ 2:00 PM.