make an argument for how Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale is adapting Ovid’s Pygmalion myth.

Length: 5-6 pages, double-spaced, 12-pt. font, Times New Roman (standard margins)
Assignment Description:
For this assignment, you will write a 5-6 page thesis-driven close reading paper on The
Winter’s Tale. In class, we have been practicing close reading poetry and making local arguments
about individual passages. This paper gives you the chance to unite several close readings into a
larger argument. In this paper, I would like for you to make an argument for how Shakespeare’s
The Winter’s Tale is adapting Ovid’s Pygmalion myth.
There are two elements to this paper that bring together two skills we’ve been practicing
together in class: (1) close reading, and (2) discussing adaptation. The first should be in the service of
the second. Your close readings, in other words, should support a larger argument about how
Shakespeare is adapting Ovid’s Pygmalion myth.
To help keep your essay focused, I would like you to focus your analysis on one or two
scenes in the play. While this may well be Act 5, Scene 3 (the statue scene), if there is another scene
in the play that you understand to be engaging with Ovid’s Pygmalion myth, thematically or
otherwise, you are welcome to focus your attention there. While most of your close readings will be
drawn from your central one or two scenes, in developing your analysis, you are also welcome to
support your interpretations with brief pieces of textual evidence from elsewhere in the play to help
you draw attention to common imagery, diction, themes, etc. Your analysis should concentrate not
on what is said, but why and how it is said. What meanings do specific literary devices contribute
to, or produce in, our understanding of the scene(s), and how do(es) the scene(s) help us understand
the nature of Shakespeare’s engagement with Ovid? Regarding the nature of this engagement, as you
begin to brainstorm, here are some questions you might ask yourself: What changes is Shakespeare
making to Ovid’s myth and why? What are the effects of these changes?
While this is not a research project and you will not be seeking out external sources, you are
required to cite the Oxford English Dictionary at least once in your paper, using the format we
practiced together in class. Your use of the OED should support your close reading by illuminating
connotations of a specific word that is important to your analysis. You are also welcome to cite the
Hutcheon chapter on adaptation if you find that useful.
Evidence and the Use and Citation of Quotes:
The source of your evidence in a close reading paper is the text itself (what is said), and
particularly the stylistic choices that determine how something is said (diction, tone, metaphor, etc.).
When using quotes, do not use a quote to reiterate what you have already summarized. Use
quotations instead to support the points that you are making about how the formal qualities of the
text support its meaning. Furthermore, be economic in your quoting. Save block quotations (which
you practiced using in your mini-essay) for passages that you want to examine most or all parts of in
great detail. Otherwise, select only the parts of a quote you actually analyze (instead of a whole
sentence or line, just quote the phrase or word that is pertinent to your discussion). Please use
MLA formatting, which means that you will have both parenthetical in-text citations and a “Works
Cited” at the end of your paper (see the Purdue Owl for MLA formatting guidelines). Parenthetical
in-text citations should include act, scene, and line numbers for Shakespeare, and page numbers for
Ovid. Your works cited page should include an entry for Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, an entry for
Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and an entry for each word (or words) you cite from the OED (see OED
handout for a refresher on how to cite these entries). If you reference Hutcheon, be sure to cite her
chapter, too.
Other Essay Requirements:
The following elements of an academic essay should be included in your paper:
• An introductory paragraph that clearly introduces the authors and works under discussion,
the general topic of your essay, as well as your thesis statement. For more guidance on some
characteristics of good introductions, see the Vanderbilt Writing Studio’s guide to writing
introductions (posted on Brightspace).
• Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence. Think of topic sentences as mini-thesis
statements that come at the beginning of each paragraph and link that paragraph back to the
essay’s main thesis. Each topic sentence, in other words, should make a claim about what
you will say in the paragraph that it introduces, and should also support your essay’s
overarching thesis statement.
• Each paragraph should end with a transition phrase or sentence that looks ahead to the
content of the next paragraph, linking it to the content of the current paragraph.
• Textual evidence in the form of quotations in each body paragraph. Remember to fully
analyze all the quotations you cite (see the above paragraph on “Evidence and the Use and
Citation of Quotes”).
• A concluding paragraph in which you reiterate your thesis statement (not word-for-word,
but remind the reader of your central argument), synthesize the main points of your paper
and highlight how they support this thesis, and suggest the broader implications of your
argument (the “so what” factor). For more guidance on some characteristics of good
conclusions, see the UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center’s guide to conclusions (posted on
Brightspace).
• A works cited at the end of your paper in which you cite all of your sources in MLA, as well
as parenthetical in-text citations throughout the essay.
• A creative title that captures the argument of the paper.
Paper 1 Rubric
Criteria Score
First Draft & Peer Review 4 3 2 1 0
– First draft submitted on time and demonstrates
thoughtful progress toward the final product
– Student was an engaged participant in the peer review
process, providing detailed and thoughtful feedback to
their peer review partner
Meets all
criteria at a
high level
Meets
some
criteria;
uneven
Meets few
criteria
Thesis Statement & Argument 4 3 2 1 0
– Presents an insightful, compelling argument driven by a
strong, original thesis statement
– Thesis statement makes a clear and persuasive claim for
how Shakespeare is adapting Ovid
– Argument demonstrates familiarity with the key
concepts and vocabulary of adaptation
– Argument is sustained and consistent over the course
of the paper
Meets all
criteria at a
high level
Meets
some
criteria;
uneven
Meets few
criteria
Evidence & Close Reading 4 3 2 1 0
– Evidence (in the form of textual quotations) supports
the thesis statement at the paragraph level and is
presented in a clear, logical manner
– Evidence is primarily drawn from 1-2 scenes in the
play, though brief quotations from elsewhere in the play
may be referenced when relevant
– All quotations are fully analyzed using close reading
skills and are well-integrated into the student’s writing
– Textual quotations are properly cited in MLA style both
in text and in the works cited
– The OED is cited at least once, supporting close
reading by illuminating connotations of a specific word
that is important to the argument/analysis
Meets all
criteria at a
high level
Meets
some
criteria;
uneven
Meets few
criteria
Structure & Organization 4 3 2 1 0
– Well-organized argument with a logical flow both
within and across paragraphs
– Engaging introduction, smooth transitions, and
thought-provoking conclusion
– Paragraphs begin with topic sentences that effectively
identify the content of the paragraph while linking this
content back to the main argument
Meets all
criteria at a
high level
Meets
some
criteria;
uneven
Meets few
criteria
Formatting & Mechanics 4 3 2 1 0
– Well-written on the sentence level
– Creative title captures the argument of the paper
– Meets length and formatting requirements 5-6 pages,
double-spaced, 12-pt. font, Times New Roman
(standard margins)
– Essay has been successfully proofread for grammatical
errors and typos
Meets all
criteria at a
high level
Meets
some
criteria;
uneven
Meets few
criteria