English Literature, Paper II

Shakespeare includes characters in Hamlet who are obvious foils for Hamlet, including, most obviously, Horatio, Fortinbras, Claudius and Laertes. Compare and contrast Hamlet with each of these characters. How does each respond to the crises with which he is faced?

Gulliver's Travels could in fact be described as one of the first novels of modern alienation, focusing on an individual's repeated failures to integrate into societies to which he does not belong. Present your view point backed by supporting arguments.

Though Jane Austen satirizes snobs in her novels; some critics have accused her of being a snob herself. Giving special consideration to Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice , argue and defend one side of this issue.

Because of its stunning, violent imagery and terrifying ritualistic language, “The Second Coming” is one of Yeats' most famous and most anthologized poems; it is also one of the most thematically obscure and difficult poem to understand. Elaborate with relevant textual evidence.

"The Waste Land” is full of sounds, onomotopoiea: from “jug jug jug” to “drip drop" to "twit twit” to “co co rico.” What is the significance of this technique for the poem as a whole? Analyze each of the moments in which such language appears.

Both Santiago and the Marlin display qualities of pride, honor, and bravery, and both are subject to the same eternal law: they must kill or be killed. How does Earnest Hemingway present this battle in Old Man and the Sea ?

Though it seems as if nothing happens in the play, actions actually play a very important role in Waiting for Godot . They stag directions of the play constitute nearly half of the text, suggesting that the actions, expressions, and emotions of the actors are as important as the dialogue. Examine the significance of the stage directions given by Samuel Beckett.