Sophomore English/2016-2017
Gods and Monsters
Berger-White
Final Project: Essential Information
You will be writing a one-act play. The play will be largely—almost entirely—in dialogue. Your plays
may move toward action, but this is not required, and it should not be the primary focus. The exchange of
stories and ideas between these characters will fuel the drama. However the play unfolds, it should not
move toward tidy or easy conclusions.
You must include:
One character who walked away from Omelas
One character from Frankenstein
One character from “Master Harold” and the boys
And (at least) one of the following:
Chimamanda Adichie (author of “The Danger of a Single Story”)
A character from Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”
A character from “The Place of the Swallows”
A character from “The Fog Man”
A character from “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
A character from “Prometheus”
A character from “Daedalus and Icarus”
Setting
At least initially, the mountains outside of Omelas.
Format and Requirements
Your script must be written in the form of a drama; it should include setting and stage directions. These
should be written in italics. Each time a character speaks, his or her name should come first and that name
should be in bold. Please single-space what each character says. Please double space between exchanges.
Your play must have a title and a title page; it should include the names of all group members.
The script must include, woven into the dialogue, at least three direct passages of textual support for each
of the major characters. You must cite all direct textual examples from the literature. Page numbers will
suffice—the author will be clear.
Some Guidelines
Each character is bound by his or her experience and time period. Each character’s role should be
grounded in the way that he or she would actually speak and think. This is why it’s essential to use actual
language of the literary characters from the text in which they appear. The character’s ideas, values,
beliefs, words, thoughts, and personality should be consistent and clear, and the integrity of his or her
story must be maintained throughout the script. Your dialogue must demonstrate an understanding of the
characters and thus, the works from which they come. You want to be highly specific whenever possible.
The play must be shaped around the discussion of a specific question or idea. It’s important that the
discussion has some inherent tension, conflict, or clash; it might have some elements of a debate or a
disagreement. The play may be based entirely around the moral conflict regarding the child in Omelas—
or it may move from there in some other direction. The characters you select may play a key role in this
regard, so keep that in mind as you select them.
Schedule
You will have the rest of the week in class to work. Please bring whatever materials you will need to class
each day. You should plan on meeting at least twice outside of class between now and the day of your
final. I’d plan to have at least two hours for each meeting. The first thing you should do is to exchange
phone numbers and emails and to schedule, if possible, both meeting times. I’d aim for once during the
week and once over the long weekend.
Due
Plays are due at the start of class on the day of your exam.
Suggested Length
6 pages