ENGL 102
RESEARCH PAPER INSTRUCTIONS
In Module/Week 8, you will write a 1500-words (about 5–7-pages) essay that addresses one of the
plays from the Drama Unit. A minimum of six citations, including the primary source and at least
five secondary scholarly sources, is required for this assignment. Before you begin writing the
essay, carefully read the guidelines for developing your paper topic that are given below. Review
the research paper Grading Rubric to see how your submission will be graded. Gather all of your
information, plan the direction of your essay, and organize your ideas by developing a one-page
thesis statement, outline, draft, and bibliography for your research paper. Format the thesis
statement and the outline in a single Word document using MLA, APA, or Turabian style
(whichever corresponds to your degree program). You have the opportunity to receive helpful
instructor feedback if you submit your thesis, outline, draft, and bibliography by the end of
Module/Week 7. The research paper is due by the end of Module/Week 8, and should include a
title page, thesis statement, and outline, followed by the research essay itself and your correctly
documented sources page.
Guidelines for Developing Your Paper Topic
Chapters 40 and 41 provide helpful pointers for writing about plays and for developing research
papers. Be sure to review both chapters thoroughly before you begin doing any further work for
this assignment.
Choose one of the prompts below to address in your paper:
1. Write an essay explaining how Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies or refutes Aristotle’s
definition of a tragic hero. Review Chapter 33 in your textbook for the background and
overview of Aristotle’s concept of tragedy/the tragic hero and drama. This chapter also
contains critical information on Sophocles and the play Oedipus. You may use any of the
critical material as a secondary source, but remember to cite it correctly.
2. Discuss the author’s perception of death and the treatment of death in Everyman.
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ENGL 102
Finding Scholarly Sources
For your papers, you are only permitted to use academic sources. Resources such as 123Essays,
Spark Notes, Cliff Notes, and Masterplots (or similar resources) are not scholarly and will not be
permitted in your papers. To find appropriate sources, access the Liberty University Library
through the Services/Support link on the course menu. From there, you can use the Library
Research Portal to find peer-reviewed, scholarly journals. The Literature Resource Center is an
excellent resource for these types of papers.
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