Possible questions. :Pick one only.

1) In Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus and Shakespeare’s Sonnets, ways of manipulating and using other persons are described in some detail. Comment on the reason for such manipulation in each work, with especial reference to the author’s attitude towards such attempted manipulation.

2) In Pope’s The Rape of the Lock and Shakespeare’s Sonnets, a war between the sexes is described in some detail. Give an account of the war that occurs in each work, with especial reference to the strong power that women have over men.

3) In Pope’s Essay on Man and Castiglione’s The Courtier, control of one’s passions is considered essential to a person living in a civilized society. Comment on how each author deals with the issue of self-control, with especial reference to the notions of sprezzatura and reason.

4) In Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus and Shakespeare’s Sonnets, sexual desire is linked with the possibility of great emotional pain and suffering. Give an account of how the question of sexual desire is treated in each text, with especial reference to the idea of lust as an uncontrollable force.

5) In Castiglione’s The Courtier and Shakespeare’s Sonnets, very different views of love are expressed. Discuss the basic differences between those viewpoints, with especial reference to Shakespeare’s negative description of some women, and Castiglione’s notion of a perfect, ideal love.