Senior English Uniform Departmental Exam - "Othello"

This final exam is based on literature and related topics covered during the spring 2011 2^nd  Marking Period.  You will need to type and send your completed exam to Mr. Hedges. Flatbush_Prince_of_Darkness@yahoo.com   

"Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect as well as the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper." - Albert Einstein

Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners; - Iago [“Othello” by William Shakespeare]

The problem of Free Will vs. Determinism has puzzled philosophers for thousands of years.  It is a profound problem for without free will there can be no morality, no right and wrong, no good and evil.  All our behavior would be pre-determined and we would have no creativity or choice.

Ever since ancient times, playwrights have been concerned with the dramatic power that the issue of free will versus determinism has over the lives of individuals and characters. 

Explain, in your own words, what the debate between free will and determinism is?    Does free will exist, or is everything predetermined by fate?    Is determinism a force that acts on the body or the soul, or the mind of a person [or character] to  cause specific outcomes and challenges? 

In a well-developed essay of 250 words or more, using specific examples, discuss the significance of Man’s struggle to understand the forces of free will and determinism as central motivating causes in the lives of the characters.  Using appropriate evidence from our class text discuss the power of fate as a thematic element in a work of drama.   

Extra Credit Introductory Paragraph: Discuss the impact you believe Fate and Determinism have upon your life. 

In your writing, be sure to address the Six Traits of Writing [Presentation not included]:

·       Ideas [Overall Purpose/Main Idea; Handling of the Prompt]

·       Organization [and Development]

·       Voice [Details, Imagery, Tone]

·       Word Choice [Use of Language]

·       Syntax [Sentence Structure]

·       Conventions [Grammar and Usage]