I spent the weekend scoring sophomore essays on "King Lear" in response to the question, "How does Shakespeare use conflict between parent and child to illuminate the meaning of the play?" I scored one class on Saturday after I finished tutoring and by 5 pm I was almost ready to resign as a reader, my actual job title. Of the 30 students in the class, 29 wrote papers that did not even have thesis statements. What they did have was bad grammar, poor construction, and lots of personal opinion that was both shallow and irrelevant. These students apparently think that Shakespeare's transcendent tragedy is simply another episode of the "Dr. Phil" show. The second class was better but not where they should be at this stage of the school year. I suggested to the teacher that all students who scored a "4" or lower should rewrite their essays after reviewing both the play and my remarks on the essays.
I must admit I am not looking forward to the regrade.
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