Hanna Jay - English
Hanna Jay - English
I was always aware of William Shakespeare’s influence on other
playwrights but I was curious to see if a Modernist writer like Virginia
Woolf would also have been influenced by Shakespeare. I found
that in her novel Mrs Dalloway she had directly quoted words from
Shakespeare’s Cymbeline and this led me to investigate if she had also
used his techniques and literary themes in her own work. During the
research process I discovered that she did not just use his techniques
but she built on his tradition, using the words of the world’s greatest
playwright to her own purpose.
Supervisor: Paul Harrison
Hanna Jay had a very clear idea of, and enthusiasm for, the topic she
wanted to write on; and had chosen something which could be handled
effectively within the limits of an Extended Essay. I was concerned at
first that there might not be enough to explore here, but Hanna’s early
detailed examination of the text reassured me on this point. From a
supervisor’s point of view, Hanna was a model pupil. She spent the
summer exploring the background to her topic and looking at the views
of other critics, and devised a very clear argument to structure her
comments. Her calm and methodical work left time for revision and the
odd supplementary addition, so that the whole process was completed
without panic!
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