Can I Have Just 40 Minutes of Your Time?

The following is a sample prompt for question #3 on the AP Language and Composition Exam. Set a timer for 40 minutes and then read and respond to the prompt. I want you not only to post it, but I would like for you to print out a copy for class on Monday as well.

"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant." -Horace

Consider this quotation about adversity from Roman poet Horace. Then, write an essay that defends, challenges or qualifies Horace's assertion about the role that adversity (financial hardship, political hardship, danger, misfortune, etc.) plays in developing a person's character. Support your argument with appropriate evidence from your reading, observation and experience

Cover your Eyes!

1. Murder and conflict are common themes in Macbeth. Is violence used to advocate for peace and harmony or is it just a plot device? Does Shakespeare distinguish between moral and immoral types of violence?

Good or Bad? Tragic Hero or Not?

At the end of the play, is Macbeth’s death a good or bad thing, i.e., are we satisfied to see Macbeth defeated or upset to see a potentially great man fall? Finally, is Macbeth a tragic hero?

This is an argument. Use your skills! This entry must be at least 300 words, but more if that is what it takes to get the job done!

You Rebel!

In 1891, Irish author Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) observed "Disobedience in the eyes of anyone who has read history is man's original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and rebellion". Wilde claims that disobedience is a valuable human trait that it promotes social progress.

Write an essay that argues your position on the extend to which Wilde's claims are valid. Use appropriate examples from your reading, experience or observations to support your argument.