Option 1: The Power of Performance. At least in certain scenes, every play we have read analyzes the role of the theater or other kinds of performances in human societies. By analyzing three scenes from three different plays (one scene from each play), discuss what these plays suggest about the value or importance of theater or performance. In developing a thesis about the larger signficance of Shakespeare’s depiction of theater or performance, you may wish to consider the following: What function does theater / performance have within the world of these plays? What power does it have? Why is it valued or devalued? Play Options: Hamlet, 1 Henry IV, The Tempest
