You have two options for this essay. Option 1: apply Aristotle’s theory to an analysis of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Option 2: show how Wilson uses Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom to comment on social problems.NOTE: If you chose Option 1 for the Shakespeare essay, you must select Option 2 for this one; likewise, if you chose to write social criticism about Shakespeare, you must write an Aristotle comparison this time.
Option 1
In this essay, you will use Aristotle’s definition of tragedy from Poetics to analyze Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Is Wilson’s play tragic according to Aristotle’s definition?
You must:
Define tragedy according to Aristotle’s Poetics.
Describe Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Determine the