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Prompt: Analysis of the Character Su Nghêu
The essay analyzing the character Su Nghêu received high marks among excellent students.
I. Outline of the Analysis of the Character Su Nghêu
1. Introduction: introduction to the play, excerpt, and character.
2. Body:
a. Analysis of the character Su Nghêu:
* Background: monk.
* Personality: authentically portrayed through actions, words:
- Fond of female beauty, morally corrupted:
+Sneaks into Thị Hến's house at night.
+ Sweet-talks and flatters.
- Cowardly, afraid of death:
+ Hides under the bed.
+ Terrified upon seeing Đề Hầu outside Thị Hến's door.
- Sycophantic:
+ Crawls out from under the bed.
+ Flatters Huynh Trìa, accuses Đề Hầu.
b. Evaluation of the character:
- Su Nghêu is morally degraded, a monk enamored with female beauty.
- Through the character, the folk author criticizes and ridicules those in the upper class who have declined morally and in character.
- Character's personality: revealed, depicted through speech and actions.
3. Conclusion: affirmation of the significance, value of the character for the excerpt and the entire play.
The best-selected essay analyzing the character Su Nghêu
II. Sample Essay Analyzing the Character Su Nghêu
'Clam, Mussel, Snail, Cockle' is a famous comedic play. Folk authors were incredibly creative in using satire and mockery to expose the reality of contemporary society. This is clearly demonstrated in the excerpt 'Huynh Trìa, Đề Hầu, Master Clam Encounter Trouble with Thị Hến' from the 19th century. Through the excerpt, we also see the ugly side of a segment of society, exemplified by the character of the monk who defies societal norms - Master Clam.
Firstly, in terms of background, Master Clam is a monk who defies societal norms - he goes on a spiritual journey but doesn't abide by the rules. In Thị Hến's words, Master Clam appears with a 'bald old' appearance. The term 'old' shows the contempt that Thị Hến has for Master Clam.
Despite being a monk, Master Clam is enamored with female beauty. In the dark night, he still sneaks into Thị Hến's house 'Hey! Hey! Old lady! I'm here. Open the door and let me in.' He even blatantly flirts with Thị Hến 'Remaining like this wastes your widow's wealth.' It can be seen that Master Clam did not uphold the decorum, principles of a monk. For the sake of romantic liaisons, he's willing to abandon everything 'forgetting the scriptures, giving the temple bell to the pagoda.'
Additionally, Master Clam is a coward, afraid of death. When he knows that Đề Hầu is standing outside the door, he becomes worried, panicked to the point of calling Thị Hến twice 'Hey! Ma'am! Ma'am!' to ask for a hiding place. At this moment, fear has engulfed Master Clam's entire mind. He no longer thinks about love affairs, only about finding a hiding place. Therefore, when Thị Hến suggests 'Under the horse's belly, quickly go down there,' he hastily crawls down to that damp, dark place. Furthermore, Master Clam's cowardly nature is vividly depicted through his action of accusing Đề Hầu to Huynh Trìa. Fearing punishment 'As a monk who has taken vows,/ Breaking the precepts deserves punishment,' he disregards everything, quickly crawls out from under the bed, and doesn't forget to point out Đề Hầu's wrongdoing. Thus, deep within Master Clam's psyche lies a sense of inferiority.
For this type of assignment, you need to carefully read the work and mark the aspects related to the characters such as: actions, dialogue, personality,... Then, analyze and evaluate that character. You can also refer to similar sample essay formats in 10th-grade literature curriculum like:
- Character analysis of Thị Hến
- Analysis of the Village Chief - Mother Đốp
