4. Find Sources

Once you've narrowed your topic and thought about keywords, try searching the databases below for literary criticism.

Basic Search: a good first search is just the name of the play in quotation marks, followed by the word AND and the author's last name.

Trifles AND Glaspell

"The Tempest" AND Shakespeare

This general search will show you everything we have on a certain play.

Narrowed Search: Trifles AND Glaspell AND marriage or "The Tempest" AND Shakespeare AND colonialism.

Remember to search multiple times and try out different keywords for your search.

If your keywords aren't working, ask a librarian for help!

Literature Databases / Articles

The following databases are the best place to start looking for literary criticism.

Gale Literature
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Gale Literature allows you to search all of Gale’s literary databases and literature eBook titles in one database.
Gale eBooks: Literature Collection
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Gale eBooks included literature criticism series: Short Stories for Students, Drama For Students, Poetry For Students, Novels for Students, Epics for Students and Shakespeare for Students.
Bloom's Literature
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Writings of Harold Bloom as well as other critics. Features author biographies, overviews, synopses, analyses and literary criticism of thousands of works from novels to poetry to plays, video segments, in-depth full-text entries on literary topics and themes and a literary timeline. Proxy Bypass
EBSCO Literature Databases
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Search 2 EBSCO literary databases at once: Literary Reference Center and Academic Search Premier. Proxy Bypass

Gender Identity in Shakespeare's Works
This topic overview from Gale Literature will provide an overview and other reference and literary criticism articles about the theme of Gender Identity in different Shakespeare's plays.
Violence in Shakespeare's Works
This topic overview from Gale Literature will provide an overview and other reference and literary criticism articles of Violence in Shakespeare's plays.
"Murder, She Wrote": The Genesis of Susan Glaspell's "Trifles"
Journal article that details the Hassock murder. You must register for a free JSTOR account to access the article.

History Databases

The below databases will have historical sources for students who choose the Historical Research options.

Gale Power Search
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A good general database that covers many subjects, especially current new issues. Has magazine, journal, and newspaper articles, as well as some reference material. Full-text content.
EBSCO General Databases
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Search 10 databases at once: Academic Search Premier, TOPICsearch, MasterFILE Premier, Military & Government Collection, MAS Ultra - School Edition, Vocational and Career Collection, Associates Programs Source, Newspaper Source Plus, GreenFILE, and News (AP, UPI, etc.). Proxy Bypass
Find journal, magazine and newspaper articles. Millions of full-text articles, many with images. Updated daily.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1789-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
Page images from selected historic newspapers of 25 states and the District of Columbia, published from 1836-1922. Includes 34 historic South Carolina newspapers published in Anderson, Anderson Court House, Bennettsville, Charleston, Columbia, Edgefield, Georgetown, Laurens, Orangeburg, Orangeburg Court House, Pickens Court House, Rock Hill, Sumter, and Sumterville. Searchable by date and keyword. Viewing options include PDF images, downloadable images, text only, and persistent links for sharing. Includes a searchable and browsable directory of U.S. newspapers from 1690-present.

More History Databases

Watch the Play

Below are streaming video databases that have numerous plays in them. Search each one or ask a librarian to figure out which one might contain your play.

Shakespeare’s Globe on Screen Collection (from Drama Online)
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21 Shakespeare's plays recorded live on the Globe stage, performed in the unique historic conditions of two beautiful iconic theaters.
National Theatre Collection (from Drama Online)
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50 full-length streaming videos of live theatre performances from the National Theatre (London, England), including Antigone, Hamlet, Frankenstein, and a Streetcar Named Desire.
Films on Demand
Educational videos available via streaming to anywhere (off-campus must log in).
Topics cover general academic areas, as well as health science, industrial, and
business/technology related topics. Proxy Bypass
Academic Video Online
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Academic Video Online makes video material available with curricular relevance: documentaries, interviews, performances, news programs and newsreels, and more. Some of the subjects covered:Science, Business & Economics, Nursing, Diversity Studies, Education, Documentary & Feature Films
Kanopy
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Watch over 30,000 Documentaries, Classic and Indie Films. Stream films anytime, anywhere on your preferred devices.

William Shakespeare's The Tempest by Harold Bloom
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 1604133538
Publication Date: 2011-06-30
The Plays of Shakespeare by Victor L. Cahn
Call Number: eBook & Giles REF PR2987 .C28 2001
ISBN: 0313309817
Publication Date: 2000-10-30
Shakespeare by Gabriel Egan
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 9780748630165
Publication Date: 2007-01-01
William Shakespeare: The Tempest. Literature Insights by C. W. Moseley
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 1282040278
Publication Date: 2007-01-01
The Tempest: a Critical Reader by Alden T. Vaughan (Editor); Virginia Mason Vaughan (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 147251842X
Publication Date: 2014-09-25

On Susan Glaspell's Trifles and a Jury of Her Peers by Martha C. Carpentier (Editor); Emeline Jouve (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 147662206X
Publication Date: 2015-10-09
Disclosing Intertextualities: The Stories, Plays, and Novels of Susan Glaspell by Martha C. Carpentier (Volume Editor); Barbara Ozieblo (Volume Editor)
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 9401203466
Publication Date: 2006-01-01
Susan Glaspell in Context: American Theater, Culture, and Politics, 1915-48 by J. Ellen Gainor
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 0472106503
Publication Date: 2001-12-31
Susan Glaspell and the Anxiety of Expression: Language and Isolation in the Plays by Kristina Hinz-Bode
Call Number: Giles Stacks - Circulating PS3513 .L35 Z69 2006
ISBN: 0786425059
Publication Date: 2006-05-30
Susan Glaspell's Century of American Women: A Critical Interpretation of her Work by Veronica Makowsky
Call Number: Giles Stacks - Circulating PS3513 .L35 Z75 1993
ISBN: 0195078667
Publication Date: 1993-03-25

Can It!: The Perils and Pleasures of Preserving Foods by Gary Allen
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 1780236077
Publication Date: 2016-06-15
Pickled, Potted, and Canned: How the Art and Science of Food Preserving Changed the World by Sue Shephard
Call Number: Giles Stacks - Circulating TX601 .S47 2001
ISBN: 0743216334
Publication Date: 2001
American Quilts: The Democratic Art, 1780-2007 by Robert Shaw
Call Number: Giles Stack - Circulating NK9112 .S425 2009
ISBN: 9781402747731
Publication Date: 2009-12-01
Domestic Ideology and Domestic Work by Nancy F. Cott (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 3110968851
Publication Date: 2012-02-14

Search for Books & eBooks

Use the search box below to search the SCC Library Catalog for physical books (in one of our library locations) and eBooks. You can also open the Library Catalog or use the Advanced Search for more search options.