Today we discussed what the requirements are for the essay. The introduction needs to connect to another source other than Romeo & Juliet. The connection can be another book, a movie, or a real life experience. It should also include a brief plot summary, and then the all-important thesis.
The body paragraphs need to have a minimum of a topic sentence that connects to the theme, context of what part of the play is being written about, a quote (that is introduced in the same sentence as the quote), a paraphrase of the quote, and commentary about how the quote fits the topic sentence and thesis. There should be at least three body paragraphs for a solid essay.
The conclusion should consist of a restatement of the thesis, a connection to outside the text or student's life, and a final sentence that will give me reason to contemplate the world around all of us.
Students have requested that I put the paragraph I used today in class on my blog for future reference. Below is that paragraph:
Middle Body Paragraph:
(TS)In the middle of the play, Shakespeare exemplifies how love hurts more than it pleases by showing how Juliet feels about her impending nuptials. (Context)In act 4, scene 1, Juliet and the Friar are found discussing the second wedding for Juliet which has been arranged by her parents to help her get past her perceived tears over her cousin. The family is not aware that the guilt lies in the fact that she is already married to Romeo, and not over the loss of her cousin. (Quote)When she is discussing the upcoming wedding with the Friar, she tells the Friar, “Do thou but call my resolution wise / And with this knife I’ll help it presently” (4.1.53-4). (Paraphrase)What Shakespeare means is that without a resolution to her problem, she will kill herself. (Commentary)The love that Juliet has for her true husband is one that has no boundaries, and she shows how she would rather die than have to live with another man. Just as in real life, Shakespeare shows that there is deep pain that can be associated with love. He reveals the depth that love can hold over a person and the pain that can be created by others when a person finds love.
Homework: Rough draft of essay is due Monday.
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Mrs. Nystrom
Christmas 2008