DO NOW:

1. DO NOW: • 1. From the front table: • Take 2 colored pencils • Take one research thesis sheet • Take one example Shakespeare context essay  DON’T WRITE ON THIS • 2. Take out your thesis statement. Underline the SUBJECT in one color & the CLAIM in a different color • Make a KEY for your 2 colors • 3. Read the example context essay • 4. On a separate sheet of paper - write down at least 3 positive comments and at least 1 constructive criticism for this essay.

2. 5 paragraph essay structure

3. First paragraph - introduction • Introduction should go from broad to specific as the paragraph progresses • Introduce the topic/subject of your paper • Give some relevant background information • Start narrowing your focus towards the claim your paper will be making • Thesis statement is at the end of your introduction

4. introduction Queen Elizabeth I ruled England from 1558 to 1603. She was a strong and thoughtful leader who inspired a celebrated era in English history. Significant events in Elizabeth I’s life inspired Shakespeare and this influence can be seen in many of the characters and themes of his plays.

5. Body paragraphs – 2-3 • Should be structured: • Assertion (Topic Sentence) red • Evidence - blue • Commentary - green • Evidence - blue • Commentary – green • Concluding sentence – red (link back to the topic sentence)

6. Assertion / Thesis • Make sure each assertion (topic sentence) relates directly to the thesis you have presented in the first paragraph. • DO NOT simply repeat your research question/topic in your assertion. • For example, if the question your thesis addresses is “How did Shakespeare’s education influence his plays? • your assertion should NOT be: “Shakespeare’s education influenced the way he wrote his plays.” • Instead, a strong assertion might be: Shakespeare’s education contributed to his ability to not only use words in a complex manner, but also create brand new vocabulary.

7. Assertion, Continued • Make sure your assertion actually says something– not just an empty statement • What NOT to write: • SIMPLISTIC: Shakespeare’s education influenced many different things in his plays. • FLOWERY: Through Shakespeare’s influences and experiences in various educational institutions, significant aspects impacted and enveloped multitudinous facets of his writing.

8. EVidence • Evidence should help to support your claim and relate directly to your topic sentence - RELEVANT • Evidence should be provided in the form of a direct quotation or paraphrasing • All evidence must include correct in-text citation and an entry on your works cited page • Caution: Your voice needs to be evident in your paper. Do not spend the whole paragraph giving evidence (paraphrasing especially)

9. Commentary • Commentary should always follow evidence • After you’ve included evidence, write at least 2 sentences of commentary • Commentary should NOT be summary or restatement of the evidence (no translation) • Commentary is your ANALYSIS of the significance of the evidence in terms of your assertion for that paragraph and the research paper as a whole

10. Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. The Encyclopedia Britannica states that “before Elizabeth reached her third birthday, her father had her mother beheaded on charges of adultery and treason” (school.eb.com). King Henry also declared his marriage to Anne invalid therefore making Elizabeth illegitimate and stripping her of the title of ‘Princess’. Given these two events, we can assume that Elizabeth had a complex relationship with her father. One of the themes of William Shakespeare’s play King Lear is father-daughter relationships. This may have, at least in part, come from King Henry’s known on-and-off relationship with Elizabeth. Katherine Howard, the king’s fifth wife, was also beheaded when Elizabeth was eight. Elizabethi.org mentions that Robert Dudley, Elizabeth’s childhood friend, said years later that after this “Elizabeth told him that she would never marry” (www.elizabethi.org). This may be one of the reasons that Elizabeth was known as the ‘Virgin Queen’. From a very early age Elizabeth was given an impressive education. She was taught Latin, Greek, Spanish, French, history, philosophy, mathematics, reading, and writing. She also learned to play musical instruments, especially the lute. When King Henry VIII died, Elizabeth’s younger half-brother, Edward, became king. Six years later, Edward died and Elizabeth’s older half-sister, Mary, became Queen. While King Henry and Edward had ruled a Protestant England, as would Elizabeth, Mary was decisively Catholic. As queen, “she resolved to restore the Catholic faith [to England]” and so “she reintroduced the laws against heresy and sanctioned the burning of some three hundred English Protestants” (Weir 2). In The Merchant of Venice, written by William Shakespeare, there are many conflicts between Christians and Jews. The character Shylock, a Jew, is devastated when his daughter elopes with an anti-Semitic man (www.william-shakespeare.info). Elizabeth’s existence was considered a threat to Mary’s reign and so, for 5 years, she tread a fine line between surviving and staying true to herself. One of the themes of William Shakespeare’s play King Lear is father-daughter relationships. This may have, at least in part, come from King Henry’s known on-and-off relationship with Elizabeth.Katherine Howard, the king’s fifth wife, was also beheaded when Elizabeth was eight. Elizabethi.org mentions that Robert Dudley, Elizabeth’s childhood friend, said years later that after this “Elizabeth told him that she would never marry” (www.elizabethi.org). This may be one of the reasons that Elizabeth was known as the ‘Virgin Queen’.

11. Final Paragraph - conclusion • Conclusion should go from narrow to broad (opposite of introduction) • Main idea of your paper should be addressed • Statements in your conclusion should offer reflection on the information that was provided in your paper • Thesis statement should be addressed (not restated word for word)

12. Ultimately, the relationships that Elizabeth had, as well as her interests, greatly influenced Shakespeare’s plays. Shakespeare often writes about familial relationships. Many of Queen Elizabeth’s relationships were public knowledge and commonly discussed during Shakespeare’s time. In addition, we can see that Queen Elizabeth had great respect for and interest in the theater. Combining both her patronage of the theater, and her own life, it is possible see connections that influenced Shakespeare’s writing. Without the influence of Queen Elizabeth, Shakespeare’s plays may have been very different.