Helpful Notes and Don’ts: Romeo and Juliet Literary Analysis Essay

Ms. Mathews English 9 Honors Helpful Notes and Don’ts:Romeo and Juliet Literary Analysis Essay

Overview • Before Writing • Basic Writing Expectations • Introduction Paragraphs and Thesis Statements • Using Quotations Appropriately • Evidence • Transitions Between and Inside Paragraphs • Conclusion Paragraphs

Tips for BEFORE you begin writing... • Consider the question carefully, and ask yourself: • What is the question asking you to do? (Make sure you understand each part of the assignment!) • What themes/symbols/motifs are involved? • Can you answer this question intelligently? • Can you find textual support for your argument? • Brainstorm for a few minutes!! • Look up quotes in the text; consider how to piece them together to form a strong argument • Make an outline of your ideas • THEN you can begin writing

Basic Writing Expectations: • Formatting (just do it right!) • Tense (LPT!) • POV (3rd only!) • Contractions (DO NOT do it!) • Titles (seriously?!) • A person is a WHO, not a THAT. • “Romeo is someone WHO goes after what he wants.” • Use clear, concise diction. • Avoid weak words, clichés,and informal tone.

General Style Tips • Avoid rhetorical questions and exclamation points in formal writing. (They are cheesy!!!!!!) • Remove extra THAT’s from your writing. • “Romeo knows he will need to do something that he might not otherwise consider so that he can be with the woman he loves.” • Avoid vague or wishy-washy statements: • He can be described as… • Romeo seems to be… • It appears as though… • One can see… • Avoid repetition, redundancy, and saying the same thing multiple times. (get it?)

Introduction Paragraphs • The introduction should fill readers in on the important information they need to know before reading your essay. • You are literally introducing readers to the play: • “Reader, this is Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet, this is the reader.” (Well, not really the second part) • You may provide a BRIEF overview of the plot, but do not retell the entire story. • Introduction paragraphs should be more than one sentence of background + a thesis. Aim for approximately FOUR sentences.

What NOT to do in the Introduction • Do not gush excessively about how wonderful the text is. After all, who are you to judge Shakespeare’s work? He is a heck of a lot more famous than you! • But seriously, avoid judging the work as “excellent,” “brilliant,” “exceptional,” “magnificent,” or any other cheesy adjectives. • In short, you do not need to convince me it is a brilliant piece of literature; I would not have assigned it if it was not. Do not be a suck up. 

Strong Introduction Examples • “Set during the middle ages, Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is a story about political intrigue and regicide. Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth embark on a murderous path in search of power….” • “Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth, traces the rise and fall of an ambitious Scottish lord. At the beginning, Macbeth is a well honored general and thane of the King of Scotland; however, after a peculiar run in with a trio of prophetic witches, Macbeth begins to question his subservient nature and begins also to wonder whether he should be king….”

Thesis Statements • Thesis statements must be defendable—they cannot be FACTUAL: • The Capulets and the Montagues dislike one anotheris not a thesis—it is a FACT! • Romeo has no control over who he falls in love with—now that is an opinion! • A thesis should contain a TAG: Title, Author, Genre • In Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, yaddayaddayadda… • …blah blahblah in the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. • If you are referring to a specific part of the play, indicate that in your TAG: In Act II of Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, …

More about Thesis Statements • Your thesis must be ONE sentence! • I realize some of you may have learned to write a separate thesis and method statement; however, it is best to combine them into one concise statement. • It must also be clear, concise, and defendable, not simply a fact. • In English 9 Honors, the thesis statement appears LAST in the intro paragraph.

Even more about Thesis Statements • A truly insightful thesis should not simply regurgitate the prompt. • “In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship changes.” • This is only a level one thesis: it doesn’t provide any insight into how or why the relationship changes. • A Level Two thesis provides an extension: • “In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the initially unnatural balance of power between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth ultimately shifts when Macbeth no longer feels remorse for his murderous actions and Lady Macbeth experiences the tangible effects of her sins in the form of hallucinations and sleepwalking.”

Incorporating a Method Statement into the Thesis • A method statement indicates to readers HOW you plan to prove your thesis or the specific points or events you will address. • Basic Thesis: “Macbeth changes from a war hero to a tyrant in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth.” • Thesis with Method Statement: “His decisions to murder Duncan and Banquo, as well as his irrational slaughter of Macduff’s family demonstrate Macbeth’s downward spiral from a war hero to a cruel tyrant desperate to maintain power in Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth.”

Assertions • The assertion in your body paragraph is your claim. • A strong assertion is the MOST IMPORTANT part of your paragraph. • Make sure your assertion is worded CLEARLY! • If you 1) do not have an assertion, 2) have an unclear assertion, or 3) have a weak assertion, your argument WILL SUFFER. • If you do not have a strong assertion to guide you, you will not have anything substantial to say, and you will most likely flail around in different directions without arguing anything concrete.

Using Quotations Appropriately • Make sure you use enough of the original quote so it makes sense in the paragraph you are writing (no quote frags!) • After killing Duncan’s guards, Macbeth exclaims, “Th’ expedition of my violent love” (II.iii.129). • This is not a complete quote OR a complete thought • Do not use [square brackets] to translate Shakespearean phrasing into modern language; brackets should only be used to clarify or add necessary information

Using Quotations Appropriately • Do not use quotes longer than four typed lines • When giving context, do not simply list act/scene—provide a brief explanation of situation. • Be sure to provide the quote’s context IN the couching sentence—otherwise you will slip into plot summary after the quote, when you should be providing commentary. • Example: When Macbeth wavers in his determination to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth questions his masculinity, saying, “When you durst do it, then you were a man” (I.vii.56).

Placement of Quote Context • Consider the following. Which example demonstrates proper context and commentary? • Example One: Macbeth says, “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed” (III.ii.51-2). Macbeth is telling Lady Macbeth not to worry and to let him take charge of their plans. • Example Two: Macbeth reassures Lady Macbeth that he will take care of their plans: “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed” (III.ii.51-2). Macbeth has asserted his power, regaining his role as man in their relationship.

Couching Quotes • Couching a quote means effectively introducing a quote into a written composition • When you “couch a quote,” you make it comfortable

How to Couch Quotes • Use a COMMA to separate a quotation from an introductory phrase. Capitalize the first letter of the first word of a complete quotation. • As Piggy disgustedly watches the boys scramble to the top of the hill to start the fire, he can only say, “Like a crowd of kids-” (38). • Use a COLON to introduce a quotation when your introductory phrase and the quote are both complete sentences. • As the boys gather after their close call with the fire, Piggy comes to a startling realization: “That little ‘un that had the mark on his face – where is – he now? I don’t see him” (46). • Use no punctuation mark if you include a partial quote as part of your sentence. Notice that the first word in the quotation is not capitalized. • The twins, Sam and Eric, were so indistinguishable from one another that the boys begin to call them “samneric” (63).

Evidence • The quotes you find must make sense when used together. • Consider the best order in which to integrate your quotes. (Chronological order is usually best) • Do NOT abbreviate quotes in shorthand to save time. • You MAY, however, add clarifying info in [brackets] or remove unnecessary info by inserting an ellipsis ( . . . ) • Remember to COUCH and CITE each quote appropriately. Include adequate CONTEXT too! • Analyze (explain the significance of) each quote AFTER you have couched/cited it, notbefore.

Evidence and Commentary • After you have introduced a quote, write at least TWO sentences of commentary. • Commentary is NOT a summary of the plot. • Commentary is YOUR ANALYSIS of the significance of the quotes you have presented in the context of the entire work. • Do not simply spit out my class discussion points verbatim; use your OWN brain, your OWN words, your OWN thoughts! • If you are using two quotes that work well together, there should be a natural progression from the commentary about one into the introduction for the next.

Commentary is NOT Plot Summary After murdering Duncan, and returning to his chamber with bloody hands, Macbeth exclaims, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” (II.ii.78-9). Commentary  GOOD Macbeth’s concern is not actually for the physical blood on his hands; rather, his remorse is a result of killing Duncan. The blood on his hands symbolizes this guilt, a feeling that will take more than water to wash away. Plot Summary  BAD Macbeth is worried about the blood on his hands because he thinks it will never be washed away, even by the ocean. He has just killed Duncan and is feeling uneasy.

Transitions Between Paragraphs • Do NOT rely on contrived transitions to link two paragraphs. • Furthermore, Additionally, Secondly, In conclusion, etc. • Use TOPICAL transitions between body paragraphs. • To transition between paragraphs, refer to a word, phrase, or idea from the LAST sentence of the previous paragraph in the FIRST sentence of the next paragraph.

Strong Transition Example #1 He is so frightened about feeling even guiltier that he invokes darkness to hide his conscience from guilt. Although Macbeth and his wife call upon darkness to conceal their actions, it is common knowledge amongst characters in Macbeth that unnatural events and murderous actions occur when night falls.

Strong Transition Example #2 With the night assisting them, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth feel much better about killing their great king. After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth call on darkness once more, this time to help cover up their murder.

Strong Transition Example #3 By undermining his masculinity and bribing him with her affection, Lady Macbeth gains complete control over Macbeth’s decision. This controlling element of their relationship continues throughout the play, but Lady Macbeth’s role switches to the subservient one.

Strong Transition Example #4 In this marriage…Macbeth plays the woman and his wife the man. Although Macbeth possesses womanly qualms, he soon reverts back to a more “manly” state, while Lady Macbeth becomes more delicate and troubled by comparison.

Transitions WITHIN Paragraphs • Use transition words INSIDE paragraphs to link together ideas and sentences. • Do not jump from one idea to the next without drawing readers along. • In this assignment, many people switched tracks too quickly, leaving readers confused. • Use transition words like Furthermore, Similarly, Additionally, Consequently, etc. to move from the first half of a body paragraph to the second half (from evidence/comm #1 to ev/comm #2).

Conclusion Paragraphs • A strong conclusion must start with the restated thesis. • Do not repeat your thesis word for word; simply rephrase the idea (you do not need a full TAG) • Your conclusion should NOT simply repeat all your previous points, but should: • EXTEND—take your analysis one step further • EXPAND—connect to a larger theme or idea • It should NOT jump to an entirely new topic.

Conclusion Paragraphs • End your essay by somehow relating the topic you are writing about to life, to the world at large, or to a message or moral the author is trying to impart to readers. • You are NOT introducing a new topic, simply extending the one you have already presented. • This will be the profound thought that sets your essay apart from the average analysis.

Grammar FUN! • What the heck is PV? (Passive Voice) • John threw the football  active voice • The football was thrown by John  passive voice • Which constructions is WORDIER? • We will study this rule in detail later this year . . . • What do semicolons do? • They LINK two closely related COMPLETE SENTENCES • They do NOT introduce quotations!

Helpful Notes and Don’ts: Romeo and Juliet Literary Analysis Essay