Introductions & Conclusions

1. Introductions &Conclusions 9 ACADEMIC ROMEO AND JULIET LITERARY RESEARCH PAPER

2. Parts of an Introduction

3. Sample Intro • Impulsiveness is often a hallmark of youth and human beings tend to become more rational thinkers as they age. To validate this claim, one need only to look to adolescents for examples of impulsive behavior and then to their parents who attempt to guide their impetuous teens safely through this tumultuous time period. However, one must wonder what happens when the adults are just as impulsive as the young. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the title characters are teenagers who fall in love at first sight. Undeterred by the hatred that exists between their families, they impulsively marry which sets off a series of impulsive actions that lead to their deaths. Both Romeo and Juliet seek the counsel of the adults in their lives, but are met with impulsiveness equal to their own. Shakespeare’s theme that impulsive actions can often have tragic consequences is illustrated through Friar Lawrence’s treatment of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship and Lord Capulet’s hasty decision of Juliet’s marriage to Paris.

4. Attention Grabber • Draw your reader in and experiment a little. Avoid tired ways of opening an essay and try something new. Below are a few suggestions: • Begin with parallel sentence structure and stylistic repetition • Begin with a paradox • Begin with a one-word sentence • Use inverted sentence structure • Begin with a relevant quote that is woven throughout the introduction and reiterated in your conclusion (do not simply use the quote once) • Begin with a figure of speech that is woven throughout the introduction • Begin with a brief anecdote (story) • Begin with an observation about life • Incorporate a rhetorical question (without asking the question – try “One may wonder…)

5. Attention Grabber • In the intro paragraph on the next slide, notice how the writer opens with an observation about life that deals with the overall topic of the paper – impulsiveness. She grabs the reader’s attention further by asking a question that suggests this paper will delve into an abnormal presentation of the topic.

6. Attention Grabber • Impulsiveness is often a hallmark of youth and human beings tend to become more rational thinkers as they age. To validate this claim, one need only to look to adolescents for examples of impulsive behavior and then to their parents who attempt to guide their impetuous teens safely through this tumultuous time period. However, one must wonder what happens when the adults are just as impulsive as the young. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the title characters are teenagers who fall in love at first sight. Undeterred by the hatred that exists between their families, they impulsively marry which sets off a series of impulsive actions that lead to their deaths. Both Romeo and Juliet seek the counsel of the adults in their lives, but are met with impulsiveness equal to their own. Shakespeare’s theme that impulsive actions can often have tragic consequences is illustrated through Friar Lawrence’s treatment of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship and Lord Capulet’s hasty decision of Juliet’s marriage to Paris.

7. Overview of Topic • Many of you forget this part of the introduction. You cannot simply jump right into your thesis. You need to ease your reader into your essay. • For example, if your essay is on impulsivity in Romeo and Juliet, you need to begin by introducing the topic and perhaps include a quick introduction to the play. Remember, this is a place where plot summary can be appropriate—but use it sparingly. • As you proceed though your introduction, you are getting more specific as to how your topic is expressed in the piece of literature you are analyzing.

8. Overview of Topic • In the intro paragraph on the next slide, notice how the writer opens with the broad topic of impulsiveness. She begins to narrow the focus of the paper to include the work she is analyzing. She includes a brief summary of the play that includes the broader topic of impulsiveness.

9. Overview of Topic • Impulsiveness is often a hallmark of youth and human beings tend to become more rational thinkers as they age. To validate this claim, one need only to look to adolescents for examples of impulsive behavior and then to their parents who attempt to guide their impetuous teens safely through this tumultuous time period. However, one must wonder what happens when the adults are just as impulsive as the young. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the title characters are teenagers who fall in love at first sight. Undeterred by the hatred that exists between their families, they impulsively marry which sets off a series of impulsive actions that lead to their deaths. Both Romeo and Juliet seek the counsel of the adults in their lives, but are met with impulsiveness equal to their own. Shakespeare’s theme that impulsive actions can often have tragic consequences is illustrated through Friar Lawrence’s treatment of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship and Lord Capulet’s hasty decision of Juliet’s marriage to Paris.

10. Bridge • The purpose of the bridge is narrow your topic even further in order to set the reader up for your thesis. It is typically only a sentence or two. • Notice how the bridge in the paragraph on the next slide moves the reader from the more broad topic of impulsiveness in Romeo and Juliet (dealing with the main characters) to the more specific topic of impulsiveness in the adults in the story. • This bridge sets the reader up for the thesis that delivers the impulsiveness of specific adults that contribute to Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy.

11. Bridge • Impulsiveness is often a hallmark of youth and human beings tend to become more rational thinkers as they age. To validate this claim, one need only to look to adolescents for examples of impulsive behavior and then to their parents who attempt to guide their impetuous teens safely through this tumultuous time period. However, one must wonder what happens when the adults are just as impulsive as the young. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the title characters are teenagers who fall in love at first sight. Undeterred by the hatred that exists between their families, they impulsively marry which sets off a series of impulsive actions that lead to their deaths. Both Romeo and Juliet seek the counsel of the adults in their lives, but are met with impulsiveness equal to their own. Shakespeare’s theme that impulsive actions can often have tragic consequences is illustrated through Friar Lawrence’s treatment of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship and Lord Capulet’s hasty decision of Juliet’s marriage to Paris.

12. Thesis • How do Shakespeare’s characters and their actions contribute to the theme of impulsiveness in Romeo and Juliet? • Shakespeare’s theme that impulsive actions can often have tragic consequences is illustrated through Friar Lawrence’s treatment of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship and Lord Capulet’s hasty decision of Juliet’s marriage to Paris.

13. Conclusion • Should include a concluding transition and should follow a “narrow to broad” format • Should restate the thesis in some way. DO NOT SIMPLY REPEAT! • Should provide highlights of the main ideas in the essay • Try to offer a lesson to be learned from the topic of the essay or provide some sort of real-life connection. Leave the reader with some food for thought.

14. Sample Conclusion • The adults in Romeo and Juliet, specifically Friar Lawrence and Lord Capulet, do not follow their wiser instincts and instead make impulsive decisions that exacerbate the impulsiveness of Romeo and Juliet, resulting in tragic consequences for the teens as well as others close to them. Friar Lawrence allows himself to get caught up in Romeo and Juliet’s passion to be together at all costs – and the cost is death. Had a more rational Friar tried to slow the teens’ impulsiveness, perhaps the tragic consequences could have been averted. Likewise, Lord Capulet acts against his more rational adult self when he quickly and impulsively changes his mind about Juliet marrying Paris. If he had been steadfast in his original decision to marry Juliet in two years, she would have had more time to behave rationally instead of impulsively; her father’s actions intensified the temerity of youth. The young must be able to rely on the experienced to guide them through the rash years of adolescence, for it is in their nature to act impulsively. Without this guidance, the possibility of tragic consequences in life can double.

15. Concluding Transition and Restated Thesis • The adults in Romeo and Juliet, specifically Friar Lawrence and Lord Capulet, do not follow their wiser instincts and instead make impulsive decisions that exacerbate the impulsiveness of Romeo and Juliet, resulting in tragic consequences for the teens as well as others close to them. Friar Lawrence allows himself to get caught up in Romeo and Juliet’s passion to be together at all costs – and the cost is death. Had a more rational Friar tried to slow the teens’ impulsiveness, perhaps the tragic consequences could have been averted. Likewise, Lord Capulet acts against his more rational adult self when he quickly and impulsively changes his mind about Juliet marrying Paris. If he had been steadfast in his original decision to marry Juliet in two years, she would have had more time to behave rationally instead of impulsively; her father’s actions intensified the temerity of youth. The young must be able to rely on the experienced to guide them through the rash years of adolescence, for it is in their nature to act impulsively. Without this guidance, the possibility of tragic consequences in life can double.

16. Highlights of Main Points • The adults in Romeo and Juliet, specifically Friar Lawrence and Lord Capulet, do not follow their wiser instincts and instead make impulsive decisions that exacerbate the impulsiveness of Romeo and Juliet, resulting in tragic consequences for the teens as well as others close to them. Friar Lawrence allows himself to get caught up in Romeo and Juliet’s passion to be together at all costs – and the cost is death. Had a more rational Friar tried to slow the teens’ impulsiveness, perhaps the tragic consequences could have been averted. Likewise, Lord Capulet acts against his more rational adult self when he quickly and impulsively changes his mind about Juliet marrying Paris. If he had been steadfast in his original decision to marry Juliet in two years, she would have had more time to behave rationally instead of impulsively; her father’s actions intensified the temerity of youth. The young must be able to rely on the experienced to guide them through the rash years of adolescence, for it is in their nature to act impulsively. Without this guidance, the possibility of tragic consequences in life can double.

17. Final Thought • The adults in Romeo and Juliet, specifically Friar Lawrence and Lord Capulet, do not follow their wiser instincts and instead make impulsive decisions that exacerbate the impulsiveness of Romeo and Juliet, resulting in tragic consequences for the teens as well as others close to them. Friar Lawrence allows himself to get caught up in Romeo and Juliet’s passion to be together at all costs – and the cost is death. Had a more rational Friar tried to slow the teens’ impulsiveness, perhaps the tragic consequences could have been averted. Likewise, Lord Capulet acts against his more rational adult self when he quickly and impulsively changes his mind about Juliet marrying Paris. If he had been steadfast in his original decision to marry Juliet in two years, she would have had more time to behave rationally instead of impulsively; her father’s actions intensified the temerity of youth. The young must be able to rely on the experienced to guide them through the rash years of adolescence, for it is in their nature to act impulsively. Without this guidance, the possibility of tragic consequences in life can double.