Rough Draft of Julius Caesar Essay: Due 10/31

Make sure to type up and print your intro paragraph and first body paragraph for your essay.

Body Paragraphs: The Meat and Potatoes of Your Essay

The number one rule to remember is to stay away from plot summary. Instead of writing a book report, we want to write a literature analysis essay. 

One helpful way to accomplish this is to follow the TREAT model:

T- Topic sentence (Make sure this connects with your Thesis Statement)

R- Reasoning (This is basically the transition into your quote as you show the reasoning behind your claim in the topic sentence.  This can be some plot summary- but make it short, include only what is necessary.)

E- Evidence (direct quote)

A- Analysis (see steps A, B, and C below).

T- Tie it together 

All Literature Analysis essays follow the TREAT model in some form. The most important part of this model is the “Analysis” step- this is what you will be graded on most heavily in lit analysis essays. 

When analyzing direct quotes, you want to try and accomplish three steps:

A.    Consider what is said in the actual quote through its subtleties of the topics and ideas expressed. Basically, what is the author saying without directly saying it? (Ultimately, what is the point of including this quote? What is Shakespeare really trying to say or express? What are the larger ideas shown in this specific part of the text?) 

B.    Assess how the quote is said, considering how the word choice, the ordering or ideas, sentence structure, etc., contribute to the meaning of the passage. What specific words is that character using? (I’ve shown this to you many times when I point out examples of figurative language and imagery in the play).

C.    Connect this analysis of the passage back to the significance of the text as a whole. What were you originally trying to say in your thesis statement, and how does this point you are making with the quote help contribute to your original argument? 

Make sure to never tell the reader simply what is occurring in the quote- this is just plot summary.  

Feel free to change up the formula. Often, writers will include two quotes per paragraph (this is especially true when your prompt involves two different characters). If this is the case, repeat the middle three sections (Topic Sentence-> Reasoning->  Evidence ->     Analysis ->   Reasoning->  Evidence -> Analysis) before tying it back together.

Introduction Paragraphs

Follow these four easy steps in creating a concise and clear introductory paragraph:

   1)      The Hook: Make sure you begin your introduction with a sentence that is not overly dramatic, but also not too boring (This is a difficult task).

Do not use overly broad or generic hooks:

—  “Throughout human history…”

—  “According to Webster’s dictionary definition of…”

—  “Every individual on this planet is unique…”

   2)     Concepts: Make sure you introduce the concepts you will be talking about. Define any specific terms/ concepts in the essay prompt that may be difficult to understand. Elaborate on them briefly (a sentence or two) if it will help the clarity of your essay.

·         For example: Explain the term “allusion.” Explain why people feared authoritarian forces in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Explain how female characters are typically portrayed by men before the women’s rights movement. Discuss the use of first person narration.

   3)     Context: Set up the context for the essay. Introduce the author and text you will be discussing. Name drop, title drop, and theme drop. Do not give a summary of the plot!

   4)     Thesis: The end of your introductory paragraph should be your thesis statement which should be the general argument and purpose of your paper.

Constructing Effective Thesis Statements

Much like the mythical hero Theseus, Your thesis must lead the charge for your essay. The most important part of your essay is the thesis statement. Your thesis statement lays the framework for the rest of your paper.

When writing a thesis statement, consider the three P’s:

Prompt: is your thesis actually addressing the prompt you have chosen to write on? Your thesis must relate to the key concept in the prompt. For instance, if the prompt asks about power and authority, then you need to reference power and authority in your thesis.

Provable: You need to be able to prove your thesis through textual support (examples and quotes). Be sure they are worthy of being proven; for instance, it is not necessary to prove that Caesar dies since no one would disagree with you.

Purpose: You should state why the author creates a situation or why he/she does what he/she does. What is the purpose of the author’s writing? This is called thematic purpose and should also reflect a major theme in the work. Purpose is the most important part of your thesis. This should show how the message of the novel is universal and goes beyond the author’s text.

All thesis statements must take some type of bold leap forward in making a claim about the book or author. This is how you add purpose in your thesis statement; it takes critical thinking on your part and the willingness to be bold (like Indiana Jones). I can’t tell you what the purpose of your thesis statement is! Only you can do that!

Example:

Fact: In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, blood imagery is used frequently when describing Macbeth’s downfall.

Weak Thesis: Shakespeare uses blood imagery to portray MacBeth as someone who loses his moral compass and allows fate to override his inner most feelings.

Stronger Thesis: Shakespeare uses blood imagery to illuminate the severity of MacBeth’s decisions in order to emphasize how people’s moral compasses can go astray.

Remember, a good thesis statement goes beyond the

text and becomes universal.

Julius Caesar Essay Topics

   

   1)      Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears: 

      

      The art of persuasion is a key component of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Most attempts at persuasion are effective and some are simply better than others. Focus on one or two instances when a character is persuading someone else. Analyze the specific language and tactics used by the speaker. Ultimately, what message does Shakespeare seem to be sending about the art of persuasion? How does it relate to the work as a whole? Possible segments of the text that can be focused on are

a.      Cassius speaking with Brutus (Act 1 Scene 2).

b.      Cassius speaking with Casca (Act 1 Scene 3).

c.       Brutus speaking with himself (Act 2 Scene 1).

d.      Portia speaking with Brutus (Act 2 Scene 1).

e.      Calpurnia speaking with Caesar (Act 2 Scene 2).

f.        Decius speaking with Caesar (Act 2 Scene 2).

g.      Brutus speaking to the Romans (Act 3 Scene 2).

h.     Antony speaking to the Romans (Act 3 Scene 2).

   2)     This God did shake: 

By wisdom, manhood, and by great labor,

From humble bed to royal majesty

Up rose he, Julius the conqueror,

Who won the Occident by land and sea,

By force of arms, or else by clear treaty,

And unto Rome made all this tributary;

And then of Rome the emperor was he,

Till Fortune came to be his adversary.

O mighty Caesar, who in Thessaly

Against great Pompey, father of yours in law,

That of the East had all the chivalry

From farthest places that the sun e'er saw

                                                                                                           -The Monk’s Tale

As seen in this excerpt from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, the Monk describes Julius Caesar in a more positive light and as a man who upheld the values of chivalry. Shakespeare’s depiction of him has much more depth, and yet remains slightly ambiguous. Using specific parts of the text, conduct a character study of this Roman ruler. Ultimately, why does Shakespeare portray him in this way? What message does his portrayal convey about power and authority?

   3)     You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things: 

For she is fairer, and so deemed them all

Than Griselda, and tender is of age,

And fairer fruit between them shall fall,

And nobler, due to her high lineage.

Her brother too was of so fair a visage

The people were pleased in an instant,

Commending now the Marquis’ governance.

O storm-blown people, fickle and untrue,

Undiscerning, turning like a vane,

Delighting ever in all rumour new,

For like the moon itself, you wax and wane!

Full of chatter, worthy of all disdain!

Your judgement false, fitful in your ends;

A fool is he, who ever on you depends.

–  Thus said the grave folk in that city,

When the people gazed up and down,

For they were glad of the novelty,

To have a new lady in their town.

-The Clerk’s Tale

As seen in the Clerk’s Tale, the commoners are hardly to be trusted in matters of state and authority. In Julius Caesar, one of the main characters is the populace of Rome. How does Shakespeare portray the citizens of Rome? Ultimately, what message is Shakespeare conveying about the credibility and reliability of the populace? How does this message speak to the work as a whole? Focus on specific parts of the text and do not merely summarize the plot.

   4)     An Honorable Man (AP Prompt):  

     The eighteenth-century British novelist Laurence Sterne wrote “No body, but he who has felt it, can conceive what a plaguing thing it is to have a man’s mind torn asunder by two projects of equal strength, both obstinately pulling in a contrary direction at the same time.” In the beginning of Julius Caesar, Brutus’s mind is pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling obligations. In a well-organized essay, identify each of the two conflicting forces and explain how this conflict within Brutus illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.

-         Typed Rough Draft (first two paragraphs) due Friday, October 31^st.

-         Typed Final Draft due Friday, November 7^th.