Badger Essay: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Per. 7
As a culmination of our study of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, you will select one of the following topics on which to write a full length, interpretive essay. Your essay will be evaluated for depth and clarity of thought, strength of evidence, originality, and soundness of grammar, mechanics, etc. First Draft due:
A. At the close of the play, Prince Escalus tells everyone to go home and talk about the things that have happened. He
says that “Some shall be pardoned, and some punished.” Discuss a minimum of three characters who you feel
should be punished. . . or pardoned, and defend your choices.
B. Discuss the character strengths and weaknesses of Romeo, Juliet, the Friar, or the Nurse. (choose ONE character)
C. One of the key changes Shakespeare made in adapting the already existing story about Romeo and Juliet was in
shortening the time span of the action. Discuss how the element of time proves crucial in the outcome of the
story.
D. Discuss how Shakespeare’s use of figurative language (personification, foreshadowing, oxymoron, metaphor,
simile, etc.) affects the reader’s understanding and appreciation of Romeo and Juliet.
E. The story of Romeo and Juliet is one of oppositions (light vs. dark, young vs. old, night vs. day, fast vs. slow, near
vs. far, etc. ). Select three of these oppositions and discuss how they are central to the lives of the characters and
the course of the action.
F. Love can come in many forms: romantic love (deep and enduring, or shallow and fleeting); a platonic love between
friends; a love between a parent and child; a love of God, etc. Describe and analyze the different kinds of love
portrayed by Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet.
INTERPRETIVE ESSAY FORMAT
I. OPENING/ INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
A. Get your reader’s attention (e.g. a good quote, interesting fact, anecdote)
B. Move from the `general’ to the `specific’
C. Conclude your opening paragraph with a powerful thesis statement
1. state your subject and opinion
2. write a complex, rather than simple, sentence
3. identify the major points you are going to make in defending your argument
II. BODY PARAGRAPH #1
A. Topic Sentence
1. restate the first main point of your thesis
2. make sure your sentence includes subject and opinion
B. Concrete Detail #1
1. give specific example (a *quoted passage from the text) which illustrates your topic sentence.
C. Commentary
1. write two opinion sentences about concrete detail #1 (e.g. why do you think it is significant?)
D. Concrete Detail #2
1. given another specific example which illustrates your topic sentence
E. Commentary
1. write two opinion sentences about concrete detail #2
F. Concluding Sentence
1. make a final comment about your topic sentence which pulls together the ideas suggested in this paragraph
* (All body paragraphs need to be 125 words minimum)
III. BODY PARAGRAPH #2
A. Topic Sentence
1. restate the second main point of your thesis
(follow same pattern outlined under Section II – Paragraph #1)
IV. BODY PARAGRAPH #3
A. Topic Sentence
1. Restate the third main point of your thesis
(follow same pattern outlined under Section II – Paragraph #1)
V. CONCLUSION
A. move from the `specific’ to the `general’
B. begin by restating (but not repeating verbatim) your thesis; (do not write “In conclusion”)
C. without repeating the arguments already made in this paper, draw some final thoughts about your thesis argument