choose one of the following plays – Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King”, Shakespeare’s “Othello”, Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll House” or August Wilson’s “Fences” – and write an analytical essay in which your thesis will focus on the following question: how does the protagonist’s status as an outsider lead him to his downfall (or in Nora’s case, her oppression). If you choose “A Doll House,” you may also mention how Nora uses her outsider status to rebel against society and become independent.
Your introduction must include a summary (one sentence only) of the play. The summary must have the title of the play and the name of the author.
For your body paragraphs, use only the play as your support. Do not do any research. You must also explain the relationship between the support and your thesis statement. Also, do not summarize the whole play, but do a close reading on a particular scene or scenes of the play. I am only interested in your close reading on the chosen sections of a play.
Also, only use direct quotations from the play as support.
Introduction
___ An opening statement to attract the reader to the thesis statement.
___ A summary of the text(s) that is only one sentence long and mentions the author’s full name, the title of the text(s) and the key points of the text(s).
___ A strong, well-focused Thesis Statement that reveals everything about the essay.
Body Paragraphs
___ Transitions between each paragraph (“First,…”; “Second,…”; “On the other hand,…” etc.).
___ A strong, well-focused topic sentence related to the thesis statement.
___ Support, presented as direct quotations taken from researched source or assigned text(s). It must be introduced by a lead-in (such as, who stated the quote) and/or followed by the correct in-text citation. Note: For most lead-ins, use the present tense.
___ Explanations, showing the logical connection between the support and the topic sentence/thesis statement.
Conclusion
___ Restatement (not a repeat) of the thesis.
___ Final thoughts for the reader.