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Step 1: Understanding Your Topic

Topic: Identify two examples of hubris within The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and explain each example’s effect on the play.

Brainstorm: Consider these key Questions.What is hubris?

What characters demonstrate hubris? What do they say that demonstrates hubris? What actions do they commit that demonstrate hubris?

What effect does hubris have on the characters? How does it affect his choices and/or actions? How does it affect his personality? How does it affect the way his life ends?

What effect does hubris have on the plot? How does it affect the inciting incident? How does it affect the rising action?How does it affect the climax? How does it affect the falling action?How does it affect the resolution?

After answering the above questions, the two examples of hubris that I will explain are:

1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

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Step 2: Developing a Thesis

Consider: The argument of this essay assignment has 2 parts. 1. Where is hubris present in the play? (See two examples chosen in Step 1.)

2. What effect do these examples of hubris have on the play?

After answering the above questions, put the 2 parts together in one sentence:

In Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, hubris is a tragic flaw that is present in (example one) and (example two), which therefore affects (characters OR plot) of the play.

THESIS:

Based on your thesis come up with a TITLE for your essay:

_________________________________________________________________________

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Step 3: Develop the Introduction

I. Opening Sentence: Introduce the title of the play, the author and topic.

A. Briefly overview the plot of the play limiting it to information that is RELEVANT to your topic.

B. Thesis

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Step 4: Develop your First Body Paragraph

II. Topic Sentence: Your topic sentence of your first body paragraph restates the first example in the thesis’s argument.

A. Context of Evidence: What is happening in the play when the quotation (see 1 below) is used?

1. Supportive Evidence: Provide a direct quotation from the play to help prove your point about the character or theme. Include Act, scene, and line number.

a. Analysis: HOW do you know the quote proves your POINT? 2 sentences or more

B. Conclusive Sentence: Rephrase the point the PLAY is making about your topic.

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Step 5: Develop your Second Body Paragraph

III. Topic Sentence: Your topic sentence of your second body paragraph restates the second example in the thesis statement.

A. Context of Evidence: What is happening in the play when the quote (see 1 below) is used?

1. Supportive Evidence: Provide a direct quotation from the play to help prove your point about the character or theme. Include Act, Scene, line number and page number.

a. Analysis: HOW do you know the quote proves your POINT? 2 sentences or more

B. Conclusive Sentence: Rephrase the point the PLAY is making about your topic.

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Step 6: Conclusion

Restate your thesis:

Explain how hubris important to development of the play.

Step 7: Works Cited

Reference page 58-59 in your agenda. You will need to cite the play.

Specifically look at the entry under “A Work in an Anthology.”

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MLA Guidelines for Essay Writing

I. Format your paper

A. Change the margins of your paper.1. Go to page layout.2. Under margin select normal. This will put a one inch margin on the top, bottom,

left, and right sides of your paper.3. Both indent left and indent right should be set to zero.4. Both spacing before and after should be set to zero.

B. Align and double space your paper.1. Go to the home screen.2. Choose the left align button.3. Under the paragraph section, select the button with the up and down arrows and

spaced out lines. Choose the 2.0 option.C. Set your font to Times New Roman at twelve points.

II. Type your heading.

First Name Last Name

Ms. Hahn

English II, Block #

Day Month Year

III. Insert header with page numbers.A. Go to the insert page.

1. Under the header and footer box, select page number.2. Choose the top of the page option.3. Select plain number three.4. In front of the page number, type your last name.5. Select your name and page number.6. Change to Times New Roman font at 12 point size.

IV. Insert the title of your paper below your heading.A. Center your title on the page.

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B. Return to left align format.

V. Works Cited pageA. Under the insert tab, select the page break option under the pages section, or

press ctrl +enter.B. Center the title

Works Cited

C. Follow the instruction on pages 58 and 59 of your student agenda. Specifically look at the entry under “A Work in an Anthology.”

VI. Type your paper. Remember to indent at the beginning of paragraphs. Do not add extra spaces between paragraphs. SAVE AFTER EACH PARAGRAPH.

VII. Save your draft with the following formula on a flash drive:

(Last name)_(First name)_JC_Hubris_Analysis_Essay_Spring_2012

VIII. Print.

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How to Write Effectively: Evidence Introduction, Inclusion & Analysis

When using supportive quotations as evidence to help prove the point you are making in your paper, you should follow the guidelines below.

A. Introduce the Evidence1. Set up the context of the evidence—in other words, briefly explain what is happening in the story when your quotation is used.

Example: In the opening scene of the play, the tribune Flavius is angry with the Romans and says, “O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, / Knew you not Pompey? [. . .]” (JC 1.1.36-37).

2. a. Lead in with an attributive tag—Examples: Cassius claims, responds, questions, articulates, reveals, according to Cassius

b. If the reader is unfamiliar with the speaker of the quote, you must identify him/her—

Examples: protagonist, antagonist, supporting character, author, critic, narrator, etc.

B. Insert the EvidenceA PLAY…

1. Put “/” marks where there are line breaks in the original text.

2. If you take something out of the middle of the quotation or stop before the end of a line, put in the ellipsis mark [. . . ].

3. Punctuation goes outside of the quotation marks, outside the last parenthesis. It NEVER goes inside the quotation, UNLESS it is an exclamation point or a question mark.

4. Within the parenthetical citation, you must include the abbreviated title of the play, the act, the scene and line numbers.

Example: Flavius continues to berate the Romans for their disloyalty to Pompey and sudden allegiance to Caesar: “Many a time and oft / Have you climbed up to walls and battlements, / To towers and windows [ . . . ] / and there have sat / The livelong day with patient expectation / To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome” (JC 1.1.37-42).

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C. Analysis1. After the quotation you should answer the question: What POINT does the

evidence prove? Example: Flavius’s dispute with the Roman citizens shows they are fickle and change loyalties quickly.

2. a. After stating the point it makes, you should answer the question: HOW does it show the point? What proof is in the quotation?

b. Consider: word choice, word order, literary devices (figurative language, sound devices, etc), contradictions, implications or inferences

Example: Flavius points out the Romans’ fickle habits by first asking rhetorically if they remembered how they treated Pompey. He answers his question by pointing out all their previous loyalties, which they demonstrated just weeks before and are now giving to Caesar. It is clear that Flavius recognizes the Romans’ inconsistencies while they do not.

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TRANSITION WORDS

TYPE EXAMPLES

To show addition: again, and, also, besides, equally important, first (second, etc.), further, furthermore, in addition, in the first place, moreover, next, too

To give examples: for example, for instance, in fact, specifically, that is, to illustrate

To compare: also, in the same manner, likewise, similarly

To contrast: although, and yet, at the same time, but, despite, even though, however, in contrast, in spite of, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, still, though, yet

To summarize or conclude: all in all, in conclusion, in other words, in short, in summary, on the whole, that is, therefore, to sum up

To show time: after, afterward, as, as long as, as soon as, at last, before, during, earlier, finally, formerly, immediately, later, meanwhile, next, since, shortly, subsequently, then, thereafter, until, when, while

To show place or direction: above, below, beyond, close, elsewhere, farther on, here, nearby, opposite, to the left (north, etc.)

To indicate logical relationship: accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this reason, hence, if, otherwise, since, so, then, therefore, thus

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Peer Edit: Introduction

Have two peers edit your introductory paragraph. One peer will use a green pen, and the other peer will use a red pen. Reviewers are to complete the following chart.

Questions Do thisDoes the essay have a clear thesis statement, which

References the topic (hubris)? Provides the two examples to be examined? Provides the effect? Either character or plot? Placed at the END of the introduction?

Underline the Thesis

Circle the two examples

Star the effectDoes the essay have clear organization & support?

Introductiono Opening sentence provides title of play,

author, and general topic?o Defines hubris?o Introduces characters and information

necessary to understand essay?o Uses transition words between ideas?

Highlight at least 2 transition words

Are the grammar and punctuation correct? Are all references to the novel in the present

tense? (“is” not “was”) Contractions spelled out? (don’t do not) No fragments? (incomplete sentences) No run-ons? (not putting in punctuation and

conjunctions where needed) No comma splices? (using commas when not

needed) “Like,” “very,” “thing,” and “so” avoided? No personal pronouns (I, me, my, you, your,

we, us, ourremove or replace with “one” or “the reader”)

Use grammar symbols to correct errors

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Is MLA formatting correct? Margins at 1 inch? Essay is double-spaced? Font is Times New Roman and 12 points? Your heading contains your name, teacher

name, class and block, and date inverted? The header contains your last name and the

page number? The title is centered?

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