HAMLET CHARACTER ESSAY An analysis of tone and diction

Your Task:  Write a 300-word essay on ONE quote relevant to your ASSIGNED CHARACTER that ANALYZES the diction and tone of the quote.  Follow the ORGANIZATION attached.

The Organization:  INTRODUCTION:  Thesis statement must include TONE adjective(s) and RELEVANT diction devices. DICTION DEVICES: connotation, denotation, syllabication, ambiguity, parts of speech  Body Paragraphs:  First body paragraph should be a GENERAL discussion of the character (plot relevance, conflicts, etc)  ALL SUBSEQUENT BODY PARAGRAPHS SHOULD EXPLAIN: _____________develops _____________ (device) (adjective)  Include a CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH.

SAMPLE Introduction: Perhaps of all characters in Hamlet, Osric represents just how biting Shakespeare can be. Poor Osric is simply a newly-hired Lord Chamberlain who is eager to serve King Claudius. Though we see him only briefly in Act V, as Hamlet makes mincemeat of him in Scene v, Osric becomes nothing more than the hired hand he is. In the play, Osric represents a patronizing, superficial sycophant whose use of multisyllabic, overly descriptive words illustrates just how low on the totem pole he hangs.

Don’t Forget:  Topic sentences;  Concluding sentences;  “E” sentences

Sample Topic Sentences  BODY PARAGRAPH ONE (General discussion)  Osric is meant as a comic character.  Body Paragraph Two (etc.)  Osric’s patronizing character is comically developed through the syllabication of the words he uses. Example one Explanation one Example two Explanation two

Revised DUE date:  October 19 th  ROUGH DRAFT PIECES DUE TODAY:  Introduction  THREE topic sentences