Thinking about your Writing 1 Preparing for a short timed writing

What I need from you for this Timed Writing… Timed Writing will be for 20 MINUTES An extended paragraph is expected: One Topic Sentence One Concrete Detail (with quote and citation) Two Commentary Sentences One Closing Sentence

The two prompts! Prompt A: One of the major themes of the play is fate vs. free will. Explore how Shakespeare develops this theme throughout Act 1. To what degree is Macbeth in control of his fate? Explain. (A top response will make reference to the language of the text – metaphor, imagery, diction, etc.- and explore the Act in it’s entirety) Prompt B: “Fair is foul and foul is fair” (1.1.12) Appearances can be decieving. Explore how Shakespeare develops this theme throughout Act 1.

On the topic sentence… You begin with “the What” or a concrete observation from the text A summary A description It is followed by an Active Verb like: shows, proves, presents, insinuates, suggests, reveals, implies, symbolizes, indicates, denotes, represents, signals…. These all mean something different! Choose carefully! The “Concept” is an abstract idea reached through analysis of patterns. This is the big idea about life or existence the piece reveals! Don’t go small here, this should be something you can argue (there are many ways of seeing it). Examples of abstract terms include love, success, freedom, good, moral, democracy, and any -ism (chauvinism, Communism, feminism, racism, sexism)

Writing an implied thesis An Implied thesis in three parts: “The What” (This is a concrete observation) Active Verb Concept (This is an abstract idea reached through analysis of patterns) Shows, proves, presents, insinuates, suggests, reveals, implies, symbolizes, indicates, denotes, represents, signals…. In William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” both Macbeth & Lady Macbeth seek to conceal and deceive those around them… deception is a betrayal of allies and ideals.