“Hamlet” Act I Essay Lang and Lit Pre-Draft Writing PP “Hamlet” Act I Essay Lang and Lit

YOUR PROMPT In drama, a playwright relies (largely) on character’s speech to establish and develop characters. Using your knowledge of Shakespeare’s use of language, structure, technique, and/or style, analyze the ideological and literary significance of one of the following passages in a 500- 600 word, thesis-driven essay.

Focus your lit analysis writing on language & its effect Your literary writing should focus on how language reflects ideas in literature, not how literature reflects culture Any statement about culture must be cited

Context: Vital for Lang and Lit Set the scene in your intro paragraph

Should clearly indicate the focus of the essay Title Should clearly indicate the focus of the essay The IB hates cute titles. #nopuns 

Introduction Someone who has never read Hamlet should still be able to understand your essay. Introduce the work Introduce any characters mentioned in your thesis Introduce important ideas in your thesis State your thesis If your thesis makes an argument about the “theme of delay”, you must explain what you understand the “theme of delay” to be in the introduction

Introductory Paragraphs Must introduce the title and the author of the work before any characters, settings, or context Italicize titles of plays, poems, songs and magazines Underline (when handwriting) or italicize (when typing) book titles Never write a title two times in an intro paragraph

Introductory Paragraphs Should: Immediately focus on the text you’re discussing, rather than the author and their works or culture in general Provide an introduction to historical and literary CONTEXT as well as the dominant characters, conflicts, and techniques inherent in your thesis Be edited for brevity End with a literary thesis statement

Introductory Paragraphs Integrate phrases, using commas, to show relationships between just- introduced characters Jim, Tom’s vigilante confidante, … Jordan, Daisy’s single golfer friend, … Also a good strategy in body paragraphs

Solid example of an intro paragraph with cited cultural evidence leading to a language-focused literary thesis statement

Body Paragraphs New topic, new paragraph Never ever have I said “that student has too many paragraphs in their essay.” NEVER. When in doubt, break to a new paragraph but not necessarily a new BTS. Don’t refer to important plot points without using quotations. Refer to the “exposition” rather than the beginning—speak in a formal literary register.

Body Paragraphs Without a BTS, you waste an important opportunity to show how that paragraph connects to the whole thesis. Strong BTS/CS necessary for a 10 in Org. Write about fiction in the present tense. Really evaluate whether or not you need a transitional word, phrase, or sentence. Avoid obvious or “to + word” transitions You may need more body paragraphs to prove your thesis than you originally plan to use.

Lead-Ins Someone who has never read Hamlet should still be able to understand your essay. Lead-ins need to provide clear context for your quotations: Who is speaking, what it the situation, when in the play does it occur? Act I, Scene 2 is not enough context. Instead, explain what is happening or what has just happened.

Conclusion Development An LA conclusion should… Restate the thesis statement in different words Give the essay a sense of completeness Not introduce new information Leave a final impression on the reader

Conclusion Suggestions Answer the question "So What?" Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful. Synthesize, don't summarize Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show them how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together. Redirect your readers Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally. Create a new meaning You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts.

Avoid the following weaknesses to have powerful literary analysis: Generalizations Biographical Fallacy: When you assume things about an author based on the text they wrote Rhetorical questions Absolute claims Speculation “Shakespeare must have been a fair man … “Shakespeare believed in equal rights … “The ending of Hamlet is what the audience wants to see …” “ … the outcome of Hamlet would have been different.”

Editing for Brevity ING words TO BE verbs PREPOSITIONS “Macbeth is killing … “Macbeth kills … “Okonkwo is shooting … “Okonkwo shoots … PREPOSITIONS

Words to hesitate and thoughtfully consider before using in formal writing Words that lead to generalization Words that lead to speculation many people society similarities differences diverse various several everything would could should might *Use of speculative words is sometimes appropriate in history but never in language arts