Lesson # 49: Practice with Thesis statements and Topic sentences. Do Now: Why do you need to grasp these concepts? A working thesis statement and strong topic sentences are necessary. They hold the essay together….

Tragic hero topic: compare and contrast Acceptable: There is room for improvement: Thesis- This essay will explore the three tragic hero attributes of having much to lose, being respected and flawed, and how they apply to Oedipus Rex. Thesis- Oedipus Rex, the protagonist of the play Oedipus Rex, possesses a major flaw, suffers a great loss, and eventually comes to a realization; therefore, making him an ideal example of a tragic hero.

Incest topic: Compare and contrast There is room for improvement: Acceptable: Thesis- I will explore Oedipus the unfaithful husband, John Proctor the morally conflicted man, and last but not least, John Proctor the honest and truthful. Thesis- Without John Proctor and Abigail’s scandalous affair there would be no conflict, no symbolic resurrection, and no one would have died as a result of accusations.

Transformation/changing topic: compare and contrast Acceptable There is room for improvement: Thesis- Throughout the play, Oedipus morphs from a naive and arrogant king to a suffering beggar ready to make amends for his actions. Thesis- Oedipus changes a few times throughout the story which greatly affects the outcome of the story for the worse.

Topic Sentences Each topic sentence must directly relate to thesis. The reader should understand your direction, purpose, and argument after studying the topic sentence.

Thesis: Oedipus Rex, the protagonist of the play Oedipus Rex, possesses a major flaw, suffers a great loss, and eventually comes to a realization, therefore making him an ideal example of a tragic hero. Topic Sentence 1: Oedipus Rex possessed the unforgivable flaw of incest, and this categorizes him as a tragic hero. Topic Sentence 2: Oedipus Rex is a tragic hero because he lost his reputation and status. Topic Sentence 3: Oedipus‘s realization, that he must face the origins of his birth and rid Thebes of himself, enables him to identify with the ideal tragic hero.

Thesis: Without Oedipus’s investigations of his own scandalous affairs there would be no conflict, no symbolic resurrection, and no one would have died as a result of his actions. Topic sentence 1: Topic sentence 2: Topic sentence 3: