Why am I right? Because I said so DARNIT !

 First you need to assemble your pieces:  Who is your character?--- Oedipus  Are you arguing that they are or are not a tragic hero?--- not a tragic hero (definitely harder  )  What characteristic will you use? --- Plot of the play shows him working towards a goal that is dear to him/ Actions involved him in choices. ▪ (Now remember I am arguing AGAINST him being a tragic hero so I have to disprove these things!)

 Your thesis needs to be an explanation of what you will be persuading your audience.  Needs to name your character, tragic hero traits and whether they are or are not a tragic hero.  Super easy formula: Look MATH!  ________+ _________+ _______+_______= Thesis! (character) (is or is not a TH) (trait #1) (trait #2)

 Thesis= Oedipus is not a tragic hero, because the plot of the play does not show him working towards a goal that is dear to him and his actions do not involved him in choices.  What this means is that I now have to prove that Oedipus is not a tragic hero because these two important traits don’t apply to him.  Remember if you are arguing you character IS a tragic hero you will be proving the tragic hero traits DO apply to them.

 As with all papers your first sentence needs to grab my attention, make me want to read on.  Your next few sentences will give me a very brief back ground of your character and their particular pickle of a problem.  (yep that’s alliteration again… try not to be too impressed)  Finally you end it with your thesis  Total # of sentences: 4-6  Time spent writing your intro: 30 minutes  Making an passing grade in English 2: Priceless

 Examples of attention grabbers:  Rhetorical questions: ▪ What determines how we live our lives, fate or personal choice?  Quote: ▪ How a person masters his fate is more important than what his fate is.~ Karl Wilhelm von Humboldt ▪ Or a quote from the text “But show me a man who can force the hand of heaven…”

 BRIEFLY explain your character’s background and personal grievance.  That Oedipus’s story is a tragic one, there is little argument; in an attempt to bypass a prophecy, he in fact, helps it become fulfilled. After his city is visited by numerous plagues and hardships he discovers that he is the cause of the turmoil because he committed an act of incest by killing his father and marrying his mother. While this is obviously horrid and catastrophic event, does it classify Oepidus as a tragic hero? Vocab Word!!!

 Intro:  What determines how we live our lives, fate or personal choice? That Oedipus’s story is a tragic one, there is little argument; in an attempt to bypass a prophecy, he in fact, helps it become fulfilled. After his city is visited by numerous plagues and hardships he discovers that he is the cause of the turmoil because he committed an act of incest by killing his father and marrying his mother. While this is obviously horrid and catastrophic event, does it classify Oedipus as a tragic hero? Oedipus is not a tragic hero, because the plot of the play does not show him working towards a goal that is dear to him and his actions do not involved him in choices.

 What do you see?  Can you see both images?  Persuasion is all about being able to see both sides of an issue but trying to PROVE ONE IS RIGHT (even if you don’t believe it!)  So which is the REAL picture?

 Topic Sentence: One of your TH traits from your thesis  Quote: sentence from the text-- REMEMBER TO INTEGRATE!  Commentary: persuade me the quote is right  Quote: sentence from the text-- REMEMBER TO INTEGRATE!  Commentary: persuade me the quote is right  Conclusion/ Transition Sentence: sum up the idea of the paragraph and transition to next paragraph (2 nd TH trait)

 Topic Sentence: Oedipus’ actions do not involve him in choices, rather they are the repercussions of the original choice that was made for him.  Quote #1: When Oedipus’s true parents, Laius and Jocasta learned of the prophecy, “that fate would make [Laius] meet his end through a son…well, there was a murder...[of] the son not three days old” (Sophocles 40). Integrated!

 2 sentences of persuasion/ commentary:  In an attempt to dissuade (the opposite of persuade…) the appalling prediction Oedipus’s parents attempt to kill him, there by sealing their own doom. Oedipus can not be held accountable for any action because the initial action that lead to the fulfillment of the prophecy was committed by Oedipus’s parents, not himself.

 Quote #2: Oedipus, ignorant of his true heritage, flees from, “the land of Corinth and such a damned destiny” (Sophocles 44).  2 sentences of persuasion/ commentary: It is unfair to claim that Oedipus’s actions lead to his downfall, as he left his Corinth to avoid his “damned destiny”, as would anyone to save themselves and their parents. Oedipus’s motives were pure; he tried to do the honorable thing but the actions of his birth parents set him on a disastrous path.

 Concluding/ Transition sentence: One of the strongest elements of a tragic hero is that their actions lead to their demise, but Oedipus’s actions are only a re-action to the situation he has unknowingly been placed in; because he is ignorant of his true situation he is never shown to be working towards a goal that is dear to him.

 Oedipus’ actions do not involve him in choices, rather they are the repercussions of the original choice that was made for him. When Oedipus’s true parents, Laius and Jocasta learned of the prophecy, “that fate would make [Laius] meet his end through a son…well, there was a murder...[of] the son not three days old” (Sophocles 40). To dissuade the appalling prediction Oedipus’s parents attempted to kill him, there by sealing their own doom. Oedipus can not be held accountable for any action because the initial action that lead to the fulfillment of the prophecy was committed by Oedipus’s parents, not himself. Oedipus, ignorant of his true heritage, flees from, “the land of Corinth and such a damned destiny" (Sophocles 44). It is unfair to claim that Oedipus’s actions lead to his downfall, as he left his Corinth to avoid his “damned destiny”, as would anyone to save themselves and their parents. Oedipus’s motives were pure; he tried to do the honorable thing but the actions of his birth parents set him on a disastrous path. One of the strongest elements of a tragic hero is that their actions lead to their demise, but Oedipus’s actions are only a re-action to the situation he as unknowingly been placed in; because he is ignorant of his true situation he is never shown to be working towards a goal that is dear to him.

 Your 2 nd body paragraph will be set up JUST LIKE your 1 st body paragraph, but you will be arguing your 2 nd tragic hero trait.  Either that it DOES applies to your character if you are proving they ARE a TRAGIC HERO  Or that it DOES NOT apply to your character if you are proving they AREN’T a TRAGIC HERO  Only other difference is your conclusion sentence will transition to the CONCLUSION!

 3 Parts:  Restates the thesis in a new and interesting way  Cement your arguments  Provides sense of closure and finality

 Oedipus is not a tragic hero, because the plot of the play does not show him working towards a goal that is dear to him and his actions do not involved him in choices.  New and Improved!!!!  Oedipus should not be considered a tragic hero, because the audience never sees him working towards a precious goal and he is not forced to make choices due to his actions.

 Add in elements of persuasion (rhetorical question, play on readers emotions or logic, ect…)  You can not put Oedipus in the tragic hero category if he does not fit two of the most basic requirements. Oedipus’s actions and the plot of the work is about a search for truth, can you really condemn a man who is just striving to understand himself?

 Wrap up the paper with a final sentence, make sure your audience knows it is the end.  Oedipus is a man who was searching for something, sadly all he found was tragedy.

 Oedipus should not be considered a tragic hero, because the audience never sees him working towards a precious goal and he is not forced to make choices due to his actions. You can not put Oedipus in the tragic hero category if he does not fit two of the most basic requirements. Oedipus’s actions and the plot of the work is about a search for truth, can you really condemn a man who is just striving to understand himself? Oedipus is a man who was searching for something, sadly all he found was tragedy.