 A strong introduction to an essay should be...  Engaging (being with a ‘hook’)  Informative  Contain at least 5 to 7 sentences  End with a clear and compelling Thesis Statement

 1) Begin with a question.  Examples:  How can two different characters interpret the same even differently??  How do dramatic plays reveal their universal themes?

 2) With a startling statement.  Examples:  Imagine a literary work with no conflict.

 3) With a famous quotation.  According to Wally Lamb, “A writer weaves a fabric of lies in hopes of revealing deeper human truths”.

 After you beginning “hook”, lead slowly into your THESIS STATEMENT.  Your THESIS STATEMENT explains to the reader what your essay is about, and should always include TAG (title, author, genre)

 Avoid first person and contractions  Always transition from one idea to the next  Use specific details and elaborate/develop your paragraphs  Use proper spelling and grammar

 Examine the two different interpretations of Calpurnia’s dream and explain how Calpurnia and Decius each take the same symbols and give them very different readings.

Two individuals can paint the same sunset and create two strikingly different pictures. Often, what appears like reality to one person can be perceived much differently by another. This is especially evident in Shakespeare’s dramatic play Julius Caesar. In the play, both Calpurnia and Decius take the same symbols of a dream and give them very different readings. While Calpurnia interprets the symbolism as indicative of her husband’s death, Decius manipulates the same symbols into a beneficial omen for Caesar.

 Start with TOPIC SENTENCES (say what the paragraph is going to be about)  Contain SPECIFIC details from the play  Transition into the next paragraph

 Restate thesis  Summarize main points  “Wrap up” the essay with a concluding sentence

 In Act II, Scene II of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Calpurnia dreams that she sees a statue of Caesar, “Which like a fountain with an hundred spouts, / Did run pure blood, and many lusty Romans / Came smiling and did bathe their hands in it.” (II. II. 81)  In a 4 paragraph essay, examine the two different interpretations of Calpurnia’s dream and explain how Calpurnia and Decius each take the same symbols and give them very different readings.