1. Writing Workshop

2. Unit 4/Part 2 “My only love, sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me That I must love a loathed enemy.” —William Shakespeare, from Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 5 Connecting to Literature William Shakespeare’s dramas have stood the test of time because they are about universal themes that are still relevant today, hundreds of years after they were written. Analyzing Drama Literary Analysis Essay

3. Unit 4/Part 2 Shakespeare develops many themes in his dramas, from revenge and justice to friendship and love. A literary analysis essay about Romeo and Juliet would discuss and evaluate one or more elements in the play. The focus might be the characters, plot, setting, or theme. For example, Shakespeare’s portrayal of romantic love would be a good topic for an essay. Analyzing Drama Literary Analysis Essay

4. Unit 4/Part 2 Features of Literary Analysis Essays Analyzing Drama Literary Analysis Essay

5. Unit 4/Part 2 Assignment Write a literary analysis essay in which you support your thesis about a drama. As you move through the stages of the writing process, keep your audience and purpose in mind. Audience:your classmates and teacher Purpose: to analyze a drama by presenting a viewpoint and supporting it with examples and quotations Analyzing Drama Literary Analysis Essay

6. Unit 4/Part 2 In the selection on pages 927 and 928 of your textbook, literary historian and biographer Marchette Chute analyzes Romeo and Juliet by showing how William Shakespeare took an ordinary plot and used it to create a remarkable play, one of the most beloved dramas ever written. As you read, note the quoted lines from the poem on which Shakespeare’s story is based. Pay close attention to the comments in the margin. They point out features that you might want to include in your literary analysis essay. Analyzing a Professional Model Literary Analysis Essay

7. Unit 4/Part 2 Choose a Focus As you plan your literary analysis essay, consider the points you want to discuss. Examine how a particular element such as character, setting, plot, or theme contributes to the effect of the play as a whole. For example, compare and contrast two characters, describe a technique the playwright uses to develop the plot, or analyze how the theme develops throughout the play. Prewriting Literary Analysis Essay

8. Unit 4/Part 2 Read the Drama Carefully A good understanding of the drama helps in forming a thesis. As you plan, reread important parts of the drama as necessary. Use the following criteria to help you plan your thesis and analysis: Begin with Your Opinion Base your analysis on your own opinion. Do you have a strong opinion about the playwright’s work? What do you think about a character, the plot, the setting, or the theme? It is easier to write convincingly when you believe in your position. Prewriting Literary Analysis Essay

9. Unit 4/Part 2 Choose a Position Think about the argument you will develop to be sure it can be easily supported with evidence. What examples and details can you draw on for evidence? Are there quotations you can use to support your thesis? Narrow Your Focus You may have so many ideas about a drama that you want to cover everything. If your focus is too broad, though, your analysis will not be thorough. Narrow your focus so that your analysis is specific and well developed. Prewriting Literary Analysis Essay

10. Unit 4/Part 2 Organize Details Organize your ideas in a cluster diagram like the one below. This will help you decide which ideas to include and how to present your argument. Prewriting Literary Analysis Essay

11. Unit 4/Part 2 Discuss Your Ideas Develop a formal writing voice to use when you write a literary analysis. Describe your argument or position to a partner, and have your partner help you develop a thesis statement with the appropriate tone for a formal essay. Prewriting Literary Analysis Essay

12. Unit 4/Part 2 Be Open As you draft your essay and develop examples and quotes in support of your position, you may want to alter your thesis statement a bit. That is fine. Revision is likely to make your argument stronger. Many writers find that an argument becomes clearer as they examine the evidence carefully. As you write your draft, occasionally review what you have written, and check that the evidence you provide supports your thesis statement. Drafting Literary Analysis Essay

13. Unit 4/Part 2 A final draft of a literary analysis essay is on pages 930 and 931 of you textbook. Read the essay and answer the questions in the margin. Use the answers to these questions to guide you as you write your own essay. Analyzing a Workshop Model Literary Analysis Essay

14. Unit 4/Part 2 Peer Review Exchange your finished draft with that of a partner. Use this rubric to evaluate your writing. Revising Literary Analysis Essay

15. Unit 4/Part 2 The effectiveness of your literary analysis essay depends on strong support for your thesis statement. As you decide on a thesis and begin drafting a statement, review the drama to find specific examples to illustrate your argument. Supporting Your Thesis Statement Literary Analysis Essay

16. Unit 4/Part 2 See the example below. Draft: Supporting Your Thesis Statement Literary Analysis Essay

17. Unit 4/Part 2 Revision: Supporting Your Thesis Statement Literary Analysis Essay

18. Unit 4/Part 2 Get It Right When you have completed the final draft of your essay, proofread for errors in grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling. Refer to the Language Handbook, pages R46–R60, as a guide. Editing and Proofreading Literary Analysis Essay

19. Unit 4/Part 2 Quotations from the drama provide clear, convincing support for your thesis. Any time you include the exact words from a play, these words should be enclosed in quotation marks. If the play is written in lines in the form of poetry, as Shakespeare’s plays are, line breaks should be indicated by slashes ( / ). Cite the location of the words in the play by listing the act number, scene number, and, if available, line number(s) so that your readers can look up and read the quotation in context. Quoting from a Play/In-Text Citations Editing and Proofreading Literary Analysis Essay

20. Unit 4/Part 2 Quoting from a Play/In-Text Citations (cont’d) Editing and Proofreading Literary Analysis Essay

21. Unit 4/Part 2 Check It Twice Your use of grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling is crucial in a literary analysis essay because it affects your readers’ response to your argument and influences your grade. After you correct errors, make sure your paper looks neat. If possible, type it. Double-check that you have followed your teacher’s general guidelines regarding length, spacing, font size, and margins. Presenting Literary Analysis Essay