1. THEME & THEMATIC STATEMENTS

2. WHAT IS THEME?  Life lesson, meaning, moral, or message about human nature that is communicated by a literary work

3. A THEME IS A SENTENCE NOT JUST 1 WORD  Romeo & Juliet  TOPIC= YOUNG LOVE  THEME= Young love is not wise enough to last.  Scarface  TOPIC= power  THEME= Those without power often do anything to find it for themselves which leads to their destruction.

4. TOPICS in ANTIGONE  Talk to your partner and list 5 topics expressed in the drama, Antigone.  CHART

5. TOPIC & THEME  TOPIC  1. Pride  2. Fate  3.  THEME  1. Pride leads to dangerous consequences  2.  3.

6. TOPIC  Choose an abstract concept like PRIDE, LOYALTY, ALLEGIANCE TO KING’S/MAN’S LAW, ALLEGIANCE TO GODS’ LAW, GENDER ROLES, or FATE that the work explores.

7. Step 2: STATEMENT part 1  The _________(genre) __________ (title) by ___________author)  is about _______________________________.  (topic/abstract concept)

8. Step 3:  Now, you need to state what the literary work asserts about this abstract topic. If a play is about pride, what opinion does it express about the effect of pride on humanity?

9. Step 4: STATEMENT part 2  The _________(genre) __________(title) by ____________(author)  is about _______________________________  (topic/abstract concept)  and reveals ____________________________.  (assertion about human condition)

10. QUOTES  Now that you have your theme, you need 3 QUOTES!  Think of Creon, Antigone, Choragos, Chorus & other minor characters  When did someone say something/do something that backs up your belief about the theme?  Go and LOOK FOR IT!

11. QUOTES  If my theme is pride…..  A. Creon’s law in Scene 1 (look for the quote)  B. The Chorus mentions the dangers of pride (look for the quote)  C. The outcome/downfall of Creon and his realization that his pride caused it all (look for quote)