1. R&J Essay: Thesis & Quotes
Tips & Examples

2. Claim & Counter-claim
CLAIM: the main argument your essay is proving correct
in other words, putting the blame on your primary character
COUNTER-CLAIM: admission that other arguments have some validity (though not as much as your own)
admitting that other people may NOT blame your primary character OR that others may blame a DIFFERENT character all together

3. PURPOSE
to prove the ultimate guilt of ONE character in the play for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
You have TWO top contenders right now- your thesis will narrow down to ONE & present that character as the most responsible.

4. Thesis Parts Counter-Claim Admission:
another character entirely is most guilty OR
2. the claim character might NOT be considered guilty by some

5. Examples:
While some people believe that Snickers is the best candy option,
Reese’s far surpasses its competition
through its perfect balance of ingredients and variety of product options. OR
While some may not like the hard ridges on a Reese’s cup, overall, Reese’s far surpasses its competition...

6. Counter-Claim Must: specifically name the character involved
use language that allows for doubt (some people think, while some believe, even though ____ may hold some responsibility…)

7. CLAIM MUST... specifically name the character involved
strongly state the character’s guilt
leave no room for doubt (here and anywhere else in your essay!)

8. R&J Examples -- Name those parts!
While some people may view Tybalt as a character whose only purpose is to start fights, in reality, this cousin of Juliet’s serves as the primary instigator for Romeo and Juliet’s problems that eventually lead to their deaths.
Most people point at Friar Laurence as being the man most responsible for causing Romeo and Juliet’s deaths; upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that Nurse is actually the character who most pushes the two teenagers to their final, desperate act.

9. Generating Reasons supported with evidence
In order to best convince your audience, you must:
include a counter-claim: another character carries some blame OR your claim character may not be considered guilty by some
present logical reasoning that does not depend on emotional reactions from your audience or jump to unfair conclusions
include a variety of reasons & evidence from throughout the play

10. Organizing your Reasoning
CQE #1 - Counter-claim/concession CQE
can come from ANYWHERE in the play
CQE #2 - Claim CQE #1 (first reason for guilt)
should come from the beginning
CQE #3 - Claim CQE #2 (second reason for guilt- different!)
should come from middle
CQE #4 - Claim CQE #3 (third reason for guilt- different!)
should come from end

11. Remember:
Your counter-claim/concession CQE must come FIRST in your organization of the body paragraph (or else it is confusing for your reader on who you are actually blaming)
Your three claim quotes must come from a variety of locations in the play (beginning/middle/end)
You must include the act, scene, line numbers with the quotes (NOT THE PAGE NUMBER)
If your quote extends over multiple lines, you show the end of a line with a / & keep the capitalization the same as in the play
Quotes must show guilt in variety of ways: character flaws, poor motivation, irrational decisions/thinking, etc