English 9
Fall Semester, Unit 2
Name__________________
Period ______
Romeo and Juliet Short Essay
Directions for Computer Lab Essay Assignment:
1. Use your best behavior.
2. Stay focused on the task at hand.
3. Do your best work! I’ll be coming around to help anyone with questions.
Part 1: Title
1. Using the exit slip from Lesson 9, title your essay.
2. Decide if you like it as is, or wordsmith it if you can make it better.
3. Capitalize all major words and center it at the top of your page.
Part 2: Introductory Paragraph (The purpose of this paragraph is to introduce the
topic of your essay and to make a specific claim about the play.)
1. Using the reverse side of guided notes for themes and thesis, review your claim of
who bears the most responsibility for the tragedy.
2. Introduce the topic of your essay in the first sentence. Some examples are:
Example A.
Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, is a tale of tragedy that begins
long before the two lovers meet.
Example B.
William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet features two impulsive, love-struck
characters who defy their two families and pay the ultimate price for their choice.
Example C.
Throughout William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, references
to fate follow the young lovers to their death.
Don’t copy these examples word for word; use your fabulous wordsmithing skills!
3. Your second sentence should be your thesis statement. Look again at your claim
of who bears the most responsibility for the tragedy. Make this into a fluid sentence.
Some examples are:
Example A. Shakespeare uses figurative language to show that the adults in
the play bear the most blame for the tragedy.
Example B. Shakespeare uses the motif of light and dark to show that Romeo and
Juliet had alternatives to their impulsive actions and therefore bear the most
responsibility for the tragedy.
Example C.
Shakespeare clearly sprinkled the play with multiple
references to fate in order to demonstrate that fate and
chance bear the most responsibility for the tragedy.
Again, don’t copy these examples word for word. Instead, use them as guides in
your own writing.
Part 3: Body Paragraph (The purpose of this paragraph is to give a piece of
evidence for the claim you’ve just made.)
1. Using the reverse side of thesis notes, choose one of the three pieces of evidence
from the text that you copied from the plot synopsis.
2. Find the exact quote in Romeo and Juliet that this refers to.
3. Write an introductory sentence for this paragraph. Some examples are:
Example A.
For example, Lady Capulet tries to convince Juliet that Paris is perfect for her,
saying, "This precious book of love, this unbound lover, / To beautify him, only
lacks a cover" (1.3.94).
Example B.
For example, in Romeo’s lengthy meditation on the sun and the moon during the
balcony scene, he describes Juliet as banishing the “envious moon” (2.1.46).
Example C.
For example, after Romeo kills Tybalt, Friar Lawrence
despairingly says to him, “ And thou art wedded to calamity"
(3.3.1-3).
You can use any of these same quotations, but introduce them in your own words.
4. Write a sentence or two that explains what the quote shows. This is your
interpretation and analysis of the evidence. Some examples are:
Example A. This shows that even though Juliet is only 13, her mother is
pressuring her to marry. This creates a situation places the blame for their
tragic deaths squarely on his shoulders.
Example B. This shows that Romeo’s sudden love for Juliet, to the point of calling
her the sun, leads to his impulsivity that is to blame for the tragic end.
Example C. This shows that even in this terrible turn of
events, the respected figure of Friar Lawrence blames fate for
Romeo’s direct part in Tybalt’s death.
Part 4: Conclusion
1. Write a sentence that sums up your claim and the evidence presented.
Some examples are:
Example A.
To conclude, because the adults in the play create a world where Romeo and
Juliet marry and yet cannot find peace, they bear the most responsibility for
the tragic conclusion.
Example B.
In conclusion, Romeo and Juliet themselves bear the most responsibility for their
rash decisions that lead to their tragic end.
Example C.
To conclude, the consistent role of fate and chance shows that
chance is to blame for the tragedy.
Checklist for Essay Assignment:
___ Title for essay
___ Introductory sentence
___ Thesis statement
___ Introductory sentence for body paragraph
___ Quoted evidence from the text that backs up thesis statement
___ Citation of quote is in MLA style
___ Your analysis of the evidence
___ Conclusion
Name_____________________
Graphic Organizer for Pre-Writing Short Essay
Your Title:
___________________________________________________________________
Introduction:
Introductory sentence for body
paragraph:
Thesis:
Quoted evidence (not just dropped in, but introduced
within your own sentence):
Your analysis and commentary for this evidence:
Conclusion:
Ms. Crandell
English 9
Fall Semester, Unit 2
Rubric for Short Essay: Romeo and Juliet
(This assignment is worth 20 points)
Criterion
5
4
3
2
1
0
Title
Title
catches
readers’
interest and
conveys an
idea of what
the thesis
will be.
Title
conveys an
idea of what
the thesis
will be.
Title orients
reader to
topic but is
overly long
or short.
Title is
vague or
inappropriate
Title is
misleading.
No title.
Introductory
Sentence
Skillfully
and
engagingly
orients
reader to
topic in
introduction;
mentions
title of work
and author
of work.
Orients
reader to
topic in
introduction;
mentions
title of work.
Partially
orients
reader to
topic in
introduction;
missing title
of work.
Introduction
is vague;
missing title
of work.
Introduction
is unclear;
missing title
of work.
No
introductory
sentence.
Thesis
statement
Thesis is
strong,
clear, and
arguable.
Thesis can
be proven
with
evidence
from the
text.
Thesis is
arguable
and can be
proven with
evidence
from the
text, but is
not stated
clearly or
strongly.
Thesis is
either not
arguable or
cannot be
proven with
evidence
from the
text.
Thesis is not
arguable and
cannot be
proven with
evidence
from the text.
Thesis is too
vague or
unclear to
interpret.
No thesis.
Introductory
sentence
for body
paragraph
Skillfully
and
engagingly
states first
point of
evidence.
Point
relates to
thesis and
introduces
literary
element to
be
discussed.
States first
point of
evidence.
Point
relates to
thesis and
introduces
literary
element to
be
discussed.
First point
of evidence
only
vaguely
supports
thesis.
First point of
evidence
does not
support
thesis.
First point of
evidence
contradicts
thesis.
No
introductory
sentence for
body
paragraph.
Quoted
evidence
Evidence
quoted from
the text is
specific,
detailed,
and
relevant;
writer gives
enough
context
(time/place)
to guide
reader;
MLA format.
Evidence
quoted from
the text is
specific,
detailed,
and
relevant;
writer gives
enough
context
(time/place)
to guide
reader; not
in MLA
format.
Evidence
quoted from
the text is
relevant but
not specific
or long
enough; not
in MLA
format.
Evidence
quoted from
the text is
not specific
or long
enough; not
in MLA
format.
Evidence
quoted from
the text is
not relevant
to the thesis;
not in MLA
format.
No evidence
quoted from
the text.
Analysis of
evidence
Writer
clearly and
fully
explains the
importance
of the
evidence
and its
effect.
Writer
explains the
importance
of the
evidence
and its
effect.
Writer
begins to
connect
evidence to
the thesis.
Writer
vaguely
comments
on the
evidence.
Writer does
not connect
evidence to
the thesis,
leaving
reader
puzzled or
unpersuaded
No analysis.
Conclusion
sums up the
claim and
mentions
the
evidence
presented.
Conclusion
merely
restates (in
the same
words) the
thesis.
Conclusion
mentions the
claim or the
evidence.
Conclusion
only vaguely
mentions the
claim or the
evidence.
No
conclusion.
Some
mechanics
and usage
errors but
overall
academic
style
contributes
to meaning
and
enjoyment.
Mechanics
and usage
errors
distract
reader;
uneven
academic
style.
Mechanics
and usage
errors
occasionally
make
meaning
unclear;
uneven
academic
style.
Frequent
mechanics
and usage
errors make
meaning
unclear;
inappropriate
style for
academic
paper.
Mechanics
and usage
errors
compromise
the ability to
convey
meaning;
inappropriate
style for
academic
paper.
Conclusion Conclusion
clearly and
skillfully
sums up the
claim and
the
evidence
presented.
Mechanics
Nearly flawfree,
Sentences
are varied
in length;
writer's
academic
style
contributes
to both
meaning
and
enjoyment.