Romeo and Juliet
Who is to blame?
E102
Postelli
Follow these directions when you are writing your paragraph.
1. Your thesis statement is the first sentence in your paragraph. It should include the name of the
character you believe is the most to blame for the deaths of the two lovers. It can be something as
simple as, “Romeo is the character who is the most responsible for his own death and the death of
Juliet.”
2. The next sentence must be an action (performed by the character you are blaming) which had an
impact on the decisions of Romeo and Juliet to kill themselves. This action must come specifically
from the play. Example: Romeo got in between Tybalt and Mercutio while they were pretending to
fight (847). THIS SENTENCE MUST HA VE A PAGE NUMBER AT THE END!
3. Your next two sentences must explain the connection of the action to the deaths of the two main
characters. Example: Romeo coming in between Tybalt and Mercutio during the swordfight caused
Mercutio’s death and forced Romeo to fight and kill Tybalt. Romeo was banished because he killed
Tybalt, and Friar Lawrence created the plan for Juliet’s death because Romeo was banished.
4. Your next sentence will be another action performed by the character you are blaming. (Just like
#2, only a different action.) THIS SENTENCE MUST HA VE A PAGE NUMBER AT THE
END!
5. Your next two sentences will explain the connection of the action to the deaths of the two main
characters. (Just like #3, only explaining a different action.)
6. Your last sentence will be your conclusion sentence. It must restate the idea of your thesis
statement in different words. The only word that will be the same is the name of the character you
are blaming, which must also be in your conclusion sentence.
7. Follow these directions to proofread your paragraph.
a. Are there any character names spelled incorrectly? Correct them.
b. Start with the last sentence in your paragraph. Read one sentence at a time out loud
(quietly). This will help you eliminate sentence fragments.
c. Eliminate all pronouns. Use the character’s names every time you refer to them.
8. Save your paragraph to your elocker. Print it out. Turn it in. The paragraphs are due at the end
of class today.