TWELFTH NIGHT ESSAY PROMPTS – 2013
ANSWER ONE OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN A FIVE
PARAGRAPH, FORMAL AND PERSUASIVE LITERARY ESSAY.
Be sure to use the attached brainstorming and rough outline prior to
writing the good copy.
Prior to writing the good copy:
 Brainstorm!!!
 Think about your topic- write out everything you know about it,
then determine the most important aspects
 Use a Rough Outline!
1
Some basic form of egotism –vanity, self absorption, arrogance- is a basic
fault of many of the characters in this play. Select three characters in the
play, and for each, describe his or her particular form of egotism and how it
affects his or her actions, motivations and relations with others in the play.
2
Love is a central aspect of this play. While Orsino, Malvolio and Olivia all
fall in love, they all react differently to being I love. Compare and contrast
the effects of being in love on each of these three characters. How does being
in love affect their actions, behaviour and interactions with other characters?
3
Twelfth Night, the holiday after which the play is named, was celebrated as a
festival in which everything was turned topsy-turvy, with traditional social
roles and behavior temporarily suspended or reversed. Choose at least three
characters or instances where everything is turned upside down in Illyria and
explain: How are things similarly turned upside down in Illyria to the
festivities of a traditional “Twelfth Night” and what are the results of this
confusion?
INTRODUCTION MUST INCLUDE:



Interesting introductory statement (or ‘hook’)
Thesis statement (Tell me what you are going to prove? DO NOT SAY, “I AM
GOING TO PROVE” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Directional statement (Tell me how you will prove it- what are your three key
points which will prove your thesis?) DO NOT SAY, ‘ IN THE FOLLOWING
ESSAY, I WILL PROVE THAT….BY ….’
BODY PARAGRAPH 1
 A typical body paragraph should contain the following information in this
order:
A) A topic sentence to introduce what you are proving (directional point #1)
B) An introduction to your quote to describe what you are about to prove
C) The quote to help support your idea about what you are proving
D) An explanation about why this quote helps to prove what you are proving
E) A concluding sentence to tie your idea back into your thesis and connect to your
next paragraph
BODY PARAGRAPH 2
 Transitional sentence to connect body paragraph 1 to body paragraph 2
A topic sentence to introduce what you are proving (directional point #1)
B) An introduction to your quote to describe what you are about to prove
C) The quote to help support your idea about what you are proving
D) An explanation about why this quote helps to prove what you are proving
E) A concluding sentence to tie your idea back into your thesis and connect to your
next paragraph
BODY PARAGRAPH 3
 Transitional sentence to connect body paragraph 2 to body paragraph 3
A topic sentence to introduce what you are proving (directional point #1)
B) An introduction to your quote to describe what you are about to prove
C) The quote to help support your idea about what you are proving
D) An explanation about why this quote helps to prove what you are proving
E) A concluding sentence to tie your idea back into your thesis and connect to your
next paragraph
CONCLUSION:
 Summarize your thesis statement. “DO NOT SAY, IN THIS ESSAY I HAVE
PROVEN…”
 Restate your three main points in a new way and explain how they have been
essential to proving your thesis
 Final statement. DO NOT SAY ‘THE END’
Please keep in mind…
This is a FORMAL essay  make sure you stick to the rules
of formal essay writing.
 Do write in present tense!
 Do write in third person!


Do not use “If” statements in a literary essay. Stick to the facts. (ie) DO NOT
SAY: If Brutus had never listened to Cassius, then the plot would never have
happened because Caesar would not have been killed.
Instead, speak in certainties- (ie) “Since Brutus is manipulated by Cassius, he
murders Caesar, thus beginning the plot of the play.”
DO Double –space between each line and each paragraph. There is no need to add
extra spaces between paragraphs. The indentation shows that it is a new
paragraph. Otherwise, you are wasting space on your page

DO Use clear topic sentences to begin each paragraph. Identify in these topic
sentences what it is you intend to prove. Identify the purpose of each paragraph right
at the beginning in the TOPIC SENTENCE

DO Explain. You must clearly explain each aspect in each paragraph – do not
assume we know where you are going with it.

DO NOT describe each character unless it is necessary to the essay

DO Introduce each quote. It is not enough to say,
“The rising action starts with an inciting incident: “The firebomb exploded” (p.25)
You must introduce clearly. Say instead, The rising action in this novel begins
with a clear inciting incident of the bomb going off in the center of town, “The
firebomb exploded, shocking the neighbourhood” (p.25)

DO NOT waste your time summarizing the plot and explaining every moment of the
book. Stick to what you are proving. I do not need to know the relationships of
each character to one another, I do not need to know where the story takes place and
where each character works or goes to school. Stick to the point. What are you
proving? Every time you write a sentence, think to yourself, “ Is this relevant to
what I am proving?” On the same note, only use the portion of the quote that
helps to prove your point. Do not copy out a whole page.
Do NOT write “this paragraph will examine…” or “this essay has proven”, your
level of writing needs to be much more creative and professional in!
Do NOT ramble  make sure you are proving your point!
DO Make sure each of your points proves your thesis!  EXAMPLE: after each of
your 3 points, ask yourself: “does this help prove that …….(your thesis)?”

Use proper formatting of short quotes and longer quotes. Recognize the difference
between quoting from a play and a novel.
DIRECT QUOTATIONS:
When you directly quote the works of others in your paper, you will format quotations
differently depending on their length. Below are some basic guidelines for incorporating
quotations into your paper. Please note that all pages in MLA should be doublespaced.
Short Quotations
To indicate short quotations (fewer than four typed lines of prose or three lines
of verse) in your text, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks. Provide
the author and specific page citation (in the case of verse, provide line numbers) in the
text, and include a complete reference on the Works Cited page. Punctuation marks
such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation.
Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they
are a part of the quoted passage but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of
your text.
When Mark and Jacob recognized that they had hurt Jane’s feelings, they
immediately expressed their sorrow, “The boys had never meant to hurt her and she
could see it in their faces. ‘Please,’ Mark cried, ‘Forgive us, Jane.’” (p.24)
When citing (fewer than three lines of verse) quotations from poetry or from
a play, indicate the breaks in short quotations of verse or the end of the line
in the play with a slash, /, at the end of each line of verse (a space should
precede and follow the slash).
Cullen concludes, "Of all the things that happened there / That's
all I remember" (11-12).
When quoting short passages of prose, use the following examples:
According to some, dreams express "profound aspects of
personality" (Foulkes 184), though others disagree.
OR
According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express "profound
aspects of personality" (184).
OR
Is it possible that dreams may express "profound aspects of
personality" (Foulkes 184)?
Long Quotations
For quotations that extend to more than four lines of verse or prose, place
quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the
quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented one inch from the left margin;
maintain double-spacing. Only indent the first line of the quotation by a half inch if you
are citing multiple paragraphs. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing
punctuation mark. When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should
maintain double-spacing throughout your essay.)
When Mark and Jacob recognized that they had hurt Jane’s feelings, they
immediately expressed their sorrow,
The boys had never meant to hurt her and she could see it in their faces.
‘Please,’ Mark cried, ‘Forgive us, Jane.’ Jane responded in her usual
manner. She got up, slapped the two boys hard, then hugged each of them,
saying, ‘You two are such morons. Why would you do that to me? I just
wanted to be your friend.’ (p.24 -26)
When citing long sections (more than three lines) of poetry or a play, keep
formatting as close to the original as possible.
In his poem "My Papa's Waltz," Theodore Roethke explores his
childhood with his father:
The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.
We Romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself. (quoted in Shrodes, Finestone, Shugrue
202)
Omitting Words in Quotations
If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word or
words by using ellipsis marks, which are three periods ( . . . ) preceded and followed by
a space. For example:
In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that
"some individuals make a point of learning every recent rumor or
tale . . . and in a short time a lively exchange of details
occurs" (78).
When omitting words from poetry or play quotations, use a standard three-period
ellipses; however, when omitting one or more full lines of poetry or a play,
space several periods to about the length of a complete line in the poem:
These beauteous forms,
Through a long absence, have not been to me
As is a landscape to a blind man's eye:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart;
And passing even into my purer mind,
With tranquil restoration. . . (22-24, 28-30)
Writing Dialogue
Write each person's spoken words, however brief, as a separate paragraph. Use
commas to set off dialogue tags such as "she said" or "he explained." If one person's
speech goes on for more than one paragraph, use quotation marks to open the dialogue
at the beginning of each paragraph. However, do not use closing quotation marks until
the end of the final paragraph where that character is speaking.
How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One.
1. A strong thesis statement takes some sort of stand.
Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject. For example,
if you are writing a paper for a class on fitness, you might be asked to choose a popular
weight-loss product to evaluate. Here are two thesis statements:
There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.
This is a weak thesis statement. First, it fails to take a stand. Second, the phrase negative
and positive aspects is vague.
Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in
the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.
This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand, and because it's specific.
2. A strong thesis statement justifies discussion.
Your thesis should indicate the point of the discussion. If your assignment is to write a
paper on kinship systems, using your own family as an example, you might come up with
either of these two thesis statements:
My family is an extended family.
This is a weak thesis because it merely states an observation. Your reader won’t be able
to tell the point of the statement, and will probably stop reading.
While most American families would view consanguineal marriage as a threat to the
nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that these
marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended family.
This is a strong thesis because it shows how your experience contradicts a widelyaccepted view. A good strategy for creating a strong thesis is to show that the topic is
controversial. Readers will be interested in reading the rest of the essay to see how you
support your point.
3. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea.
Readers need to be able to see that your paper has one main point. If your thesis
statement expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the
subject of your paper. For example:
Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and Web pages
can provide both advertising and customer support.
This is a weak thesis statement because the reader can’t decide whether the paper is about
marketing on the Internet or Web pages. To revise the thesis, the relationship between the
two ideas needs to become more clear. One way to revise the thesis would be to write:
Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies
should exploit this potential by using Web pages that offer both advertising and
customer support.
This is a strong thesis because it shows that the two ideas are related. Hint: a great many
clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like because, since, so, although,
unless, and however.
4. A strong thesis statement is specific.
A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about, and will help you
keep your paper to a manageable topic. For example, if you're writing a seven-to-ten page
paper on hunger, you might say:
World hunger has many causes and effects.
This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. First, world hunger can’t be
discussed thoroughly in seven to ten pages. Second, many causes and effects is vague.
You should be able to identify specific causes and effects. A revised thesis might look
like this:
Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile
soil is rarely profitable.
This is a strong thesis statement because it narrows the subject to a more specific and
manageable topic, and it also identifies the specific causes for the existence of hunger
TRANSITION WORDS
Using transitional words and phrases:
helps papers read more smoothly.
they provide logical organization and understandability
they improve the connections and transitions between thoughts
A coherent paper allows the reader to flow from the first supporting
point to the last. Transitions indicate relations, whether within a
sentence, paragraph, or paper. This list illustrates relationships
between ideas, followed by words and phrases that can connect them.
Some transitional words you could use in your writing task:
also, then, as well, therefore, however, because, moreover, finally,
again, besides, coupled with, furthermore, in addition, likewise, moreover,
similarly, next, then, briefly, on the whole, at first, first of all, to begin with,
in the first place, at the same time, for now, for the time being, the next step,
in time, in turn, later on, meanwhile, soon, the meantime, later, while,
earlier, simultaneously, afterward, in conclusion, with this in mind, after all
, all in all, all things considered, by and large,
in any case,
in any event, in brief, in conclusion, in short, in summary,
in the final analysis, in the long run, on balance, to summarize, finally,
to sum up
Persuasive Words
In Support Of
Against
Accurate
Advantage
Always/Never
Best
Certain
Confident
Convenient
Definitely
Effective
Emphasize
Expect
Interesting
Magnificent
Most
Most Important
Popular
Profitable
Strongly
Superb
Superior
Tremendous
Truly
Trustworthy
Workable
Worthwhile
Aggravate
Agony
Atrocious
Confusing
Cruel
Damaging
Disadvantages
Displeased
Dreadful
Harmful
Harsh
Horrible
Inconsiderate
Inferior
Irritate
Offend
Ordeal
Outrageousness
Provoke
Repulsive
Severe
Shameful
Shocking
Terrible
Unreliable
Unstable
Gr 9 Organizational Chart for a formal Essay 500-700 words
•introductory statement – your hook and background information to lead into your thesis
___________________________________________________________________________________
•thesis statement – *Tells what you will prove!*
___________________________________________________________________________________
•Directional statement - Your 3 key points Which CLEARLY will help to prove the thesis
(1) __________________________________________________________________
(2) ________________________________________ (3) _____________________________________
First CLEAR topic sentence from
directional statement to help prove
thesis:
Second CLEAR topic sentence
from directional statement to help
prove thesis:
Third CLEAR topic sentence
from directional statement to
help prove thesis:
TPEE:
TPEE:
Tell how it clearly connects and
helps to prove thesis:
TPEE:
Tell how it clearly connects and
helps to prove thesis:
Prove the connection using
examples from text:
Prove the connection using
examples from text:
Prove the connection using
examples from text:
Explain how the example(s)
further prove this point
Explain how the example(s)
further prove the thesis
Explain how the example(s) further
prove this point
Explain how the example(s) further
prove the thesis
Explain how the example(s)
further prove this point
Explain how the example(s)
further prove the thesis
TPEE # 2
TPEE # 2
TPEE # 2
Transition to next point.
Transition to next point.
Tell how it clearly connects and
helps to prove thesis:
Conclusion: (summarize theme/ thesis statement)
Refer to supporting ideas(Remind reader how each of your points proved your thesis)
Final insightful statements: