NAME___________________________________
Romeo and Juliet: Research Essay
Topic: Do teens today have to deal with the same issues as Romeo and Julietl?
Purpose: Select one of the following issues to develop into a research essay. Make sure your essay clearly draws from
Romeo and Juliet when discussing these societal issues that were present in the past, as well as today.
•You will use a 4-5 ¶ format
•You must cite 2-3 outside resources in addition to your textbook. At least one source must be a print (noninternet) source.
Issues:
1. Discuss the issue of teenage suicide as it occurs in Romeo and Juliet and in today's society and how they are
similar or different.
2. Discuss how gangs today are similar or different to the feud between the two Houses of the Montagues and
Capulets.
3. Consider teenage marriage and discuss the issue in Romeo and Juliet and in today's society.
4. Discuss specific struggles with parents that young adults today deal with which Juliet also dealt with.
5. Discuss teen violence as it exists today and as it was prevalent in Romeo and Juliet.
6. Present your own topic to me. The one condition is that your topic must be approved by me before you start
researching.
YOUR INFORMATION FOR THIS PAPER WILL COME FROM YOUR RESEARCH IN
THE LIBRARY. YOU MUST CITE YOUR INFORMATION AND HAVE A WORKS
CITED PAGE AT THE END OF YOUR PAPER!
DUE DATES:
Research paper topic:
Notecards:
___________
___________
Rough Draft:
Final Draft:
MLA SYSTEM
When using information in your slideshow that you got from somewhere else, YOU
information in your paper that you did not know previous to this assignment.
___________
___________
MUST cite any
IN YOUR PAPER-
In Text Citation- EXAMPLE:
Anytime that you use information that is not your own at the end of that sentence BEFORE your punctuation, you
must write the author’s last name, a space, and then the page number of where you got your information from in
parenthesis followed by your punctuation.
Example: “Mrs. Nelson is the greatest” (Nelson 5).
Anytime you tell the source in the sentence, you only have to put the page number.
Example: According to the book Nelson’s Class, “Mrs. Nelson is the greatest” (5).
Play quote: Juliet says, "Parting is such sweet sorrow" (II.ii.200). (capital Roman numerals for Act #, lowercase
roman numerals for scene #, lines)
Magazine paraphrase: Antony and Cleopatra fell in love after Julius Caesar died (Wendall 21). (Mag has author’s
last name and page number)
Encyclopedia Quote: “Antony was thought to be strong, brave, and determined” (“Antony”). (Encyclopedia has
the title of whatever you looked up in quotation marks)
Book Paraphrase: Cleopatra was the queen of Egypt (Bates 3). (Book has author’s last name page number)
Online quote: “However, Cleopatra was Macedonian and not Egyptian” (“Julius Caesar: A History Play). (website
uses the the author’s name or if no author, the title of the article/page you used in quotes)
NAME___________________________________
WORKS CITED
Works Cited EXAMPLE: (they should be in alphabetical order)-you should also reverse indent.
PLAY IN AN ANTHOLOGY ORDER:
Last name, First name. Title of Work. Title of Collection. Ed. Editor's Name(s). City of Publication: Publisher, Year of
publication. Page range of entry. Medium of Publication.
Example:
Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. 8th ed. New York:
Norton, 2006. 510-72. Print.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BOOK ORDER: last name, first name. Title of the Book. City of publication: publishing company, copyright date.
Example:
Bates, Jim. Shakespeare’s Tragedies. Denver: Macmurray publishing, 1999.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ENCYCLOPEDIA ORDER:
“title of the article.” Title of the Encyclopedia. Year of edition, ed.
Example:
“Antony.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 1999, ed.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MAGAZINE ORDER:
last name, first name. “Title of the Article.” Name of Magazine. Day abbreviated month. Year of publication:
page numbers.
Example:
Wendall, James. “Antony and Cleopatra: Lovers.” Time. 21 Nov. 2006: 40-45.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ONLINE SOURCE ORDER:
author’s last name, first name. (if not available, start with the title) “Article title.” Publication date. (use same
order as magazine) database name. date of access. <web address>
Example:
Smith, Martin. “Shakespeare for Dummies” 25 May 2004. Wikipedia Online 28 March 2007.
<www.wikipedia.org/greekmythology>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NAME___________________________________
General Guidelines/Formatting

Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.

Double-space the text of your paper, and use Times New Roman. The font size should be 12 pt.

Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks.

Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.

Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you
use the Tab key as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times.

Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch
from the top and flush with the right margin.

Use italics throughout your essay for the titles of longer works
Formatting the First Page of Your Paper

Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested.

In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your teacher's name, the course,
and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.

Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation
marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.

Double space between the title and the first line of the text.

Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space
with a page number; number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), onehalf inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may
ask that you omit last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow instructor
guidelines.)
Here is a sample of the first page of a paper in MLA style:
The First Page of an MLA Paper
NAME___________________________________
CATEGORY
CONTENT
Research/Citations
All proper parts of the
paper
Format
Grammar
4
3
2
1
Student builds strong case.
Has strong relevant evidence.
Has a counterclaim and a
strong refute
28-30
Student builds a case. Has
evidence, but it may not be
strong. Has a counterclaim.
May not refute well.
25-27
Students builds a case. May
be missing evidence. May be
missing a refute and
counterclaim.
18-24.
Student does not build an
argument with evidence. No
counterclaim or refute.
Student has correct in-text
citations. Student has a works
cited page with no mistakes.
28-30
Student includes in-text
citations, may have minor
errors. Students work cited
page may have a few errors.
25-27
Students may be missing
some in-text citations. Student
may have major errors on work
cited page
18-24
Students are missing many
or all in-text citations.
Students have major errors
or items missing on works
cited page.
0-17.
Final paper includes a final
draft, rough draft, and
notecards.
12-15
Final paper includes all parts,
but some may not be
completely finished.
9-11
Final paper is missing one of
the parts.
Final paper is missing more
than one of all its parts
4-8
0-3
The paper has all of the
correct format requirements,
including font, spacing, and
headers.
9-10
The paper has most of the
The paper has several major
correct format requirements. It issues with formatting.
may be missing or have 1 or 2
small parts incorrect.
6-8
4-6
The paper has minimal
grammar errors. It is easy to
read, and the few, small errors
do not hinder understanding.
12-15
The paper has several
grammar errors. Most do not
get in the way of
understanding the paper.
9-11
0-17
The paper is mostly
formatted wrong.\
0-3
The paper has many grammar The paper has so many
errors. Some are large and
errors that it is difficult to
prevent clarity and
impossible understand.
understanding in the paper.
0-4
5-8
Total Score:____________________
Comments_________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________