Dye Eng. 12 Essay Questions: CHOOSE ONE ONLY!!!
Due Date: ____________________
Your essay should be three to four typed pages (double-spaced) in MLA format, with an MLA heading and
parenthetical citations. Include at least four quotations from Othello and at least one quotation from an outside
source to prove your essay answer.
1. Pick a character from Othello that represents a theme or a lesson and explain how a modern audience can relate
to it. Expound upon any morals that are displayed by this character?
a. Use an outside source to define theme and moral.
b. Use quotes from the play to identify the theme or moral your character represents. Remember, your
character may not actually learn a lesson themselves, but they can still teach the audience about it.
2. Is racism or prejudice the reason for Othello's downfall, or would he have been a tragic hero regardless?
a. Research secondary sources to define racism and prejudice, and describe racism during Shakespeare’s
England or Venice in the 14th century.
b. Use the play’s lines to prove how many characters are racist or prejudice against Othello and whether or
not this is the reason Othello falls in the end.
c. Add your thoughts: Are there still elements of similar racism today? If racism exists in our society, is it
strong enough to ruin a person’s life as it may have done for Othello?
3. Do you feel Shakespeare was racist or not? What makes you think so?
a. Research outside sources about England in the 15th century. Quote facts about Shakespeare and the
people of his time to prove your stance.
b. Add your thoughts: Look closely at the play and use quotes from Othello that prove your stance.
4. Everyone says Othello is a play about jealously, but which character is the most tragically jealous?
a. Use an outside source to define jealousy and provide a relative example of the power of jealousy.
b. Add your thoughts to compare and contrast the two characters: Which character is most tragically
jealous ? Use quotes from the play to prove it.
5. Which character has the best understanding of love?
a. Use an outside source to relate the qualities of healthy relationships versus the qualities of unhealthy
relationships.
b. Use evidence and quotes from the play to show which characters are examples of each of these types of
love.
c. Add your thoughts to elaborate on which character of Othello is the best example of healthy love and
why.
6. Make up your own essay topic for Othello. Must be approved by me.
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* For this paper you are to use MLA parenthetical citations. For example: (Shakespeare, Othello, 2. 2. 54-59).
*Go to Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab for help with writing formal essays at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
*Go to Shmoop.com for help locating quotations from Othello.
English 12 / Dye Othello Essay - Peer Review: Your grade will be based on how well you adhere to the sections below.
Format
Yes
No
Paper is 3-4 pages long and divided into three to five paragraphs. The paragraphs are indented.
The writer did not plagiarize and uses quotation marks and cites others work.
The paper has a title & a header. The header includes student’s name, teacher’s name, class name, & the date
– in that order.
The paper is written in 12-point font, Times New Roman, double-spaced with one-inch margins.
Grammar
Good
Average
Poor
Complete sentences: No fragments; No run-ons
Commas: No comma splices, no run-ons
Spelling: No typos or confused words.
Quotation marks, parenthesis, colons, & periods are used properly for the essay’s quotations.
No first or second person. No I, me, my, you, your, us, or we.
Avoid past-tense and passive voice.
Argument
The introduction is attention-grabbing & interesting. It defines the key terms & states the thesis.
The thesis answers the question in one or two sentences & outlines what the essay is going to
cover.
The body paragraphs of the paper are well developed & follow the order of the thesis. Each
paragraph covers the topic listed in the directions.
The paper uses primary & secondary source quotations to proves the thesis. There are four or more
primary source quotations & at least one secondary source quotation throughout the paper.
Each quotation has an introduction, a tag line, and an explanation. No quote-plopping.
The essay has the student’s original thoughts about the topic. It does not rely solely on “experts
answers.”
Transition sentences are used to guide the reader from one paragraph to the next. Sentences are
not choppy or lacking flow. Transition words are used to tie ideas and sentences together.
Sentences are not redundant or too simple. Sentences order varies from subject, verb. object.
Clarity: The paper is easy to read. Important ideas are properly emphasized. The paper does not
stray from the subject.
Comprehension: The information in the essay is correct. The essay shows that the student has a
solid understanding of the plot, themes, & background of Othello.
The conclusion of the paper represents the student’s own opinion & states the idea of the essay in a
new way. It is not a repetition of the thesis.
Great
Average
Poor