Mantasoot 201/202
“Lend you my ears”: Julius Caesar Persuasive Essay
Shakespeare raises many questions about life---more than perhaps answers. What
lessons from Shakespeare have you learned? In a five-paragraph essay, persuade
the reader that you are right about any of the discussion topics from the graded
discussion guide or answer one the following questions:
1. What lesson have you learned about life from reading Julius Caesar?
2. What lesson have you learned about literature and about stories from reading Julius
Caesar?
3. Argue for one of the statements on the Caesar Themes guide.
4. What is the most important theme of Julius Caesar?
5. Describe Shakespeare’s writing style.
6. What symbolism and omens did Shakespeare present? What role do omens and
superstition play in Roman Society? In our society?
7. What makes him the greatest playwright/writer of all time?
8. Is Caesar a tyrant or a victim, a benevolent king or an oppressive dictator? Did he
deserve his death? Was it just or unjust? Necessary or not?
9. Considering all the signs and warnings, did Caesar have enough to avoid his fate or was
his fate determined in the stars? Are men truly “masters of their own fate?”
10. Was Brutus a revolutionary or traitor, and honorable man or an unfaithful friend?
11. Was Cassius a wise, powerful leader or a paranoid, insecure politician?
12. Was Antony a loyal friend to Caesar or an opportunistic politician, a clever strategist or a
lying power-monger?
13. What makes the mob mentality powerful and dangerous? How do mobs form? What is
the difference between a mob and a movement?
14. What literary, personal, historical, and modern-day connections can you make to the
story?
Use specific lines from the play and HIT/RIP or IThBoCon organization.
Be sure to:
 Include specific examples with locations (e.g. Act 1, Sc. 2, 346-7) from the play
 Explanations of your example (How does it support/illustrate you thesis?)
 Connect the theme to real life (Sample Thesis: Brutus represents the idealism in
society and consequently the death of idealism in any society.)
 HIT/RIP Organization
100pts. Due Thursday/Friday before Break
Name: ________________________
Critical Learning Standards – Writing
Assignment:
6
(4)
5
(3.5)
4
(3)
3
(2.5)
2
(2)
1
(1)
Focus
Development/Support
Organization
 Shows a clear understanding of
the task
 Maintains a clear focus on the
specific issue or position while
providing a relevant context
 Development of ideas is ample, specific, and
logical
 Elaborates fully on ideas by evaluating the
implications, complications, or counterarguments
 Organization is clear with ideas
logically sequenced
 Most transitions are sophisticated and
smoothly integrated into the
composition
 The introduction and conclusion are
effective, clear, and well developed
 Shows a good command of language
 Sentences are varied and word choice is
varied and precise
 There are few, if any, errors to distract the
reader
Language/Conventions
INTEGRATION
 Shows a clear understanding of
the task
 Maintains focus on the specific
issue or position while providing
a broad context
 Development of ideas is specific and logical
 Elaborates on ideas by partially evaluating
the implications, complications, or counterarguments
 Organization, although predictable, is
clear with ideas logically sequenced
 Transitions may be simple and
obvious
 The introduction and conclusion are
clear and generally well developed
 Language is competent
Competent skill in
 Sentences are somewhat varied and word
responding to assignment
choice is sometimes varied and precise
 There may be a few errors, but they are rarely
distracting
 Shows an understanding of the
task
 Maintains focus on the specific
issue or position throughout most
of the composition while
providing some context
 Development of ideas is adequate with
general statements and some specific support
 Elaborates on ideas by some evaluation of
complexities or counter-arguments
 Organization is apparent but
predictable, with some logical
sequencing of ideas
 Most transitions are simple and
obvious
 The introduction and conclusion are
clear and somewhat developed
 Language is adequate, with some sentence
variety and appropriate word choice
 There may be some distracting errors, but
they do not impede understanding
Adequate skill in
responding to assignment
 Some understanding of the task
 Maintains focus on the general
topic, but not necessarily on the
specific issue
 Development of ideas is limited or
repetitious with little specific support
 May acknowledge complexities or counterarguments, but development is brief or
unclear
 Organization is simple, with
weaknesses in logical sequencing
 Transitions, if used, are simple and
obvious
 The introduction and conclusion are
discernable but underdeveloped
 Language is basic
 Sentences show a little variety and word
choice is appropriate
 Errors may be distracting and may
occasionally impede understanding
Some developing skill in
responding to assignment
 Weak understanding of the task
 Some focus on the general topic,
but not on the specific issue
 Development of ideas is thin with general
support that may be repetitious or irrelevant
 Little or no recognition of complexities or
counter-arguments
 Some organizational structure, with
some logical grouping of ideas
 Transitions, if used, may be
inappropriate or misleading
 The introduction and conclusion are
discernable but minimal
 Sentence structure and word choice are
usually simple
 Errors may be frequently distracting and may
sometimes impede understanding
Inconsistent or weak skill
in responding to
assignment
 Shows little or no understanding
of the task
 Little focus on the general topic
or the specific issue
 Development of ideas is minimal
 May include excessive repetition of ideas
 Little or no organizational structure or
logical grouping of ideas
 Transitions are rarely used
 The introduction and conclusion are
minimal or nonexistent
 Sentence structure and word choice are simple Little or no skill in
 Errors may be frequently distracting and may responding to assignment
significantly impede understanding
Effective skill in
responding to assignment
H (Story, image, simile, statistic, quote)
I
T
Body
R
I
P(Story, image, simile, statistic, quote)
I. Introduction
A. Hook (Story, Metaphor/Simile, Imagery, Expert Quote, Humor/Joke, Shocking Statistic, Open-ended
Question):___________________________________________________
B. Importance: ___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
C. Thesis (write a one-sentence answer to the assignment question):
________________________________________________________________
II. Topic Sentence :________________________________________________________
Support Options: quotes, ethos, pathos, logos, counter-argue, story, simile, detaled ex. …
A. Point 1_________________________________________________________
B. Point 2_________________________________________________________
C. Point 3_________________________________________________________
D. Conclusion______________________________________________________
III. Topic Sentence:________________________________________________________
A. Point 1_________________________________________________________
B. Point 2_________________________________________________________
C. Point 3_________________________________________________________
D. Conclusion______________________________________________________
IV.Topic Sentence:________________________________________________________
A. Point 1_________________________________________________________
B. Point 2_________________________________________________________
C. Point 3_________________________________________________________
D. Conclusion______________________________________________________
V. Conclusion
A. Restate Thesis ___________________________________________________
B. Importance and Synthesis of points___________________________________
C. Punchline (like hook or connect to hook)______________________________