Remember these things so you can
prepare for the timed writing!
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I underlined the rhetorical purpose in your thesis
and labeled it “RP”
I checked your commentary for “meaning created”
by the device and marked “MC” with a check or
an x. (Or, if there was no discussion of meaning
created, I may not have written MC at all)
I checked your commentary for “connection to
rhetorical purpose” marked “CRP” with a check or
a question mark. (Or, if there was no connection to
rhetorical purpose, I may not have written CRP at
all)
W/C=word choice—the word you chose doesn’t
fit the meaning of the sentence
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Breaking up quotes and paraphrasing parts of
the quote
Most people followed the new rhetorical
analysis thesis template really well
Even though Shakespeare’s language can be
difficult, there was little trouble understanding
what the text said, however, some people took
details out of context and thus changed the
meaning. Be sure to read very carefully,
especially with Shakespeare.
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Be sure to use the rhetorical analysis thesis
template in the rhetorical analysis outline
model!
Remember that the rhetorical analysis outline
has more components than the literary analysis
outline
Only write notes for BP Focus (don’t write out
entire topic sentence: not enough time)
Include both the device and part of the quote in
outline for each detail
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In the thesis for this prompt, many students
wrote that Cassius’s purpose was to persuade
Brutus that Caesar is weak.
That is correct, but his larger/overall purpose
was to persuade Brutus that because Caesar is
weak, he is unfit to rule.
Be sure to identify the overall purpose of the
speaker in your thesis.
Topic sentence MUST include the IDEA the
body paragraph will focus on, not just a plot
summary (it should be one single sentence, not
the plot in the first sentence, idea in the second)
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Use their names instead of “he” or “she”
Example: Instead of “Cassius tells Brutus that he is
better than Caesar,”
 SAY: “Cassius tells Brutus that Cassius is better than
Caesar.”
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If you just use the pronoun, your reader isn’t
sure which male character you’re talking about.
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A simile is a comparison between TWO UNLIKE
things using the words “like” or “as”
The quotes from Cassius’s speech when he used
the phrases, “fed as well as,” etc, he was not
comparing two unlike things.
In this case, the word “as” meant that they had fed,
etc. equally
Be sure to check if the words “as” or “like” are
being used in a comparison between two unlike
things
The above detail could have been analyzed as an
appeal to logic
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Remember to directly state what rhetorical
device is being analyzed in the Elaboration
Be sure to analyze a rhetorical device in each
DEC (the prompt directly asked about
rhetorical devices). Most people did this, but if
you don’t analyze a device, you’re not
answering the prompt, and this drastically
affects your score
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Caesar is spelled C-A-E-S-A-R
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We’re not used to putting the a before the e, but
that’s how Julius rolls, so go with it.
Be sure to check over your spelling and be sure
you’re not leaving any words out
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Unfortunately, spell-check won’t be there to save
you from butchering important characters’ names on
your timed writings. Especially if a character’s name
is right there in the text, be sure you’re spelling their
names or other words from the text correctly.
Check over your grammar as well. It’s easy to rush
and forget a word, but that can mean your entire
sentence doesn’t make sense. That would a tragedy.
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God with a capital ‘G’ implies a single creator
god without a capital ‘g’ means one of many
gods. In the speech you analyzed, Cassius used
‘god’ so you should’ve also
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If you analyze an appeal, don’t say “pathos
appeal/ethos appeal/logos appeal”
Instead, say: “Cassius appeals to Brutus’s logic
when he says….because…” (Make sure to
explain why it’s appealing to logic, etc.)
“Cassius appeals to Brutus’s emotions when he
says…because…”
“Cassius establishes his credibility when he
says…because…”
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If you start a sentence with “This” YOU MUST
FOLLOW IT WITH A NOUN OR NOUN
PHRASE.
Ex: “This anecdote reveals…”
“This interaction with Caesar reveals…”
I am going to start counting off 2 points each
time you start a sentence with “This” followed
by a verb.