Romeo & Juliet Essay
Introduction
• Your introduction must have the
following components:
–Hook
–Introduce title and author of the play
–Thesis
Sample Introduction
It was once said, “Each man is the
architecture of his own fate.” In The Tragedy
of Romeo and Juliet by William
Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet fall
desperately in love with each other at first
sight. However, their lives end in tragedy as
a result of their own flaws which determined
their fates.
Introduction Analysis
• Hook: It was once said, “Each man is the
architecture of his own fate.”
• Title/Author: In The Tragedy of Romeo
and Juliet by William Shakespeare,
Romeo and Juliet fall desperately in love
with each other at first sight.
• Thesis: However, their lives end in
tragedy as a result of their own flaws
which determined their fates.
Your Turn
• Write an introduction that contains the
essential components:
– Hook
– Author and Title Introduction
– Thesis
Body Paragraphs
• Your body paragraphs prove your thesis.
They provide the reasoning behind your
argument.
• Each body paragraph must be about one
topic/reason.
• DO NOT SUMMARIZE the play in your
body paragraphs. We’ve read it!
– Focus on WHY events happened, and
not what events happened.
Body Paragraphs
• In your body paragraphs, you are making
“claims” about why things happened.
• You must use quotations from Romeo and
Juliet to support your claims.
– On the next slides, we will look at one body
paragraph that does not contain support, and
then the same paragraph that contains
support.
Sample Body Paragraph
without Support
Romeo and Juliet were cursed from the
get-go. No matter what, they would never be
able to have happy lives together because
of the deep-seated hatred that their
respective families had for one another. The
fact that their marriage was kept a secret
shows that they even knew their families
would never approve and that it was wrong.
A happy marriage cannot be expected when
they had to hide their relationship from day
one.
Sample Body Paragraph
WITH Support
Romeo and Juliet were cursed from the get-go. No
matter what, they would never be able to have happy lives
together because of the deep-seated hatred that their
respective families had for one another. After Juliet first
meets Romeo, her nurse tells her that he is “[t]he only son
of [her] great enemy” (Act I, Scene v, line 134).The fact that
their marriage was kept a secret shows that they even
knew their families would never approve and that it was
wrong. For her wedding, Juliet is told to go “to Friar
Lawrence’ cell [and] [t]here stays a husband to make [her]
a wife” (Act II, Scene v, lines 68-69). Rather than a big
wedding, she is confined to a small room with just a friar
and a groom. A happy marriage cannot be expected when
they had to hide their relationship from day one.
Body Paragraph Analysis
• Both of the quotations are set up in a way
that gives context to the play, and they are
used to support the arguments.
– Because of their choices, they set themselves
up for failure.
– They are only concerned with themselves and
not with their families.
Look at the worksheet provided
Example
Evidence
Explanation
Juliet is
courageous
because she
goes against
her powerful
family and
follows her
heart’s desire.
Juliet: “I must
love a loathed
enemy” (Act I,
Scene v, line
140).
Juliet knows that
Romeo is her enemy
because he is a
Montague. She
decides to love him
anyway and go
against her family
traditions. This
shows courage.
Your Turn
• On the worksheet provided, find evidence
to support your claims in your essay.
– Example column: state your claim/reason
– Evidence column: find a quotation to support
your claim/reason (be sure to include scene
and line numbers).
– Explanation column: explain how the
quotation supports your claim/reason and
therefore your thesis.
Use the worksheet for
your Body Paragraphs
Example
Evidence
Explanation
Juliet is
courageous
because she
goes against
her powerful
family and
follows her
heart’s desire.
Juliet: “I must
love a loathed
enemy” (Act I,
Scene v, line
140).
Juliet knows that
Romeo is her enemy
because he is a
Montague. She
decides to love him
anyway and go
against her family
traditions. This
shows courage.
Sample Body Paragraph
Juliet is courageous because she goes
against her powerful family and follows her
heart’s desire. After she discovers Romeo’s
identity, she says “I must love a loathed enemy”
(Act I, Scene v, line 140). Juliet knows that
Romeo is her enemy because he is a
Montague. She decides to love him anyway
and go against her family traditions. This shows
courage.
Your Turn
• Write a body paragraph of your own using
the Example, Evidence, Explanation
model.
– Be sure to properly set-up your quotation.
Conclusions
• Your conclusion for a Literary Analysis essay
should do the following:
– Sum up your points
– Give a final thought/lesson learned
• All conclusions must:
– Restate the Title and Author
– Restate the thesis and points
• Conclusions do not:
–
–
–
–
Make new claims
Say: “In conclusion…”
Say: “This is why I think that…”
Say: “Now I’ve told you why…”
Sample Conclusion
Tragedy can occur for a variety of
reasons; sometimes it is fate and other
times it is the result of one’s own flaws. In
William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of
Romeo and Juliet, the tragedy is a result
of Romeo and Juliet’s flaws. Had they
followed their upbringing and the wishes
of their families, Romeo and Juliet would
not have ended their lives.
Your Turn
• Write your own conclusion.
– Remember the following:
•
•
•
•
•
Restate the title and author
Restate your thesis and claims
Give a final comment/lesson learned
Avoid saying, “In conclusion…”
Avoid saying, “This is why I think that…”