Name: __________________________________________ Date: ________________ Class: ____________

Twelfth Night

Major Themes Writing Assignment

Guidelines:

  1. Use “Major Themes” notes to help with writing your essay.
  2. Correct essay format:
  1. Typed, 12 size font
  2. Times New Roman
  3. Double-spaced
  4. Essay must include proper MLA heading in TOP LEFT CORNER:
  1. Name
  2. English Teacher
  3. Class (ex. English 1 D Block)
  4. Date essay is due
  1. Title is centered after heading - IS NOT bolded, italicized, underlined; size 12, Times New Roman
  1. Must use at least 2 direct quotes from the play
  1. Can always use more than 2
  2. Must be properly formatted and cited in the text:
  1. Ex. When Viola is washed up on the shores of Illyria, she says, “What country, friends, is this?” (1.2.1)
  1. If you’re quoting multiple speakers, format in the following way:
  1. Maria and Toby often disagree about Toby’s drinking habits. In Act 2, they have the following debate:

SIR TOBY: What a plague means my niece to take the death of her brother thus? I am sure care’s an enemy to life.

MARIA: By my troth, Sir Toby, you must come in earlier o’nights. Your cousin, my lady, takes great exceptions to your ill hours.

SIR TOBY: Why, let her except, before excepted. (1.3.1-5)

  1. ALL QUOTES MUST BE EXPLAINED. How do they help to support your claim?
  1. Proofread essay
  1. NO PERSONAL PRONOUNS (I, me, we, my, mine, our(s), you, yours, you’re, us, yourself, myself, ourselves).
  2. Avoid announcing (“This quote shows that…” or “This essay will be about…)
  3. Check for spelling, grammatical, and conventional (sentence structure) errors.
  1. Upload final essay to MyW on or before the due date.

*FINAL COPY OF ESSAY DUE FRIDAY MARCH 5 BY THE END OF NINTH PERIOD*

Major Theme Essay Outline:

-Use the following outline to help in organizing your essay.

*1 PARAGRAPH = at least 4 SENTENCES

  1. Introduction Paragraph
  1. Include which theme to be focused on and explain what it means
  2. Thesis statement = how does that theme add both a sense of comedy AND drama to the play?
  1. Be vague - don’t want to over explain in the introduction, this leads to repetitiveness.

 

  1. Body Paragraph #1 - Comedy
  1. Topic sentence - how does the theme add to the comedy of the play?
  2. Evidence - include a quote from the play to support your claim
  1. Must lead into quote and cite it
  1. Explanation - how does that quote help to support your claim?
  2. Transition sentence - introduce the next idea, but don’t be too specific
  1. Ex. “Additionally, the theme of appearance versus reality adds to the drama of the play.”

  1. Body Paragraph #2 - Drama
  1. Topic sentence - how does the theme add to the drama of the play?
  2. Evidence - include a quote from the play to support your claim
  1. Must lead into quote and cite it
  1. Explanation - how does that quote help to support your claim?

  1. Conclusion Paragraph
  1. Restate your 2 claims (“In conclusion…”)
  2. So what? Leave the reader with something to think about, make a connection to today’s world or another topic, etc.