Essay Writing - English@Mt.Hutt with Mrs Fordyce
Essay WritingThink of yourself having to convince someone on paper why your answer is the best – with each point you make supported by evidence.State your position from the outset. You are not writing a detective story. Leave the reader in no doubt about your argument from the very first paragraph.Don’t add padding and unnecessary words to your essay – anyone can spot this immediately. Be clear. Be concise. Be informed.If you do nothing else, make a short plan. Even the briefest sketch of where you are headed is superior to no plan at all. Time spent planning will speed up the writing process. It will give you direction and precision.508958137052Planning starts with brainstorming.On your paper, write down all possibly relevant (and maybe not so relevant) ideas, points, scenes from the text, thoughts and comments that you can think of. Going back through your folder of notes, and reading critical commentaries on the text will help to prompt your thinking.Consider ways of arranging your thinking into for and against columns, or causes and consequences or one character compared to another.Add supporting evidence – quotes, language features, structural devices, narrative point of view – as you think of them.Turn it from a mass of jottings into a logical sequence or hierarchy of evidence. Now it will start to look like an outline.A box plan may help you to keep order. The one below is based on my brainstorm at the end of this document. It is incomplete – each box needs supporting evidence and/or evaluation to be added for clear thinking/planning.IntroductionThesis = agree Oth’s response to Iago’s taunts was immoral (murder) but understandable, pitiableJealousy – green eyed monster5. Oth’s responseJealousy - poison6. Judging OthelloIrony – Oth’s good qualitites7. conclusion00Planning starts with brainstorming.On your paper, write down all possibly relevant (and maybe not so relevant) ideas, points, scenes from the text, thoughts and comments that you can think of. Going back through your folder of notes, and reading critical commentaries on the text will help to prompt your thinking.Consider ways of arranging your thinking into for and against columns, or causes and consequences or one character compared to another.Add supporting evidence – quotes, language features, structural devices, narrative point of view – as you think of them.Turn it from a mass of jottings into a logical sequence or hierarchy of evidence. Now it will start to look like an outline.A box plan may help you to keep order. The one below is based on my brainstorm at the end of this document. It is incomplete – each box needs supporting evidence and/or evaluation to be added for clear thinking/planning.IntroductionThesis = agree Oth’s response to Iago’s taunts was immoral (murder) but understandable, pitiableJealousy – green eyed monster5. Oth’s responseJealousy - poison6. Judging OthelloIrony – Oth’s good qualitites7. conclusionThe six sentence IntroductionEngage interest through – A bold statementA rhetorical questionUsing statisticsA neutral, well-known or accepted generalisationEcho the words of the topic. You might use “This essay will examine/consider…”Put the topic into a broad context.State precisely what your argument in this essay will be – your thesis statement.List the main points your argument will be supported bySum upFor example“Major characters can find themselves in collision with forces beyond their control, and in many cases, their responses to the collision can be considered morally questionable.”To what extent do you agree with this statement?“I will chop her into messes” was Othello’s response to the suggestion that his wife was unfaithful to him. The forces of Iago’s cunning and the emotion of jealousy were indeed beyond Othello’s control. It would seem impossible for any person to apply their logical mind to an emotion as strong as jealousy. Therefore, this essay will show that Othello’s choices while under Iago’s influence were immoral, yet understandable. Shakespeare’s portrayal of jealousy as a poison and his ironic twist of good judgement, painfully show us that the outcome of “being wrought” is to be “perplex’d in th’extreme”. In this text, honour and goodness are no match for evil. Written well, your introduction becomes the anchor point for your entire essay. If you get stuck, go back and re-read your introduction. See what you intended to say.The Body of the essayMake the subject of each paragraph clear in the first sentence. The second sentence should amplify the first. Elaborate on the key words; explain what you meant.The next few sentences convey evidence in support of the point you have just made.End the paragraph with sentences that interpret the evidence and explain its relevance to the subject of the paragraph and/or the overall essay topic. Use linking sentences at the end and start of paragraphs. These sentences use phrases that connect the different points made in the individual paragraphs to each other. 982980-145762Linking sentence phrases:Numbering eg “There were three reasons why… Firstly… Secondly…” – basic, but effective.Contrasting eg “In contrast to Othello, we see that Iago is not at all…”Add another layer eg “Othello’s nobility can also be seen as…” or “As well as deceiving Othello, Iago also…” or “Furthermore, Othello’s noble background meant that…” or “Not only was Othello too trusting, he was also…”Look at the evidence another way eg “Alternatively, Shakespeare’s use of irony could be a way of…”Change direction eg “However, not all imagery relates to…” or “Yet, parts of his soliloquy…” or “But of all his choices, the decision to…” or “Despite repeated warnings, Othello cannot see…”Bring it all together eg “So, these images combine to create…”00Linking sentence phrases:Numbering eg “There were three reasons why… Firstly… Secondly…” – basic, but effective.Contrasting eg “In contrast to Othello, we see that Iago is not at all…”Add another layer eg “Othello’s nobility can also be seen as…” or “As well as deceiving Othello, Iago also…” or “Furthermore, Othello’s noble background meant that…” or “Not only was Othello too trusting, he was also…”Look at the evidence another way eg “Alternatively, Shakespeare’s use of irony could be a way of…”Change direction eg “However, not all imagery relates to…” or “Yet, parts of his soliloquy…” or “But of all his choices, the decision to…” or “Despite repeated warnings, Othello cannot see…”Bring it all together eg “So, these images combine to create…”The ConclusionIn your conclusion you can show your flair and your insight. The way you start is by re-reading what you stated in your introduction.The subtle difference between the introduction and the conclusion is that now you emphasise not only what you have proven, but how you have proven it.Select the most important or significant point in your essay to highlight.You may acknowledge a possible limitation or assumption in your argument.The conclusion is not the place to introduce new information.Is there any unknown evidence that could have an impact upon your argument? How might your claims change if this was known? Merely describing what you have done is lower-order thinking. Prioritising, making informed judgements, qualifying your assertions – these demonstrate your ability to think at a deeper level.“Major characters can find themselves in collision with forces beyond their control, and in many cases, their responses to the collision can be considered morally questionable.”To what extent do you agree with this statement?BRAINSTORM:Major character = Othello – noble, honourable, highly respected, passionate, decisiveCollision – subtly manoeuvred by Iago – he did not know what hit himForces beyond his control – to some extent, the mess was within Oth’s control – it was his command to kill Cassio and his decision to kill DesBut mainly Iago’s determination was beyond Oth’s control – unknown “honest Iago” and going beyond the lieutenant’s job, delighting in his devilryJealousy is an emotion out of controlResponse immoral? = yes – but he rationalises it as justiceHow shown? Language change – imagery usedMetaphor – put out the lightPoison motifGreen eyed monster that doth mock the meat it feeds onIrony – characters’ own good qualities that lead to their destructionEvaluation – critically analyseSympathy for Othello? O dolt – loved not wisely but too wellHonourable death? Or easy escape?Use of dramatic irony raises feeling of helplessness, inevitability for audience = effective ................
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