Advanced Reading - Romeo & Juliet Paper

Romeo and Juliet Compare-Contrast Paper

Assignment: Write a paper comparing and/or contrasting Romeo and Juliet. This is a compare-contrast paper, but it is also a character analysis paper.

Step 1: Read the handout “Taxonomy of Love.” Often when you write a paper on literature, you will need to find outside sources to help you analyze the piece of literature with which you are working. In this case, I have given you a brief summary from Colours of Love by John Alan Lee entitled “Taxonomy of Love.”

Step 2: Choose what type of love style Romeo uses and what type Juliet uses. You may argue that they are the same. Or you may argue that they are different types.

Step 3: Write a thesis. In this thesis argue that because Romeo and Juliet are a certain type of love (whether the same or different) it leads to their tragedy. For example, if you were to argue that both Romeo and Juliet would be classified as Ludus, your thesis would be similar to the following: Because Romeo and Juliet are both Ludic lovers, they are more apt to become tragic heroes.

Step 4: Once you have a thesis, write two topic sentences. One topic sentence should have the topic of Romeo and the limiting idea should be what type of lover he is. The second topic sentence should have the topic of Juliet, and the limiting idea should be what type of lover she is.

Step 5: Write two examples from the story that support each topic sentence.

Step 6: Write your body paragraphs. Your body paragraph should follow the following outline:

I. Topic sentence
introduce quote (set up the context)
provide the quote or the example (be sure to give act, scene, and line number)
Provide an analysis of the example -- Here is where you can also quote from the handout to help argue that the quote supports your topic sentence.

Example:
Juliet is also a _______ type of lover; or Juliet, on the other hand, is a ___________ type of lover.

Introduce your quote

Provide the quote or the paraphrased example (be sure to give act, scene, and line number)

Analyze the quote or example. You may need to refer to the “Taxonomy of Love” handout to analyze your example.

Transition into second quote

Introduce second quote or paraphrased example

Provide the quote or the example (be sure to give act, scene, and line number)

Analyze the quote or example. You may need to refer to the “Taxonomy of Love” handout to analyze your example.

Step 7: Write you introduction. Begin with an attention getter. Remember you may begin using a rhetorical question or a shocking statement.

3 parts to an introduction:

1. attention getter

2. essential information

a. Author’s full name – William Shakespeare

b. Title of piece of literature – The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
(remember that titles of plays are underlined/italicized).

c. brief plot summary. This summary should lead to your thesis.

3. Thesis (which you already have written)

Step 8: In the fourth paragraph wrap up your argument. You are arguing that Romeo and Juliet are tragic heroes because of their loving styles. According to shakespeare.learnhub.com the definition of a tragic hero is as follows: The tragic hero is a man of noble stature. He is not an ordinary man, but a man with outstanding quality and gratness about him. His own destruction is for a greater cause or principle.

Conclusion

1. restate your thesis

2. Conclude by wrapping up the argument that what you have proven in
the body paragraphs supports an argument that they are tragic.

Step 9: When you have all four paragraphs written, type them in proper order.



Important to remember:

Attention-getter begins your introduction

Your thesis is your last sentence in your first paragraph.

Each of the two body paragraphs should have a topic sentence.

Plays are italicized, so when you are talking about the play, you should write The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

Double space throughout entire paper.

Press spacebar twice after every end punctuation mark (periods., question marks?, and exclamation marks!)

Proofread your papers, so that you don’t make any silly mistakes.

Put your quote into context. Example: Juliet says, “A cup, closed in my truelove’s hand?” (V.iii.161). This means Act 5 Scene 3 line 161.

When quoting from Shakespeare, you do not put the page number. Rather, you use Act #, scene #, and line numbers.

Also, you use a forward slash to indicate different lines (/). Example:

After Juliet wakes from her death-like sleep she says, “What’s here? A cup, closed in my truelove’s hand?/ Poison, I see hath been his timeless end” (V.iii.161 – 162).

Your quotes should not go longer than 3 lines of text. If it does, you need to see me about doing block quotes.

Lesson adapted from: www.argo217.k12.il.us