Sample Essay Prep using R&J

As a class, we are going to create a model response to the following essay question:

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has earned its place as one of the greatest tragic love stories ever told. What is it about the themes of the play that still hold universal appeal to audiences today?

Think back to the last time you wrote an essay, what are the steps we need to take as we plan our response?

1. Read the question

2. Highlight the key words

3. This question is asking me to…

4. Brainstorm… In this case, think about which universal themes from Romeo and Juliet may be useful in your response.

Possible Themes:

Love

Hate

Family

Suicide

Violence

Fate

Tragedy

Death

Communication

5. Once you have brainstormed, you need to refine your ideas. In this case, which themes will be most useful to your argument?

Love, Family, Fate

6. Write your thesis statement – This is the first sentence in your intro. It should ultimately answer the question.

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has earned its right to be known as one of the greatest tragic love stories ever told as a direct result of the universal themes that are explored throughout the play.

It is as a direct result of the universal themes embedded within William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet that it has come to be classified as one of the greatest tragic love stories ever told.

The universal themes that underpin William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet are the key reason that the play is still referred to as one of the greatest tragic love stories ever told.

Despite its age, the universal themes of William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, ensure that it can still be regarded as one of the greatest tragic love stories ever told.

7. Write your topic sentences. Remember, the topic sentence of each paragraph needs to do two things:

a)      Introduce the focus of the paragraph

b)      Link directly back to your thesis statement

Paragraph 1: Family
The importance of family is one of the universal themes explored in Romeo and Juliet that still appeals to a modern audience.

Paragraph 2: Fate
Fate is another universal theme scrutinised by Shakespeare throughout Romeo and Juliet and still holds interest for a current audience.

Paragraph 3: Love
The universal theme of love, examined throughout Romeo and Juliet, still attracts (fascinates) a contemporary audience.

8. Find the quotations that will be used for each paragraph.
Once you have decided on 3-4 possible quotations, make brief notes for yourself about how the evidence fits into the paragraph and identify whether each piece of evidence demonstrates a certain/several positioning techniques.

9. Once you have finished your planning, write your essay.

Sample Main Body Paragraph:

Fate is another universal theme scrutinised by Shakespeare throughout Romeo and Juliet and still holds interest for a current audience. As the play progresses, the reader becomes increasingly aware of the importance of fate. Shakespeare uses the characterisation of Romeo and Juliet to demonstrate the value that people place on the role of fate in their lives. This becomes obvious when Romeo states, "I am fortune's fool" (Act 3, Sc. 1, 97) indicating to the audience that he truly believes that the events occuring are out of his control. Through the use of personification, Shakespeare is able to position the reader to recognise the power that fate has over characters. A similar attitude towards fate is demonstrated when Juliet cries, "Is there no pity in the clouds/that sees into the bottom of my grief?" (Act 3. Sc. 5, 198-199). By directly appealing to the clouds Juliet demonstrates how Shakespeare is personifying fate and her plea further reinforces the power that fate is believed to hold over people's lives. This belief in fate or fortune mirrors the beliefs of modern day individuals who often appeal to a higher power to step into their lives. For this reason, the theme of fate in  Romeo and Juliet stills appeals to contemporary audiences.