Family and Obligations in Shakespeare “The Comedy of Errors”
Format Instructions:
No plastic covers
No title page
Double spaced
Times New Roman
12 point font
MLA https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ – State the name of the author, the title of the article, and journal in MLA format. (USE SECONDARY SOURCES)
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How to Write a Thesis Statement and Argue It Well
1. An example of a bad thesis statement:
Othello experiences racism.
– This thesis will be obvious to any careful reader of the play; it reveals no new or interesting information.
A good thesis statement will usually have two parts:
A. the main point to be argued
B. details that make up sub-points to help argue your thesis. These details should form a general roadmap for the organization of your essay.
An example of a better thesis statement:
(A.) Othello experiences internalized racism (B.i.) through his conversion to Christianity, (B.ii.) through his desire to fight in a European military, and (B.iii.) through his desire for a white woman.
– Point A is a bit better than the earlier thesis because it adds something a bit unexpected (internalized racism); points B.iiii. show the basic premises that form the evidence for point A. With a thesis statement like this one, the reader gets a general idea of the building blocks of the argument and can start making judgements on its validity.
After your introduction and thesis statement, points B.iiii. can each form the content of the next paragraphs. They make sub-theses that need to be argued convincingly with evidence.
NOTE: You thesis statement should NOT be a question; it should not be a promise to discuss or explore or analyze. Again, your thesis statement should be a succinct summary of the point you are trying to prove.
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3. Conclusion
Once you have convincingly argued your thesis statement, you will need to conclude. The conclusion is not a place for summarizing. Instead, you need to use this final paragraph to show why your thesis is important by applying it to a wider context.
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IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PAPER:
The essay should include 5 or 7 HIGH QUALITY academic, secondary sources. The sources should NOT be older than 1970.
Quote from the play and use it as your primary piece of evidence for the thesis. (the file of the play is uploaded)
