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For your first essay, you will choose a topic based on William Shakespeare's Richard III or Much Ado about NothingT, and then write a one-thousand-word argument about it. In your introduction, you will create a thesis statement that reflects your opinion about what you think Shakespeare is saying about the topic you choose. Your essay will then support the argument put forth in the thesis. For a thesis to be sound, you should be able to answer "yes" to the following question: Could a reasonably intelligent reader familiar with the play logically disagree with what I'm arguing? Remember also that the thesis must be an opinion--an interpretation of what you believe Shakespeare is saying about a particular topic, not your views about the topic. Be sure to put your thesis in a prominent place in the introduction--either as the last sentence of the first paragraph or as the first sentence of the second paragraph. Don't bury the thesis in the middle of a paragraph, where it will run the risk of being overlooked. Then throughout the body of the essay, use incidents and lines from the play to support your argument. When you quote lines from the text, document them according to these guidelines:

Introduce the quotation by letting your reader know who is speaking and to whom.
Use present tense verbs in your introduction. Remember that the play is always with us.
Example: In the play Richard III, the Duke of Gloucester in an early soliloquy reveals his chosen role in the plot: "And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover / To entertain these fair well-spoken days, / I am determined to prove a villain" (1.1.28-30). The numbers in parenthesis represent act one, scene one, lines twenty-eight through thirty.
If you choose a quotation of longer than four lines of poetry, then separate the quotation ten spaces from the left margin of your text. You should not use quotation marks for a long quotation. The indentation alone tells the reader that you are quoting. Such a quotation would look like the following:

In the play Henry V, we hear King Harry deliver his rousing speech to his noblemen and army to inspire his men in the battle for Harfleur:

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more,

Or close the wall up with our English dead.

In peace there's nothing so becomes a man

As modest stillness and humility,

But when the blast of war blows in our ears,

Then imitate the action of the tiger.

The above lines should be double-spaced, as you should double space everything in the essay.
A maximum of 15 % of your paper should appear in quotation marks, and please keep your long quotations to a minimum. They can become tedious.

If you have trouble understanding what I mean by a thesis, then check out the link on my website dealing with the thesis statement. If you have not written an essay for me on a literary topic, it would behoove you to read my link of how to write an essay about literature.

The above form of documentation is referred to as in-text documentation, one part of the Modern Language Association's (MLA) way of documenting papers about literature. To complement it, you will also have to include a works cited page at the end of your paper. Such a page would appear as follows:

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of King Richard the Third. The Norton Shakespeare:

Notice that the second and succeeding lines of the works cited is indented five spaces from the margin. Of course, if you use any secondary source that influences your essay--whether through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary--you must give credit to that source, in the text of your essay and in the works cited page. For further information about how and what to document, and how to avoid plagiarism, visit my website on documentation and on plagiarism.

1. William Shakespeare's early play Richard III creates one of the first psychologically interesting characters in all of Shakespeare's works. One reason for this is Richard's apparent lack of convincing motives for the violence he creates. Although he tells us that he's a villain because of his infirmities, it's hard to believe that this is the only reason. Based on the text, create an argument in which you argue what Richard's motives actually are for his behavior.

2. In act one, scene two, over the body of her father-in-law and after vituperative remarks to Richard, Anne gives in to Richard's request to marry her. Argue what you believe is Anne's motivation for marrying Richard.

3. While Richard increases his power and position in the play, he has a kind of attractive villainy about him. That is, from a reader/spectator's point of view, he is an engaging character despite--or perhaps because of--his evil machinations. However, as soon as he becomes king, his world seems to fall apart. What do you think Shakespeare is saying about this power and attraction while Richard ascends to the throne but then almost immediately loses it when he reaches the throne?

4. In Much Ado about Nothing, Shakespeare explores the role of language in human relationships. For instance, wit consistently takes the forefront in the exchanges between Beatrice and Benedick, and Dogberry's malapropisms and inability to communicate to Leonato play an important part in the plot. What do you think that Shakespeare is implying about the use of language--both spoken and written--in this play?

5. Male bonding seems to be important in Much Ado about Nothing. In fact, Margerie Garber, an eminent critic of Shakespeare, suggests that Claudio's rejection of Hero during the wedding scene in 4.1. is actually a result of his fear of losing his male friends and entering into the female world that Hero represents. Create an essay in which you argue about the importance of male bonding in this play and what actions it may lead to.

6. Throughout the play Much Ado about Nothing, there are repeated references to female inconstancy and to the horns of the cuckold that such inconstancy creates. What do you make of these recurring references to female infidelity? What is Shakespeare's attitude about it?

I will read rough drafts of your essay, so don't hesitate to show me what you're working on; however, once you turn in your essay, you may not rewrite it for a different grade. Also, it would be prudent for you to show me the thesis of your essay--or a complete rough draft--before you hand the paper in. The due date for the essay is on your syllabus.