Practice Essay Planning Sheet

Essay Planning Guide – Thesis and topic sentences should be full sentences. Everything else dot points. I have had trouble with finding a topic for my third body paragraph as i wanted to incorporate the theme of reputation. I will fix this today and update the post.

Introduction: Introductory statement (Optional): Thesis statement: What is your answer to the question? This must be very clear – it is the lynch pin of your essay. Main points: What main points will you use to support your argument that the play represents guilt as you suggest it does?	Introductory statement: Evil can be known as an action which is purely bad, deliberate and it has the intention of causing harm or distress to others. Thesis statement: The Shakespearian play, Othello is about good vs. Evil, it reveals how even good characters are capable of doing evil deeds. Main points: -         Individuals self-doubt and insecurities can lead them to performing evil deeds – othello -         a good character can be manipulated because of their weaknesses – Cassio -         reputation
Body paragraph 1 Topic Sentence: Evidence: Your paragraph should then provide evidence from the text to support your point. Explanation: In order to construct an argument, you must explain how your evidence is relevant/significant to your argument. Concluding Sentence: The final sentence of your paragraph should come back to the point you are making and make a clear link to the aspect of your thesis with which you are dealing.	Topic Sentence: The main character, Othello is the protagonist but his problems in his personal life lead to the greatest tragedy of the entire play. Evidence: -“old black ram”, “or else the devil will make a grandsire of you” (1.1.89-91) -“Barbary horse” (1.1.111) -“in spite of nature...to fall in love with what she feared to look upon?” (1.3.95-97) Explanation: -         personal life problems are insecurity of his race -         his self doubt kills Desdemona -         themes – jealously, death, issues of race -         positioning techniques are dramatic Concluding Sentence: Othello is blinded by jealous rage which drives his insecurities into making him belief the love of his life is having an affair.
-         Body paragraph 2 a good character can be manipulated because of their weaknesses – Cassio Topic Sentence: Evidence: Your paragraph should then provide evidence from the text to support your point.  Explanation: In order to construct an argument, you must explain how your evidence is relevant/significant to your argument. Concluding Sentence: The final sentence of your paragraph should come back to the point you are making and make a clear link to the aspect of your thesis with which you are dealing.	Topic Sentence: In Othello several character’s weaknesses are used as against them carry out  evil deeds Evidence: “I am not drunk now, I can stand well enough, and speak well enough.” – cassio, (2.3.96-97) Explanation: -         Cassios weakness is drinking which contribute him into betraying the trust of his general, Othello -         Emilia weakness is her affection from her husband, she tries to please him. -         Emilia intentionally gives Iago her husband the Desdemona’s handkerchief, even though she suspects he will use it for evil. -         Desdemona also has a weakness is that she is too much of good person and wishes to do the right thing -         This leads to her demise as her actions which were made to be out of love are used against her to make her out to be deceptive. -         Main themes – deception -         Positioning techniques repetition Concluding Sentence: Iago is cunning and deceitful as he deceives several good characters into for filling his needs by playing upon their vulnerabilities.
Body paragraph 3 Topic Sentence: Evidence: Your paragraph should then provide evidence from the text to support your point.  Explanation: In order to construct an argument, you must explain how your evidence is relevant/significant to your argument. Concluding Sentence: The final sentence of your paragraph should come back to the point you are making and make a clear link to the aspect of your thesis with which you are dealing.	Topic Sentence: The play’s characters are neither entirely good or entirely evil Evidence: “reputation, reputation, reputation!” Explanation: Concluding Sentence:
Conclusion: Your concluding paragraph must restate your thesis. It should also summarise the main points of your argument. Once again, do not try to fit all of these into one sentence. It is by presenting each point of your argument again, that you summarise your case. Deal with each point, in at least one sentence.	Thesis: Main points: