Prompt for Essay One. Rough draft due 2/6; final draft due 2/18.
Steps to Success:
- Type your essay. 900 words minimum, 1,200 maximum. Over or under the word count gets returned and will be graded as late. Twelve-point (12pt) font, either Arial, Helvetica or Times New Roman. Double space. ONE side of each page printing only.
- Use APA formatting. LOOK THIS UP to double-check you’re doing it right, especially for in-text citations.
- Have good organization. It is highly suggested that you outline carefully before you start writing your essay. Your outline will not be turned in with your essay.
- Be sure to note which question you are choosing. Include this in your heading.
- Have an interesting, properly capitalized title, using no underlining or quotation marks.
- Capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar and usage count.
- Use college-level vocabulary, and show your control of the language.
- Proofread your paper. This often makes the difference between a good and a poor paper.
Formal College-Level Writing:
- You are being tested for college-level writing, so be aware of how you present your ideas, particularly if the topic or your views could be considered controversial. Avoid racial, ethnic, or sexist slurs or stereotypes, inflammatory rhetoric, profanity and do NOT use slang. Approach the issue formally, using a formal academic style (e.g. no use of you or your), and demonstrate an awareness of your audience; you are not being judged on your views, but on how well you present them—on your writing itself.
Prompt Choices:
Based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and/or forbidden love, chose ONE of the essay topics below. Present your thesis to your instructor either via email or in person BEFORE you start writing. Yes, you MUST turn in a rough draft first.
- Discuss the concept(s) of carpe diem and/or tempus fugit in Romeo and Juliet and/or in other works of forbidden love.
- Discuss the character of Romeo and his feelings for Rosaline. Does this weaken the credibility of the love he feels for Juliet? How does it, or how does it not?
- Romeo and Juliet are referred to as “star-cross’d lovers”; there are many references to the stars in the play. With these and other examples in mind, Discuss the concept of predetermined destiny and how it relates to the play.
- Another option. Create your own paper topic related to the works we have been studying in USEM 102. Of course, you will need to check in with your instructor before proceeding.
Important and not optional: your essay must include specific examples, and they must be properly cited. This means you will include APA in-text citations and a References page, at least one concrete detail per body paragraph with as many as two or even three per body paragraph. At least two outside sources are also mandatory. These should be from academic/scholarly sources to help you prove your point. Good news: all this will contribute to your total word count. You may use ONE personal reference only: yourself or a friend, etc.