Here, again, is your assignment for Essay 1, in full detail:
Description: The purpose of this assignment is for you to write an original, argument-driven paper about a topic of interest to you in Hamlet.
Step 1. Referring back to your proposal, remember the topic and argument that you want to make. Also look at the feedback I’ve given you. Think through it and and then craft a working thesis. A working thesis is a main argument or claim. It’s called a working thesis because it may change as you write, and discovery more about your topic. It will appear at the bottom of your first paragraph, and everything that you write after it will be in support of it.
Step 3: Research. for this project, research will follow from your choice of topic. You may want to do research that is related to Hamlet specifically, or you may want to do research that is related to a theme or concern in the play that you’re exploring.
Step 4: Writing the paper: The assignment asks you to take charge of your thinking about Hamlet and make something original out of it. I have every confidence that you can do this, but you might find yourself intimidated, but you don’t need to be. As Hamlet himself says, this is an opportunity to “as a stranger, give it welcome.” Write what you’re thinking about. Write about something that confuses you. Write your own thoughts out and use the structure of the assignment to give yourself some limits. It’s not something you have to “live up to.” It’s only there so that you can get yourself familiar with the rules of the road in academic writing. You can still be a little wild. My recommendation is for you to write the intro and thesis paragraph first, and then do the research and kind of write through 3-4 body paragraphs, in which each body paragraph supports the thesis in a new way. These body paragraphs are where you also incorporate your quotes from the play, and from your research. And then you have the conclusion. I’m going to add a handout on the various parts of an academic essay as well, here. If you have any concerns about structure and what is expected, this PowerPoint hand out should answer them: Key Elements of an Academic Essay (3).pptx
Nuts and Bolts: The paper should be at least 1500 words, written in MLA style, with at least 3 direct quotations from Hamlet as well one quotation each from a minimum of three secondary sources. MLA style includes general MLA citation, in-text citation and also a works cited page. Here’s the Purdue OWL pages that will help you with these things, if you’re not familiar with it yet: