Constructing an argument about Othello as a tragic hero | English

Starter quiz

In 'Othello', what does Othello have that makes him appear a tragic hero?
- a beautiful wife
- extreme jealousy ✓
- a treacherous friend
When do we witness Othello's hubris in the play 'Othello'?
- When he elopes with Desdemona.
- When he defends himself against Brabantio's accusations.
- When he refuses to listen to Desdemona's narrative about her fidelity. ✓
What role does an introduction play in an essay?
- finishes an essay, summarising the main ideas
- begins an essay, states the argument ✓
- analyses interesting examples of language
What would you not expect to see in an introduction?
- thesis statement
- general sentence about the text as a whole
- language analysis ✓
Which is true of an essay on 'Othello'?
- Begin with the idea you have the most quotes for.
- Begin writing about the most interesting language device.
- You need evidence from a range of acts and scenes throughout the play. ✓
- You only need evidence from the first and last scene.
What is a thesis statement?
- Lengthy analysis of a quote.
- Statement that introduces a main idea in each body paragraph.
- Statement that introduces an argument in the introduction. ✓

What should an introduction include?
- language analysis
- thesis statement ✓
- general sentence about the text ✓
- focus of the question / contextualisation of the scene ✓
- your best quotes
Starting with the first, put the parts of an introduction in chronological order.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  General sentence about the text.
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  Focus of the question / contextualisation of the scene.
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Thesis statement.
What is the role of a topic sentence in a paragraph?
- conclude an essay
- introduce a quote
- introduce a main idea ✓
What is not part of the criteria for a topic sentence?
- be clear and coherent
- clearly reference the writer's name
- offer an interpretation
- include detailed language analysis ✓
Which topic sentence is the most effective?
- Shakespeare presents Iago as a villain.
- Shakespeare introduces Iago as malcontent in the first scene of the play. ✓
- Shakespeare uses diabolical imagery to characterise Iago.
How should you structure topic sentences to maintain an argument?
- topic sentences can be placed in any order
- topic sentences should track the progression of the character/theme ✓
- the topic sentence with the most evidence should go first

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Introductions could follow the three-part structure.
The thesis statement should address the writer's purpose or message, in relation to the question focus.
Topic sentences should contain evaluative adjectives and phrases to show an interpretation - not devices.
Topic sentences should develop in a sequence to maintain focus on the argument.

An essay can contain random ideas about a theme/character as long as they link to the question.

Points in an essay should be planned tightly to expand upon and demonstrate the thesis statement.