Julius Caesar - Theme Analysis Paper
You will all be responsible for writing a literary analysis of the William Shakespeare play, Julius Caesar. In your analysis, you will explain the ways in which the play centers around an on-going conflict between order and disorder. Your essay will explore this conflict as it is depicted in regards to the following recurring symbols/motifs::
- Man and the Animal Kingdom
- Blood
- Fire
- Time
- Illness/Infirmity
- Note: You pick which 3 to write about.
You need to develop a thesis statement, that is the point you will prove in your paper with analysis and cited facts. The actual thesis must appear as the final sentence in the opening paragraph. It may need to be a long, complex sentence constructed with semicolons, or multiple sentences.
Remember, a thesis is simply a viewpoint that is proven in the paper. Your viewpoint must be supported with scholarly facts and insights, i.e. the views of literary critics and meaningful references to the play itself.
Here is a sample piece of a possible thesis statement (Inspired by Sophie Ragan):
- “The motif of time in the play is used to convey the idea that time and politics are synonymous, and Brutus’ lack of understanding of time reflects his own political naivete and malleability.”
- Note: The aforementioned is ⅓ of a proper thesis statement; the other 2 symbols and motifs require a similar statement, i.e. things your paper will prove and substantiate with research and analysis.
You will support your analysis with:
- Quotes and ideas stemming from the book, Julius Caesar: A Guide to the Play, by Jo McMurtry (The information needed to cite the book is available on the blog);
- 2 scholarly Internet sources that you find on your own;
- And multiple, specific references to the play itself.
Introduction
- Begin the essay by discussing Stoicism and Epicureanism. These philosophies concern the crux of the play: the on-going conflict between order and disorder.
- Look up the concepts and use a citation to support your analysis of these schools of thought.
Conclusion
- Incorporate young adult writer Alex Bledsoe’s simple interpretation of the play. It will help you reintroduce the main idea and your thesis in a non-redundant manner: “So what, ultimately, does the 400-year-old Julius Caesar tell us? About ourselves: that in the war between passion and intellect, passion always wins.”
Suggested Outline
I. Intro
A. Stoicism and Epicureanism: the internal, timeless struggle of order and disorder
B. Recurring Symbols and Motifs: introduce the concepts -- blood, fire, etc.
C. Thesis: what your paper will prove; long, complex sentence that incorporates the ideas
previously mentioned in the intro.
II. First symbol/motif
A. Cited fact, quotation, or analysis
B. Supporting/example lines from the play
C. Your analysis/interpretation
III. Second symbol/motif
A. Cited fact, quotation, or analysis
B. Supporting/example lines from the play
C. Your analysis/interpretation
IV. Third symbol/motif
A. Cited fact, quotation, or analysis
B. Supporting/example lines from the play
C. Your analysis/interpretation
V. Conclusion
A. Alex Bledsoe: Intellect v. Passion
B. Reiteration of the thesis
VI. Works Cited
Things to remember:
- You are responsible for uploading a completed paper to Google Classroom on time
- Length: 4-6 pages; Double-spaced; Size 12 Times New Roman font
- Proper MLA formatting
- No cover page
- Proper Header
- a MLA-formatted Works Cited; this does not count towards the overall length of the paper
