Romeo and Juliet character analysis revision issues AKA stuff your teacher wants you to FIX BEFORE you turn in your final draft. 

USE A FORMAL TONE Don’t Do not use contractions USE A FORMAL TONE Don’t Do not use contractions!!!!! Establish your credibility by using academic English for analytical writing. Say… Instead of… Romeo does not care of the guards catch him or not; he just wants to be with Juliet. This pretty much means Romeo doesn’t care if the guards catch him or not, he just wants to be there.

DO NOT USE 1ST OR 2ND PERSON IN YOUR ANALYSIS Use an objective tone by using 3rd person (she/he/it) instead. Instead of… Say… The first trait that I think Juliet shows is being cautious. Or… As Romeo tells Benvolio of his feelings toward his lost love, you can begin to label him as illogical. Juliet demonstrates her cautious nature at the beginning of the play. Or… As Romeo tells Benvolio of his feelings toward his lost love, it becomes obvious that he is not thinking logically.

CALL A PIECE OF LITERATURE BY ITS APPROPRIATE GENRE A story is a short fictional work that can be read in a single setting. A novel is a longer fictional work written in narrative form. A play is a fictional work written in dialogue form and intended to be performed. A poem is written in verse. A book is a bound collection of paper in which various literary forms are printed. Instead of… Say… Romeo seems emotional in the play because his reactions often ignore logic. Or… The play focuses on two major characters who overcome their parents’ longstanding feud to find love. Romeo seems emotional in the story because of the ways he reacts when certain events happen. Or… In this novel there are two major characters.

HAVE TEXT-BASED SUPPORT FOR YOUR CLAIMS Writers must prove that the text says what they say it does. The only way to do that is to use the text itself as evidence. Instead of… Say… Lord Capulet spoiled Juliet, because he thought it was the right thing to do for her, but he could not give her many relationships. Because Lord Capulet wants to protect “the hopeful lady of [his] earth,” he plans to delay her marriage by two years, keeping her more sheltered than her peers, many of whom are already “happy mothers made” (1.2.12-5).

USE QUOTES THAT RELATE DIRECTLY TO YOUR POINT The quotes are the proof that your claim is reasonable. They should be the best examples of whatever you are trying to establish about your analysis. Instead of… Say… Romeo’s emotions were out of control when he first sees Juliet. … The quote “By heaven, I love thee better than myself, for I come hither armed against myself” (5.3.64-68) describes Romeo’s love for Juliet. The quote is actually from when Romeo is talking to Paris outside Juliet’s grave. Romeo’s emotions were out of control when he first sees Juliet. Forgetting his broken heart for Rosaline, Romeo sees Juliet and wonders, “Did my heart love till now? Foreswear it, sight! / For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night” (I.5.50-1).

USE A LOGICAL SEGMENT OF THE QUOTE Pay attention to phrasing in the original quote and how it flows grammatically with what you have written. Only include what you need to make your point. Instead of… Say… An example of this is when Romeo says: “That late thou gavest me; for Mercutio’s soul / is but a little about our heads, / Staying for thine to keep him company. / Either thou or I, or both, must go with him.” (3.1.123-6) When Romeo says: “Mercutio’s soul / is but a little above our heads, / Staying for thine to keep him company. / Either thou or I, or both, must go with him” he is determined to either kill Tybalt or die trying (3.1.723-6).

SET UP QUOTES EFFECTIVELY Your reader will recognize a brief description of the scene you plan to discuss more clearly than a reference by act, scene, chapter, or line. Remember, you should assume that your reader has also read the piece you are analyzing, but not that they have a copy of it in front of them. Say… Instead of… For example in Act 3 Scene 1 he kills Tybalt for killing his good friend Mercutio when the Prince said that next person who kills someone will be put to death them self. For example, Romeo impulsively kills Tybalt in retaliation for Tybalt killing Mercutio, forgetting the Prince’s proclamation that the next person who kills someone will be put to death as punishment.

AVOID CALLING A QUOTE A QUOTE It is only a quote because you quoted it in your paper. Outside of the paper, it is a line in a play that has significance as a piece of evidence for your analysis. Discuss it organically in terms of its function in the play. Say… Instead of… This quote also greatly foreshadows that sometime later in the story, Romeo’s emotional reactions will cause him a great deal of trouble just as him impulsiveness did. Romeo’s reaction here foreshadows later scenes, where his emotional reactions will cause him a great deal of trouble just as his impulsiveness has.

CITE YOUR QUOTES CORRECTLY Only use the numbers in your citation CITE YOUR QUOTES CORRECTLY Only use the numbers in your citation. Act goes first, then scene, then line numbers. Remember to use / to show a line break if you are quoting verse. Periods go after the citation if it is at the end of a sentence. Instead of… Say… “Let them find me here. My life were better ended by their hate.” (Act:2, Scene:2, Lines:76-77) “Let them find me here. / My life were better ended by their hate” (2:2, 76-77).

AVOID PLOT SUMMARY Assume your reader has already read the play AVOID PLOT SUMMARY Assume your reader has already read the play. You do not need to include detailed descriptions of what HAPPENED; instead, focus on how the action reveals the character’s traits and how the traits are significant in creating the play’s theme. Instead of… Say… Romeo becomes so distraught at the idea of being separated from Juliet that he threatens to kill himself, prompting Friar Laurence to refer to him as a “fond mad man,” a reference to his inability to control himself (3.3.52) . He says that he would rather kill himself than have to be away from Juliet, his new wife. He goes to Friar Laurence’s cell to see advice. When Romeo tells him of his idea to kill himself, Friar stops him and tells him to slow down. “Thou fond mad man, hear me a little speak” (3.3.52).

Avoid speculation > You can not know what would have happened in the book under different circumstances. > Writers often create double negatives by speculating. Instead of… Say… Romeo’s tendency to act impulsively leads to his hasty marriage, unnecessary death, and heartache for many citizens of Verona. If Romeo weren’t so impulsive, no one would have to die, they would not have gotten married so soon, and life would be much easier for him and everyone else.