The Timed Writing Help

Step 1: Read all 3 prompts  Select your prompt for any of the following reasons:  It sounds interesting  You like the character  You really understand that part of the story  Lots of examples come to mind

Example:  I pick-  What roles do women play in Hamlet? How are they portrayed?  This is NOT an option for your essay but an example to show you how to work through your personal choice

Step 2: Write a statement  Write a statement that captures your opinion and brainstorm ideas that come to your mind. You can organize these ideas later

Example  The women in Hamlet, Ophelia and Gertrude, are portrayed as weak and unstable. Their existence and purpose are based on what the men in the play need or want.

Step 3: Think about support  Since you need at least two paragraphs of support, look at you brainstorming and group your ideas into two or three topics. Shoot for three!

Example  Ophelia  Lectured by brother and father  Used to spy and obedient  Criticized for sexuality and does not stand up for herself  Gertrude  Easily manipulated and ignorant  Not self-aware  Willing to marry her brother-in-law (lacks loyalty)  Naïve

4. Formulate your thesis  Use your brainstorming to construct your thesis to respond to the prompt  Shakespeare shows women as subservient and weak through the characters of Ophelia and Gertrude.

5. Put this into an outline  I. Introduction A. Background and introduction to the text. B. Thesis: Shakespeare shows women as subservient and weak through the characters of Ophelia and Gertrude.

Example of Background Info  Hamlet by William Shakespeare is play with predominantly male characters and male concerns. Out of approximately 23 characters, two are women. It is no surprise that the roles that women play are subservient and troubled. In addition, their concerns are seen in light of the way they affect the men in their lives. Even though Gertrude is Queen, she is not judged on her merits but by her relationships with King Hamlet, Claudius, and her son Hamlet. And little is known about Ophelia, the woman. She is portrayed through her relationships with the men in the play as a, a sister, a daughter, and a lover. INSERT THESIS HERE!

Each paragraph must have a claim sentence  The claim sentence MUST be directly related to your thesis. You will take the first part of your thesis statement and put it into a sentence.  Let’s try an example…

Prompt:What characters are hypocritical in the play? In what way is each a hypocrite?  Thesis: William Shakespeare emphasizes the hypocrisy in human nature through the characters of Claudius, Polonius, and Gertrude.  What is the claim for my first paragraph? –Put it into a sentence

Step 6. Body Paragraph 1 in Outline  II. Claim: Ophelia allows herself to be defined and guided by men. A. First example: Laertes and Polonius telling her to stay away from Hamlet. 1. Analysis: Even though she loves Hamlet, she agrees to obey them to please them. This shows that she is weak and willing to put her feelings aside to comply with the men in the play. Connection to thesis: This reflects a weak woman whose actions are defined by men. B. Second example: She is willing to spy on Hamlet for Polonius and Claudius. 1. Analyze and connect to thesis C. Third example: She does not stand up for herself when accused of being promiscuous. 1. Analyze and connect to thesis

7. Body Paragraph 2 in Outline  III. Claim: Gertrude shows that she is weak through her reluctance to face reality. A. First example: Gertrude marries her brother-in- law and thinks nothing of it. 1. Analysis: Only a month after her husband’s death, she marries her husband’s brother, Claudius who manipulates in order to become king. Connection to thesis: Her lack of loyalty to her deceased husband shows that she truly has no value for the past relationship and reinforces her weak personality. B. Second example: She does not stand up to Hamlet when she is critical of her in the scene when Polonius is killed 1. Analyze and connect to thesis

8. Write a conclusion that restates your thesis in a different way  IV. Conclusion A.Summarize key points 1.Ophelia and Gertrude are shown as weak in many ways. B.Restate Thesis 1.Gertrude and Ophelia demonstrate weak and submissive characteristics in Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. C.So what? 1. Even though Ophelia and Gertrude vary in age and rank in society, they still are portrayed in similar lights. Ophelia is naïve and obedient. Gertrude, even though she is a queen, is easily manipulated and shallow. These women starkly contrast with most of the women in today’s society. These women certainly make poor role models for women living in modern society.

Timed Writing Tips 1.Do not get hung up on words or trying to say something too perfectly Focus on analyzing fully 2.Pace yourself-spend the majority of the 45 minutes developing your body paragraphs and support. You should spend 30 minutes on the body of your essay 3.Before you move onto the next example or paragraph, make sure you have clearly connected to your thesis. 4.Take a deep breath! Just focus on writing 5.Brainstorm ahead of time-do not waste your writing time trying to process the information. In this case, you have had the prompts for over a week. 6.If you are doing the insanity prompt make sure you reference the specifics from the definition given to you and analyze that definition in relation to your thesis.