Othello+Thesis+Paper+Topic


 * Othello Final Paper**
 * Mrs. Overly**
 * 12 English**
 * 3 page paper**

**Directions:** For your final Othello paper, you will need to support a personal opinion that you have about the play. This theory must be an open-ended topic that as of right now does not have a clear answer. Your job in your paper is to persuade your audience to believe that your answer is the right one. During class today, we will brainstorm a number of different topics that you may choose for your paper, but ultimately, selecting a thesis is entirely up to you. Make sure that your topic is broad enough to satisfy a lengthier paper.

Brainstorming Ideas: In class on Monday, we reviewed a number of different directions that Shakespeare makes us think about after completing the play. We made a great list in class about the possible ideas and here are a few that we talked about. Go through this list, choose an idea or identify one on your own and meet me at part two. Is Iago the devil? Is this tragedy Othello’s fault? Is there a lesson to be learned in this play? Does Iago win? Does Iago have a reason that he just didn’t mention? Do you have a reason why Othello is so obsessed with his reputation? Did Othello kill himself over a broken heart? Did Othello kill himself because he lost his reputation? Is Othello responsible for his actions? Is Iago the one responsible for the all of the tragedy? What makes Iago so smart? Is Othello just a dumb brute? Could Othello ever restore his reputation? Othello is controlled by his emotions. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Shakespeare shows us that sometimes, love can kill. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Iago's smartest move was to keep his 'enemy' close. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Roderigo might appear real dumb, but he's not.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Part One **

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">*Really challenging ideas <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">-The fact that Shakespeare creates a character, Othello, who is soooo controlled by his emotions and quick to rage and kill, could this suggest that Shakespeare is racist? <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">-How does Shakespeare play with the word light in this play? What does it represent and in what important scenes do we see him use this 'symbol' to emphasize truth and lies? <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">-Why is Iago such a scary character for Shakespearean audiences? (Many people suggest that it is because Othello is like all of us which means that we ALL could be vulnerable to 'evil'.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">After deciding on an argument that you would like to prove, you'll need to think about how you can prove this statement as true. For an analysis paper, you'll need to draw your 'proof' from specific scenes and specific lines from those scenes. Post up your thesis idea and the three major supports you plan to use in the paper to prove that this thesis idea is true. Make sure that your supports are different from each other. Make sure they are the BEST examples you can find. Make sure you can clearly connect that example with your thesis topic. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">*This may be difficult for people who missed class, missed taking notes, or missed what we were doing even though you were sitting in class with us. Sorry, but this is where attendance, hard work, and paying attention really pays off. Doesn't it just stink when teachers remind you of life's truths?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Part Two **

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">After posting your thesis and three scenes that you are going to use, go to visit two other people's ideas and post a reply to two other students in our class. Give them encouragement, advice, or maybe a suggestion on how they could make their paper a little different. This type of discussion board is something I will value greatly as we move into second semester so consider this your first practice at a very typical college assignment. (Conferencing with classmates regarding paper ideas is a major part of the English Composition 121 course). Plus, I will have an opportunity to give you advice about your paper topic.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Part Three **

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">**Part Four** Outlining the paper: Consider what type of evidence you will need to prove your theory is true. Write a topic sentence outline that includes a thesis statement and all the quotes that you need to support your paper.
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">The other parts of the paper will be completed in class and at home. //**

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">**Piece by piece:** We will construct this paper together, piece by piece. Stay on top of all the homework assignments and come to class in order to prevent this paper from becoming overwhelming.