Turning the Quote Log into an Introduction
Step 1: Divide the quotations into three categories. It's possible that you won't use all the quotes. You need three quotes to make a category.
Step 2: Name each colour. For ex. Lear's revelations, Lear's reluctance to admit mistakes, Lear's madness
Step 3: Turn each phrase into a strong topic sentence. These sentences will become the body paragraph topic sentences.
For example: Cordelia's steadfastness becomes:
Cordelia's steadfastness reflects her belief in the Renaissance philosophy called The Great Chain of Being--she never falters due to her faith in the cosmos; this faith teaches Lear to be a father.
or Lear's suffering becomes:
Lear's personal revelations are based equally on his daughters' kindnesses and rebukes because he must suffer in order to understand the depth of Cordelia's love.
Step 4: Now, synthesize these three sentences into their essence. Turn these three sentences into a THESIS. Include author and title in your sentence.
Step 5: Writing the introduction. Use these four sentences and add two more.
1. Hook (Choose a statement, a question, a quotation from the play, a quotation from a famous source, a definition, an anecdote, etc)
2. Thesis
3. First category colour statement
4. Second category colour statement
5. Third category colour statement
6. Re-state the thesis in a short, dramatic way. Make it emotional.
Once you have written your introduction, double space it, and email it to me so that I can revise it / give you feedback before we meet to write the body paragraphs in the lab on Thursday. Some of you will email me tonight, some tomorrow night, a few students (in the musical) can email me their paragraphs by Thurs. morn. 8 a.m.
Good luck. Don't worry too much about the syntax and diction at this point. You simply want to know what you are proving and how to proceed. I'll check for insight and assess the probability of your thesis statement's success.
