Taken from Syllabus—————————
Research Paper – Throughout the semester, students will prepare a final paper that requires outside research. It will be a structured as a comparative paper that takes one of the issues in Hamlet or Julius Caesar and weighs it in a contemporary context. (For example, in both plays, murder takes place. One possible topic might be the use of violence in popular culture entertainment both then and now.)
Before starting your paper, you must have your topic submitted and accepted, which will be worth 10% of your grade. If you do not have your topic accepted but resubmit, you will still earn full credit once it is approved.
15% of the grade for the entire course is based on the final copy, which must be submitted by the due date, which will be shared later in the semester. NO EXCEPTIONS
Within this paper, students will:
Impart acquired (via outside readings, data) knowledge that establishes them as experts on a topic that must be approved in advance by the instructor.
Requirements for the paper include the following:
* MLA Style of Writing– Resources will be available on the course shell that teach MLA writing. Alternatively, students may refer to or purchase the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th Edition. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
* Bibliography that lists 3-4 sources (not to exceed 4)
* 7-8 pages of prose (not to include the title page or bibliography). Paper must be double spaced, with 12 point Times New Roman Font.
* Effective structure of the paper that is built around a college-level thesis statement
* Convincing, well-developed argument of the thesis statement.
Further details will follow during the course.
Taken from assignment————————
With the topic that you proposed and I accepted, submit a 7-8 page paper plus a bibliography that contains 3-4 sources. The paper must be 12 point, Times New Roman font and double spaced with standard margins in a Word Document.
Your paper should be structured as follows:
a) Introduction with a thesis (1 full page, see my podcast on writing intros for guidance)
b) 2-3 page summary of your research – use indirect quotations as much as possible. I suggest that you find 2-3 common or contrasting points about your research and discuss them. Be sure to keep your voice as a writer when presenting them.
c) 3-4 pages in which you develop your thesis – please note that it does not HAVE to be an argumentative paper, though you should present both sides should you decide to do so.
d) Conclusion in which you recommend another topic of interest.
e) Bibliography (This does not count as one of your pages.) using MLA style
I look forward to reading your paper.
My accepted proposal—————————
My proposal for the term paper is a theme that derives from William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. It is the theme of Masculinity that interests me the most in the play and I believe it is very relatable in today’s society. In Julius Caesar we see the theme of masculinity brought up several times, whether it be Cassius questioning Caesar’s masculinity or Caesar choosing to ignore Calphurnia’s advice to stay home. Particularly I want to understand how the idea of masculinity came to be and how it relates to the way we think about each other in the present day. I want to observe how masculinity has changed throughout history, how masculinity is different elsewhere around the world, what masculinity is, and how masculinity compares to femininity. These are all topics I want to touch on and expand upon, but the main theme I will be considering is “How Masculinity is viewed in today’s society”.
