Writing Critical Essays on Antigone

Checklist for successfully completing the assignment

Assignment:
Based on your reading of Antigone by Sophocles, write a critical essay dealing with issues, themes and characters presented within the work. You may choose a topic from the choices presented below, or you may formulate one on your own, based on your own research:

Suggested Topics for Critical Essay

1) To compare Oedipus and Creon
2) Law versus conscience/morality
3) Characters' foolishness
4) Creon /Antigone as a tragic figure
5) Analysis of familial conflict in Antigone
6) The first feminist
7) Role of the Chorus
8) Analysis of Scene V (the climactic scene)
9) The patriotism of Creon
10) Creon as a dedicated statesman and altruistic idealist
11) Heroism in Antigone
12) Historical challenge of authority

This is a general guide to be used for writing a draft. Use the CONTENT list to determine what improvements or changes need to be made in presenting and organizing your ideas. Use the WRITING SKILLS checklist to help you revise your writing. Write specific steps you will take to revise, proofread, and re-write the draft. You can evaluate your writing and determine the possible grade by reviewing the points for each item in the checklist.

CONTENT (A total of 60 points)

1) INTRODUCTION

a) Topic labeled, introduced and explained (10%) _______
b) Thesis statement (10%) _______
- Thesis must be discernible from the rest of the introduction
- Thesis must have THREE clear components or be able to be proven/illustrate by THREE examples

2) BODY

a) First paragraph (10%) _______

-Topic sentence

-Explain/illustrate/prove the first component of thesis statement
- Give a textual example to prove the component(use quotations from the play or other people's critique)
b) Second paragraph (10%) _______

-Topic sentence
- Explain/illustrate/prove the second component of thesis statement
- Give an example to prove the component(use quotations whenever necessary)
c) Third paragraph (10%) _______

-Topic sentence
- Explain/illustrate/prove the third component of thesis statement
- Give an example to prove the component(when using quotations from others' work, make sure to do in-text citation and work cites sheet)

3) CONCLUSION (10%) _______

- Ends the essay with a final paragraph
- Writes 3-5 sentences that contain one or more of the following:
- re-states the author's opinion
- follows logically from the preceding paragraphs
- states why the writer's viewpoint is important
- summarizes reasons and examples

WRITING SKILLS (A total of 40 points)

1) Purpose/Awareness of Audience(10%) _______
- A clear purpose is stated to persuade
- Maintains viewpoint or voice and focus on the topic

2) Organization (10%) _______
- the writer's opinion/focus is consistently maintained by the controlling idea(thesis)
- opinion and examples are presented in a logical order and coherent structure through use of appropriate devices and transitions

3) Correct (10%) _______
- grammar: punctuation, usage, form, tense
- spelling
-paragraphing
-capitalization

4) Clarity (10%) _______
- references are clearly explained
- examples are introduced by a topic sentence
- sentences express complete ideas
- ideas are related to each other and relevant to the
topic
-thesis is clearly stated

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