Format for Writing the Romeo and Juliet Essay

The prompt: 

Write a well-organized essay regarding Shakespeare’s use of light and dark imagery in all of Act 1 and in Act 2, Scenes 1 and 2.  Be sure you include the dark references other characters make regarding Romeo (Benvolio, Mercutio and Romeo’s parents) and what Romeo says about himself.  Be sure you include the change of imagery from dark and heavy to light, in Act 1, Scene 5, after Romeo has met Juliet. 

You must have an introduction which must include a thesis statement.  The introduction should be about half a page. In the introduction, you should include the main points you will be covering in the essay. 

The body paragraphs: 

The body paragraph must have a mini-thesis statement. 

You must develop the mini-thesis statement (a minimum of two or three sentences in your own words). 

You must have a quotation from the text. 

You need to paraphrase and explain what it means and how it relates to the theme of lightness and darkness. This should be a minimum of three sentences.

You need to have a concluding sentence which summarizes the main idea in this  paragraph.

Conclusion: 

In the concluding paragraph, you should recap the points that you covered in the essay, much like you did in the introduction. You should conclude with a sentence that basically sums up the overall theme of the essay. 

Special note: DO NOT WRITE IN CONCLUSION!