Write your alphanumeric outline beneath your thesis. It must have at least three main points with two sub-points each.

Outlines are used to help organize your ideas in support of your thesis. It is like a visual map for your essay to get your big ideas down on paper so that you can see how the structure of your essay will look ahead of time and check to ensure that all ideas support the thesis. For this specific assignment, you will be submitting a thesis and an alphanumeric outline for the 750+ word analysis essay you will write about the play Hamlet in the next project. It is highly recommended you get both the thesis and outline approved before trying to write the essay lest it not meet the requirements or not be appropriate for this assignment.

An analysis essay is an academic essay that carefully and thoroughly examines a work (book, movie, artwork, essay, research, etc.) for meaning, purpose, and sometimes worth. It is a formal piece of writing that follows the traditional essay structure of introduction, support/body, and a conclusion, but it also has some specific structuring for the support/body. It must have a thesis that is supported by evidence and explanation. In essence, this type of essay asks for your opinion on what you read; however, you never write it as your opinion but as factual statements using evidence from the text.

Analysis and interpretation are very important to the analysis essay; your job is to consider the possible interpretations, analyze them until you can safely choose your interpretation with evidence, and then write about those findings.

You will be analyzing the play Hamlet and must use reliable research (professional sources; not Wikipedia or a blog, etc.). Remember, an analysis essay sets out to prove a theory or idea about the work using evidence. You must have something you are trying to prove, and you must prove it by the end of your essay. Some things you might consider as narrowed topics of your analysis would be:

A character
The setting
Author techniques (choose one and fully analyze the technique)
A theme
A specific part of the plot
For this specific assignment, you will be submitting a thesis and an alphanumeric outline for the 750+ word essay you will write. It is highly recommended you get both approved before trying to write the essay lest it not meet the requirements or not be appropriate for this assignment.

Learning Goals:

Understand the purpose of an analysis essay
Analyze and interpret a work for a specific purpose
Develop a well-written thesis
Develop a well-written alphanumeric outline
Vocabulary:

Analyze: to examine carefully the content and structure for the purpose of interpreting or explaining.
Theme: the subject, purpose, or message of a work; the authors embedded thesis.
Writing techniques: the literary devices an author uses to convey their purpose and message (theme, figurative language, foreshadowing, flashback, flashforward, point of view, setting, character, plot, etc.).
Formatting (what must be included) and Requirements:

Heading and headers
Alphanumeric outline with the thesis at the top
Must have at least three main points
Each main point must have at least two sub-points
The details must be specific and clearly show support for the thesis
Works cited page (for the play and any other sources you used)
Resources:

Alphanumeric outline help
Works cited and parenthetical citations help
Rubric
The formatting for all writing assignments (essays, projects, reports, etc.) at Enlightium Academy should be in MLA style. Remember that this includes a heading and header in addition to citations.

Works Cited entries usually include authors, titles, primary source, and dates. Though some sources require additional things to these in MLA format, these are the most basic requirements for MLA format citations.

Remember that at ECA using only a URL is not a proper works cited page, and will not be treated like a works cited page. If you only use URLs, you can get in trouble for plagiarism or receive a reduced score (usually a 40% decrease).
Read Hamlet and take notes on the play.
Determine what stance (your thesis) you are taking.
Do additional research about the stance you want to take on the play to get ideas of how to further your stance and support it (research is required – at least two reliable sources).
Write your thesis statement.
Write your alphanumeric outline beneath your thesis. It must have at least three main points with two sub-points each.
Please note that when parenthetically citing a play, you put the act, scene, and line number into the citation. Example: (Hamlet 2, 3, 17-20). This example would indicate the play Hamlet, act 2, scene 3, lines 17-20.
Create a works cited entry for Hamlet that you intend to use in Project: Analysis Essay in MLA format.