An outline is a means of organizing the material for your essay in such a way that the direction of your arguments can be charted. Thus, the outline is a skeleton of the essay; it provides form and structure. If the outline is sound, the essay will likewise be sound. Once you have organized your material in outline form, you have a plan for the essay itself. You always know where you are in your argument, as well as where you have been and where you are going. In the outline you decide what to say; thus, in writing the essay you need to concentrate on how to make your argument clear. The result should be an organized essay.
There are two formats for an outline: the sentence and the point formats. As their names imply, the former is less abbreviated than the latter. Generally, the point outline is preferable since it is less cumbersome and forces you to condense your ideas in a phrase. Remember, however, that too much abbreviation can lead to confusion. If your outline is too sparse, it may exclude necessary material. The outline is for your use. Find a balance that is suitable for you.
Remember the diagram of the essay structure. The body of the essay is a point by point proof of the thesis. Your outline lists your points (and subpoints) in the order in which you choose to deal with them. When you write your essay, you expand your points into paragraphs. Look at the following sample outline for the Macbethessay:
- Example Essay Outline for Macbeth (from ENG3U)
Compile all your hard-won evidence into an organized outline that will help you write a fantastic essay. Hand it into Dropbox. This is ultimately to help you write an amazing essay, but this outline is a graded assignment: it is designed to assess your ability to organize content.
Question A
The American novelist, John Irving, says said about his work The World According to Garp, that it is a life-redeeming work in which everybody dies. Comment on the extent to which the same might be said of Hamlet.
Question B
Locate a copy of Tragedy and Philosophy by Walter Kaufmann. Read the relevant sections of the text (Chapter 9) and decide which of the philosopher’s views comes closest to your own regarding Hamlet.
Question C
One of the inevitable and time-honoured questions asked about Hamlet focuses on the question of his insanity, whether he has put on an “antic disposition” or whether he is truly insane. Discuss whether you believe Hamlet is putting on an “antic disposition” or whether you believe he is truly insane. Consider the following questions in preparing your response, but do not answer them specifically.
- What is sanity or insanity?
- How people know whether they are sane or insane?
- If an individual lives entirely on his or her own, how can that person determine whether she or he is insane or sane?
- Does one have to be insane to take another person’s life? To commit murder?
- Is Hamlet sane or insane during this act of the play?
Question D
While many have discussed Shakespeare’s work in Freudian analyses, C.G. Jung, one of Freud’s younger colleagues also interests many readers. Click on the link below, which contains an essay by Dr. C. George Boeree on Jungian personality theory. Read the short sections, “Introversion” and “Extraversion” and “The Functions.” The second link, “The Personality Theory of Carl Jung,” provides similar information in a different format. Read the articles, then decide and argue (in proper essay format) how Jung’s theories might be applied to three major characters in the play.
- Carl Jung Personality Theories
- The Personality Theory of Carl Jung
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