Write a 650-800 word, multi-paragraph argument essay. TOPIC: The play Othello is set on the island of Cyprus centuries ago. Many of the characters go through struggles. I’d like you to write an essay focusing on just ONE of these characters: Othello, Desdemona, Iago, Emelia, Cassio, Brabantio, or Roderigo.
First, describe the character and his/her problems. After that, imagine that character living in Central Florida in 2022. Would those issues still plague that character in the here and now? Discuss your thoughts in detail. Tip: to avoid plagiarizing, which causes your essay grade to be zero, study the play yourself and do a brain dump on everything you think.
In order to be graded, you must QUOTE from at least three sources:
1. a Valencia College library source (database article, physical book, or eBook, specifically).
2. another Valencia College library source (database article, physical book, or eBook, specifically).
3. a source of your own choosing: Valencia source, googled source, personal interview, movie, book from a bookstore, etc.
So your Works Cited page will contain these three required sources, and we will see a set of quotation marks used around quoted words/phrases at least three times in your essay, and we’ll see (internal documentation) at least three times in your essay. You will also be adding a fourth source on your Works Cited page even if you don’t quote from it in your essay, but we’ll keep it simple: Shakespeare, William. Othello.
Use Proper Essay Format, MLA8 or 9 documentation style only, just like we did for Essay One, Two, and the Orientation Essay. After the last sentence of your essay, you’ll start your Works Cited. Don’t scroll down to a new page or attach your Works Cited separately.
Remember that the Osceola Campus library site has great color-coded Works Cited models: MLA8 Citations
Sources 1 and 2. Valencia library eBooks, database articles, or physical books.
To Find a Database Article or an eBook Source:
1. Log in to Atlas.
2. Click on Search the Library.
3. Click on Databases A-Z. Several databases starting with the letter “E” have eBooks.
4. Click on the name of the database.
5. Under Limit Your Results, click on Full Text.
6. Enter the search terms for your topic. If you don’t find any interesting articles, try using different search terms. It’s not as easy as googling, but it can be done.
7. Read the titles and the abstracts (summaries) to find interesting sources. TIP: Quote from the article itself, not the abstract. Also, if you have the option, use the PDF version of article, for this will have the page number, too.
Research Tips:
1. Academic Search Complete is a good database to start with.
2. Paraphrasing and summarizing are great, too, AFTER you’ve included a QUOTATION from the three REQUIRED sources.
3. General Internet sources are optional but may be helpful (don’t use Wikipedia or dictionary.com). You may use up to eight research sources total (includes the three required, so you can add up to five more, but you don’t have to in order to earn a high grade). They all must be properly cited on your Works Cited page and remember to use internal documentation in the body of your essay when appropriate, too.
4.The reference librarians here at the Osceola Campus library are awesome. Work with them, face-to-face or virtually.
5. Letting Brainfuse folks look at your drafts and give you feedback is helpful, too, as well getting some advice from the tutors at the Writing Center.
Reminders:
1. All required sources must be used, so please remember to do the research, use the sources, and document the sources.
2. Remember to start your essay with an interesting introduction. The last sentence of your introduction should be your thesis.
3. The conclusion of your paper should not just be a restatement of your thesis. Maybe propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study. Or maybe link with an idea you mentioned in your introduction.
4. How to use sources: Use a quotation sandwich to quote from all your sources directly at least once and use quotation marks and internal documentation. In the internal documentation for a book, eBook, or article, you will put the author’s last name and page number.
Here is an example:
Only in past century have women been treated as nearly equal in the work world. Indeed, as recently as 1930, “men were not only more likely to be part of the paid workforce, [but] they were more likely to attend and graduate from college, more likely to pursue professional careers, and more likely to hold positions of authority” (Douglas 69). Therefore, even fairly modern women might gravitate towards a powerful man like Othell, in the hopes of gaining some prestige themselves. PS Ask me about [but].
5. Avoid vague words: Strike the words/phrases “thing,” “you/your,” “it is/are” and “there is/are” from your vocabulary!
PROPER ESSAY FORMAT (MLA8 or 9): Please use this as a model for the first page of all your essays. CRN is your course number. Date is when assignment is due.
PS Obviously, your name is not Rose Opont, so use your name instead. You’ll also need to update the CRN and the date.