Nation/Carrington – AP English III
ESSAY: RESPONSE TO THE TEMPEST AND “NEW WORLD” READINGS
IMPORTANT: READ THIS ENTIRE DOCUMENT FULLY AND CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU BEGIN.
As mentioned in your introduction to the “New World” readings packet:
“Since the mid-twentieth century, most scholars approach The Tempest at least partially through a “post-colonial” lens.
This interpretation of the play focuses on the island as a metaphor for the “new world” and on Ariel and Caliban as
symbolic representatives of people (such as Africans or Native Americans) disenfranchised by European colonizers. It’s
easy to see how readers might draw these sorts of connections – especially since England and other European countries
were actively engaged in colonizing Africa and the Americas at the time the play was written. The question is: what is
Shakespeare’s intent? Is he celebrating or romanticizing the excitement and adventure of a “brave new world”?
Consciously exploring (maybe even challenging or critiquing) some of the thorny moral issues of the imperial/colonial
system? Merely reflecting (perhaps unconsciously) the values and interests of his time?”
Your Task:
Write a focused, well-developed, and well-organized essay in which you take a position that answers the question
above (what is Shakespeare’s intent?). You might take one of the positions suggested above, or craft your own
position.
Essay Requirements:
Your essay cannot exceed 3 double-spaced pages (excluding works cited list).
Your analysis must utilize evidence from The Tempest and at least four (4) of the sources included in the New
World/American Dream readings.
You may refer to any of the assignment materials or recommended resources when writing your essay, but
remember to cite sources appropriately, according to MLA style guidelines. You must provide both internal
citation and a works cited list. (There are citation/documentation resources added to the end of this document if
you need help.)
You should also follow MLA guidelines for the style and formatting of your essay, including heading, title,
margins, line-spacing, font, etc. (There are resources added to the end of this document if you need help.)
The following page contains a template that you can use to plan and organize your essay. You are STRONGLY
encouraged (though not required) to utilize this resource.
We’ve also posted (to the GHHS summer assignment page) a copy of the scoring rubric that will be used to grade your
essay. Review it carefully to ensure that you have met all the criteria.
Argument Essay Planner
If you are typing in the Word file, expand the tables as needed, and feel free to add/delete rows.
Introduction
Attention-grabbing opener (maybe a bold statement, maybe a personal anecdote or example that’s relevant to your
topic):
Context info & “raising the stakes” (establish significance of the topic, build interest in your topic, move logically towards
the claim):
Claim (may need more than one sentence to adequately express):
Content for the Main Body Paragraphs (Use as many rows as needed, add additional rows if you need them).
Counterargument (address early if your claim is controversial, or there are strong/popular counterclaims against your
claim – otherwise, you might decide to what until later to address the counterargument):
Point to support your thesis (and/or counterpoint if you’re
organizing on a point by counterpoint basis):
Relevant Evidence:
Point to support your thesis (and/or counterpoint if you’re
organizing on a point by counterpoint basis):
Relevant Evidence:
Point to support your thesis (and/or counterpoint if you’re
organizing on a point by counterpoint basis):
Relevant Evidence:
Point to support your thesis (and/or counterpoint if you’re
organizing on a point by counterpoint basis):
Relevant Evidence:
Counterargument (address here if you have not already done so):
Conclusion
Main ideas I want to re-emphasize:
Closing “zinger” (how I will leave the audience with a sense of closure and finality):
MLA Resources
**Review for help with citing/documenting and formatting your essay according to MLA style guidelines.
Sample MLA Style Essay
*Pay particular attention to the appearance of the first page and the headings on each subsequent page. Note as well
the way that the writer has incorporated source references/quotations into the essay (no “dropped,” “floating,” “nonblended” quotations): https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090701095636_747.pdf
Citing and Documenting in MLA Format: Quick Reminders
1. To cite a source, the FIRST thing you have to know is WHAT TYPE OF SOURCE IT IS. (There are different
requirements for different types of sources). If you need help figuring it out, show it to a librarian, a teacher, or
someone else you trust.
2. Next, WRITE THE WORKS CITED ENTRY. DO THIS BEFORE YOU TAKE ANY NOTES, AND CERTAINLY BEFORE YOU
WRITE ANYTHING IN WHICH YOU REFERENCE THE SOURCE.
There are any number of online resources that will show you model MLA format works cited entries. The
Purdue Online Writing Lab hosts a good one: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/. Find the
model for whatever type of source you’ve got and FOLLOW THAT MODEL. Citation generators (like Easibib:
http://www.easybib.com/) are useful – but only if you fill out their templates correctly and with the
appropriate information.
3. Take notes on your source material as needed. Make sure to link your notes to your works cited entries.
4. When you use information from a source anywhere in your essay, INSERT A PARENTHETICAL (ALSO KNOWN AS
“INTERNAL”) CITATION.
Internal citation will always be the first word (sometimes the first few words) of a CORRECT works cited
entry, plus a page number (or paragraph number, or line number, or sometimes no number at all,
depending on what type of source you’re dealing with). That’s why it’s crucial to write the works cited entry
first!
But remember that when you’ve already mentioned those first few words somewhere in your sentence, you
don’t have to repeat them in the parentheses.
More details plus examples on the Purdue OWL site: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/.
*Go on to next page.
5. Compile the works cited list.
Remember to put the list in alphabetical order – using the first letter or letters of the first words in the
works cited entries.
Your works cited list should follow the same format used in this sample works cited page:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/12/. See how it looks as the last page of a full essay here:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090701095636_747.pdf.
Remember:
Yes, you have to cite even when you’ve paraphrased or summarized the information.