Introductions &
Conclusions
9 ACADEMIC
ROMEO AND JULIET
LITERARY RESEARCH
PAPER
Parts of an Introduction
1. Attentiongrabber or
opening statement
• Grab the reader’s attention and draw him or her into your
essay. Avoid old tired ways of starting an essay.
• Ex: a question, a definition
2. Overview of
topic
• This should be broad. This is your first opportunity to
introduce your overall topic. When writing about a work of
literature, this is the one place where plot summary is
appropriate and should not exceed 2 sentences.
3. Bridge
• The Bridge is where you connect your broad topic to a
more specific topic leading into your thesis. This is usually
a sentence or two long and helps narrow your focus. This
allows your reader to see the logic behind your essay.
4. Thesis
• This is necessary in anything you write. It gives the reader
a road map or frame to follow your essay. Without a thesis,
the paper is disorganized and the reader is lost. It is
typically the last sentence of the introduction.
Sample Intro

Impulsiveness is often a hallmark of youth and human beings
tend to become more rational thinkers as they age. To validate this
claim, one need only to look to adolescents for examples of
impulsive behavior and then to their parents who attempt to guide
their impetuous teens safely through this tumultuous time period.
However, one must wonder what happens when the adults are just
as impulsive as the young. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and
Juliet, the title characters are teenagers who fall in love at first sight.
Undeterred by the hatred that exists between their families, they
impulsively marry which sets off a series of impulsive actions that
lead to their deaths. Both Romeo and Juliet seek the counsel of the
adults in their lives, but are met with impulsiveness equal to their
own. Shakespeare’s theme that impulsive actions can often have
tragic consequences is illustrated through Friar Lawrence’s
treatment of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship and Lord Capulet’s
hasty decision of Juliet’s marriage to Paris.
Attention Grabber
 Draw your reader in and experiment a little. Avoid
tired ways of opening an essay and try something new.
Below are a few suggestions:
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Begin with parallel sentence structure and stylistic repetition
Begin with a paradox
Begin with a one-word sentence
Use inverted sentence structure
Begin with a relevant quote that is woven throughout the
introduction and reiterated in your conclusion (do not simply use the
quote once)
Begin with a figure of speech that is woven throughout the
introduction
Begin with a brief anecdote (story)
Begin with an observation about life
Incorporate a rhetorical question (without asking the question – try
“One may wonder…)
Attention Grabber
 In the intro paragraph on the next slide, notice how the
writer opens with an observation about life that deals with
the overall topic of the paper – impulsiveness. She grabs
the reader’s attention further by asking a question that
suggests this paper will delve into an abnormal
presentation of the topic.
Attention Grabber

Impulsiveness is often a hallmark of youth and human beings
tend to become more rational thinkers as they age. To validate this
claim, one need only to look to adolescents for examples of
impulsive behavior and then to their parents who attempt to guide
their impetuous teens safely through this tumultuous time period.
However, one must wonder what happens when the adults are just
as impulsive as the young. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and
Juliet, the title characters are teenagers who fall in love at first sight.
Undeterred by the hatred that exists between their families, they
impulsively marry which sets off a series of impulsive actions that
lead to their deaths. Both Romeo and Juliet seek the counsel of the
adults in their lives, but are met with impulsiveness equal to their
own. Shakespeare’s theme that impulsive actions can often have
tragic consequences is illustrated through Friar Lawrence’s
treatment of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship and Lord Capulet’s
hasty decision of Juliet’s marriage to Paris.
Overview of Topic
 Many of you forget this part of the introduction.
You cannot simply jump right into your thesis.
You need to ease your reader into your essay.
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For example, if your essay is on impulsivity in Romeo and Juliet, you
need to begin by introducing the topic and perhaps include a quick
introduction to the play. Remember, this is a place where plot
summary can be appropriate—but use it sparingly.
As you proceed though your introduction, you are getting more
specific as to how your topic is expressed in the piece of literature
you are analyzing.
Overview of Topic
 In the intro paragraph on the next slide, notice how
the writer opens with the broad topic of
impulsiveness. She begins to narrow the focus of the
paper to include the work she is analyzing. She
includes a brief summary of the play that includes
the broader topic of impulsiveness.
Overview of Topic

Impulsiveness is often a hallmark of youth and human beings
tend to become more rational thinkers as they age. To validate
this claim, one need only to look to adolescents for examples of
impulsive behavior and then to their parents who attempt to
guide their impetuous teens safely through this tumultuous time
period. However, one must wonder what happens when the
adults are just as impulsive as the young. In William
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the title characters are
teenagers who fall in love at first sight. Undeterred by the hatred
that exists between their families, they impulsively marry which
sets off a series of impulsive actions that lead to their deaths.
Both Romeo and Juliet seek the counsel of the adults in their
lives, but are met with impulsiveness equal to their own.
Shakespeare’s theme that impulsive actions can often have tragic
consequences is illustrated through Friar Lawrence’s treatment
of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship and Lord Capulet’s hasty
decision of Juliet’s marriage to Paris.
Bridge
 The purpose of the bridge is narrow your topic even
further in order to set the reader up for your thesis. It is
typically only a sentence or two.
 Notice how the bridge in the paragraph on the next slide
moves the reader from the more broad topic of
impulsiveness in Romeo and Juliet (dealing with the
main characters) to the more specific topic of
impulsiveness in the adults in the story.
 This bridge sets the reader up for the thesis that delivers
the impulsiveness of specific adults that contribute to
Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy.
Bridge
 Impulsiveness is often a hallmark of youth and human beings
tend to become more rational thinkers as they age. To
validate this claim, one need only to look to adolescents for
examples of impulsive behavior and then to their parents who
attempt to guide their impetuous teens safely through this
tumultuous time period. However, one must wonder what
happens when the adults are just as impulsive as the young.
In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the title
characters are teenagers who fall in love at first sight.
Undeterred by the hatred that exists between their families,
they impulsively marry which sets off a series of impulsive
actions that lead to their deaths. Both Romeo and Juliet seek
the counsel of the adults in their lives, but are met with
impulsiveness equal to their own. Shakespeare’s theme that
impulsive actions can often have tragic consequences is
illustrated through Friar Lawrence’s treatment of Romeo and
Juliet’s relationship and Lord Capulet’s hasty decision of
Juliet’s marriage to Paris.
Thesis
 How do Shakespeare’s characters and their actions
contribute to the theme of impulsiveness in Romeo
and Juliet?
 Shakespeare’s theme that impulsive actions
can often have tragic consequences is
illustrated through Friar Lawrence’s
treatment of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship
and Lord Capulet’s hasty decision of Juliet’s
marriage to Paris.
Conclusion
 Should include a concluding transition and should follow a
“narrow to broad” format
 Should restate the thesis in some way. DO NOT SIMPLY
REPEAT!
 Should provide highlights of the main ideas in the essay
 Try to offer a lesson to be learned from the topic of the
essay or provide some sort of real-life connection. Leave
the reader with some food for thought.
Sample Conclusion

The adults in Romeo and Juliet, specifically Friar Lawrence and
Lord Capulet, do not follow their wiser instincts and instead make
impulsive decisions that exacerbate the impulsiveness of Romeo
and Juliet, resulting in tragic consequences for the teens as well as
others close to them. Friar Lawrence allows himself to get caught
up in Romeo and Juliet’s passion to be together at all costs – and
the cost is death. Had a more rational Friar tried to slow the teens’
impulsiveness, perhaps the tragic consequences could have been
averted. Likewise, Lord Capulet acts against his more rational adult
self when he quickly and impulsively changes his mind about Juliet
marrying Paris. If he had been steadfast in his original decision to
marry Juliet in two years, she would have had more time to behave
rationally instead of impulsively; her father’s actions intensified the
temerity of youth. The young must be able to rely on the
experienced to guide them through the rash years of adolescence,
for it is in their nature to act impulsively. Without this guidance,
the possibility of tragic consequences in life can double.
Concluding Transition and Restated Thesis

The adults in Romeo and Juliet, specifically Friar Lawrence and
Lord Capulet, do not follow their wiser instincts and instead make
impulsive decisions that exacerbate the impulsiveness of Romeo
and Juliet, resulting in tragic consequences for the teens as well as
others close to them. Friar Lawrence allows himself to get caught
up in Romeo and Juliet’s passion to be together at all costs – and
the cost is death. Had a more rational Friar tried to slow the teens’
impulsiveness, perhaps the tragic consequences could have been
averted. Likewise, Lord Capulet acts against his more rational adult
self when he quickly and impulsively changes his mind about Juliet
marrying Paris. If he had been steadfast in his original decision to
marry Juliet in two years, she would have had more time to behave
rationally instead of impulsively; her father’s actions intensified the
temerity of youth. The young must be able to rely on the
experienced to guide them through the rash years of adolescence,
for it is in their nature to act impulsively. Without this guidance,
the possibility of tragic consequences in life can double.
Highlights of Main Points

The adults in Romeo and Juliet, specifically Friar Lawrence and
Lord Capulet, do not follow their wiser instincts and instead make
impulsive decisions that exacerbate the impulsiveness of Romeo
and Juliet, resulting in tragic consequences for the teens as well as
others close to them. Friar Lawrence allows himself to get caught
up in Romeo and Juliet’s passion to be together at all costs – and
the cost is death. Had a more rational Friar tried to slow the teens’
impulsiveness, perhaps the tragic consequences could have been
averted. Likewise, Lord Capulet acts against his more rational adult
self when he quickly and impulsively changes his mind about Juliet
marrying Paris. If he had been steadfast in his original decision to
marry Juliet in two years, she would have had more time to behave
rationally instead of impulsively; her father’s actions intensified the
temerity of youth. The young must be able to rely on the
experienced to guide them through the rash years of adolescence,
for it is in their nature to act impulsively. Without this guidance,
the possibility of tragic consequences in life can double.
Final Thought

The adults in Romeo and Juliet, specifically Friar Lawrence and
Lord Capulet, do not follow their wiser instincts and instead make
impulsive decisions that exacerbate the impulsiveness of Romeo
and Juliet, resulting in tragic consequences for the teens as well as
others close to them. Friar Lawrence allows himself to get caught
up in Romeo and Juliet’s passion to be together at all costs – and
the cost is death. Had a more rational Friar tried to slow the teens’
impulsiveness, perhaps the tragic consequences could have been
averted. Likewise, Lord Capulet acts against his more rational adult
self when he quickly and impulsively changes his mind about Juliet
marrying Paris. If he had been steadfast in his original decision to
marry Juliet in two years, she would have had more time to behave
rationally instead of impulsively; her father’s actions intensified the
temerity of youth. The young must be able to rely on the
experienced to guide them through the rash years of adolescence,
for it is in their nature to act impulsively. Without this guidance,
the possibility of tragic consequences in life can double.