English 203: Medieval
Dr. Debora B. Schwartz
English Department, California Polytechnic State UniversityFinal Paper Guidelines
Generalities
Your final paper will be a piece of literary analysis (or literary and film analysis) focusing on no more than two medieval works read this quarter (one is fine). You are encouraged, but not required, to develop an idea or ideas which you have explored in one or more of your Blackboard Personal Response postings. Alternatively, you may base your paper on question(s) included on one of the study guides. Whatever focus you choose, you will need to articulate a clear Opening Statement which lays out what you will argue in your paper. (Note: while you should think about all parts of a given study question as you plan your essay, you will not necessarily answer every part of that question as you construct your argument.)
Remember that your paper should consist primarily of textual analysis, not summary: you will cite carefully chosen examples from the reading(s) in order to support a specific argument about them. The best analogy to writing a good analytic paper is a lawyer arguing a case in court. Both lawyer and paper writer must build a carefully constructed argument to prove the validity of a debatable point. Your client is analogous to your text and/or general topic; your client's "plea" -- guilty or innocent of what specific charges -- is analogous to your thesis. Like a good lawyer, you should begin with an opening statement (the introductory paragraph) which fully articulates your thesis and suggests how you will structure your argument. While your opening paragraph should not get into the specific examples you will discuss in the body of your paper, it should indicate what kinds of evidence you will use to make your case. You will support your thesis in the body of your paper (approximately four to five pages independent of your introduction and conclusion) by citing carefully chosen examples from the primary text(s) and/or film(s) to demonstrate the validity of your thesis.
FormattingThe final paper should be 4-5 double-spaced, typed pages in a 10-pt. or 12-pt. font, with 1" margins on all sides. Your paper should NOT be significantly longer than these limits; grades are based in part on how well you adhere to the parameters of the assignment. Beware: I will notice over-sized (or under-sized) fonts and extra-large (or teeny-tiny) margins!!
Provide identifying information at the top of the first page (your name, class number, date submitted); then skip a line before your paper title. Use a header to number pages after page 1; the header should also includ your last name in case the pages get separated.
Don't forget to give paper a title which identifies author and work(s) discussed and hints at the central idea of the paper. (Also, remember that your paper title should not be underlined, but the title of the play should be.)
Be sure to follow the guidelines provided here (not what you were asked to do in another class) for correct line spacing, indentation and documentation. Be sure to PROOFREAD for spelling, punctuation, and basic grammatical errors, as well as for clarity (clearly stated thesis; logical development of argument; adequate and relevant textual support; solid conclusion.) Consult the ESSAY EVALUATION CHECKLIST both BEFORE and AFTER completing your first draft, and make sure you do not commit the sort of mechanical and stylistic errors listed on the checklist!
Because I will read your paper in hard copy rather than on the web, PLEASE USE ONLY UNDERLINING rather than italics in your final paper. NOTE: Italics and underlining are alternate conventions used to indicate the same things (titles, foreign terms, added emphasis) and should not normally be mixed in a given piece of work (as a rule, you pick one and use it consistently). Italics are preferable on web documents where underlining indicates a link. For work read in hard copy (including electronically submitted documents which your instructor will print out), follow your instructor's preferences. In my case: PLEASE USE ONLY UNDERLINING, which is easier on my middle-aged eyes!
The Introductory Paragraph The first paragraph of your paper should not only identify your topic, it should make clear precisely what you will argue ABOUT that topic. This is the central message of your paper. Your focus should not be simple description of what transpires in the work(s) under consideration; you must present an interpretive analysis of what you describe. For example: "Pilgrim imagery in The Divine Comedy" is a fine TOPIC for a paper. But simply cataloguing the passages where Dante uses this imagery in the play is descriptive, not interpretive and analytic. To move from a topic to an interpretive argument, you must explain what message that imagery communicates, how it connects to what what Dante is trying to do, and/or why he may have chosen to use that imagery; this "what," "how" and "why" are the interpretation you will argue in your paper. Note: To account for the "why," your introductory paragraph should include any background information which is essential to your argument (but do not pad it with random "factoids" -- accurate facts that are not directly relevant to what you will argue in your paper).
A good introduction sketches out the parameters (but not the details) of the argument you will make in support of your thesis. (Save specific examples and quotation for the body of your paper.) It can be particularly helpful to include this "roadmap" of your essay in in-class writing (e.g. on an exam) since doing so forces you to think through the logical structure of your argument rather than charging off in a wrong direction. Even if you do not include this information in your introductory paragraph, thinking through where you are going before you write will add clarity to your paper, helping you to set up a paragraph structure dictated by the logic of your argument (rather than e.g. the order in which textual evidence occurs in the text you are writing about). It can also help your reader to see where your paper is going.
Do NOT begin your paper with truisms, statements of personal philosophy, generalities, or examples from modern life; get to your point, which is an interpretation of the primary texts. You have a limited amount of space in which to make your case; don't waste it on a "hook." (You already have my full attention.) Avoid using the first or second person (I, we, you) in constructing your argument, which should be presented as objectively as possible. The implication of first-person references is that your paper is just a statement of personal opinion, and thus no more valid than opposing opinions; why should the reader care what you think? Instead, aim for a tone of objective neutrality, which is rhetorically more effective than a statement of opinion ("I believe"; "I think") in convincing the reader of the objective validity of your argument.
Argumentation The body of your paper (approximately four-fivepages independent of your introduction and conclusion) provides textual support and analysis to demonstrate the validity of your interpretation. Be sure to keep your paper analytic rather than merely descriptive. A summary of events or list of examples is NOT textual analysis; you must have something to say ABOUT the examples you cite.
Provide a separate paragraph for each step in your argument, with appropriate transitions between them. Order paragraphs according to the logic of your argument (not the order in which the citations occur in the primary text). Or, if your paper requires the analysis of different kinds of textual evidence that do not have obvious logical connections between them, start with the most general, simple, obvious or concrete points and examples and move to the most specific, complex, subtle and interpretive ones.
Provide three to four citations -- carefully chosen textual evidence -- per paragraph (i.e. in support of each step of your argument). Follow up on your citations with a line or two of interpretation before moving on to a new example or a new idea (opening a new paragraph). Be sure to explain the relevance of the material you quote to your argument -- don't just stick it in and expect it to speak for itself. Textual evidence must be interpreted for the reader.
To return to the lawyer analogy, citations from the text are like testimony, the evidence you must interpret for the judge and jury. Your analysis of those citations is the cross-examination of witnesses and/or interpretation of the evidence -- what will make or break your case. If you don't make your points explicitly, they are not entered into the court record and cannot be considered by the jury (your professor) in deciding whether or not you have successfully defended your client (proven the validity of your thesis) -- nor can they be considered by the judge (also your professor) who assigns the final grade.
The Concluding Paragraph The least important part of an effective paper, the final paragraph can be short and sweet. Use it to sum up your argument without going into so much detail that you repeat the body of the paper. Remind the reader of the debatable point you set out to prove and of the steps in the argument you have made. The best conclusions also offer some final insight or twist, a new thought that grows out of what you argued in the paper -- but avoid assertions that are so unconnected as to require a whole new paper to back them up. Don't end your essay with a quotation -- it's your paper, so you, not someone else, should have the last word.
DocumentationAll quotations from the primary work should be followed by parenthetical documentation that provides an abbreviated title (e.g. Beo, Rood, WB, INF) and INCLUSIVE page numbers (or line numbers if provided; be sure to include both canto and line numbers for the Commedia).
If you are writing on a single medieval work, you may document that source with a Works Cited entry at the end of the paper. Refer to the work by specific author (if known) and title, not just by the name of the anthology in which it was printed. Be sure to identify the translator of the work. Include complete publication information for the anthology and inclusive pagination for the work (the pages where it appears within the anthology).
Examples of Works Cited entries for a single medieval work:
If you are writing on more than one medieval work, please document your sources using ONE foot- or endnote with the publication information and an explanation of the documentation system used in parenthetical references (abbreviated titles for each work and what the numbers refer to, e.g. page, line and/or canto numbers). Position the note immediately after the parenthetical reference for your first quotation. (Subsequent citations do not need an additional foot- or endnote; simply provide the required parenthetical documentation). Tip: because the note provides full bibliographic information for the cited text, a Work Cited list at the end of your paper is not necessary (but may be included if you choose).
- Beowulf. Trans. Seamus Heaney. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages. Ed. Alfred David. 8th ed. Vol. 1a. New York: Norton, 2006. 29-100. [Provide inclusive page numbers in the Works Cited entry, but be sure to give line rather than page numbers in the parenthetical references since lines are numbered in this verse translation]
- Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale. The Canterbury Tales. Trans. Nevill Coghill. New York: Penguin, 1997. 276-310. [Provide inclusive page numbers in the Works Cited entry and in parenthetical references, since lines are not numbered in this verse translation]
- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Trans. Marie Borroff. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages. Ed. Alfred David. 8th ed. Vol. 1a. New York: Norton, 2006. 162-213. [Provide inclusive page numbers in the Works Cited entry, but be sure to give line rather than page numbers in the parenthetical references since lines are numbered in this verse translation]
- Dante Alighieri. The Divine Comedy: Inferno. The Portable Dante. Trans. and ed. Mark Musa. New York: Penguin, 1995. 1-191. [for a paper which cites ONLY the Inferno; remember that parenthetical references should provide canto and inclusive line numbers separated by a period, not page numbers -- e.g. "INF 1.18-22" for Inferno canto 1, lines 18 to 22]
- Dante Alighieri. The Divine Comedy. The Portable Dante. Trans. and ed. Mark Musa. New York: Penguin, 1995. 1-585. [for a paper which cites all three parts of the Commedia; in this case, you must use abbreviated titles in your parenthetical references (INF, PURG, PAR) because canto and line numbers alone will not be sufficient to identify the cited passages; following this abbreviated title, provide canto and inclusive line numbers separated by a period, not page numbers -- e.g. "PURG 37.139-41" for Purgatorio canto 37, lines 139 to 141]
In your note, refer to the primary work(s) you are discussing by author (if known) and title (not just by the name of the anthology in which it was printed). Be sure to identify the translator of the work. Include complete publication information for the anthology (editor; edition number; publisher, place and date of publication). End the citation with inclusive pagination for the work as a whole. Present this information according to the MLA format for a first reference in note form -- check examples for correct order of elements, proper use of punctuation, capitalization, italics, etc. The note should also explain the system used for parenthetical references.
EXAMPLES of first note references in a paper which cites more than one medieval text:
- 1All quotations from Beowulf, trans. Seamus Heaney, are taken from The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages, ed. Alfred David, 8th ed., vol. 1a ( New York: Norton, 2006), pp. 29-100, and will be indicated parenthetically by Beo followed by specific line numbers quoted.
- 2All quotations from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale are taken from The Canterbury Tales, trans. Nevill Coghill (New York: Penguin, 1997), pp. 276-310, and will be indicated parenthetically by WBP or WBT followed by specific page numbers quoted.
- 3All quotations from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, trans. Marie Borroff, are taken from The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages, ed. Alfred David, 8th ed., vol. 1a ( New York: Norton, 2006), pp. 162-213, and will be indicated parenthetically by SGGK followed by specific line numbers quoted.
- 4All quotations from Dante's Divine Comedy are taken from The Portable Dante, trans. and ed. Mark Musa (New York: Penguin, 1995), pp. 1-585, and will be indicated parenthetically by abbreviated titles (INF for Inferno, PURG for Purgatorio, PAR for Paradiso) followed by specific canto and line numbers quoted.
Cite Accurately: Be sure to cite accurately from the text or, should you modify a citation to fit more smoothly into the fabric of your prose, be sure to indicate any omitted words with ellipses (" . . . ") and any changes in vocabulary, verb tense, pronouns etc. in [square brackets], not (parentheses), which could be part of the quotation itself. Example: you might convert Macbeth's first-person statement "I dare do all that may become a man" (MAC I.vii.46) into the following third-person statement: Macbeth states that "[he dares] do all that may become a man" (MAC I.vii.46). Before turning in your paper, proofread citations by checking them against the text. Be sure that you have cited (and documented) quoted material COMPLETELY and ACCURATELY, clearly indicating any omissions and/or changes.
Avoid Sentence Fragments: Your paper should consist of properly punctuated, grammatically complete sentences, not sentence fragments. To avoid sentence fragments when quoting, you can
Citing Verse: When you are quoting fewer than four full lines of verse, the quotation should be integrated into your essay paragraph (not indented) and enclosed in quotation marks. Capitalize the first word of each line of verse and separate lines with a slash ("/"). Example:
- cite only grammatically complete sentences, taking care not to cut off a citation in the middle of a sentence. This strategy avoids fragments but can be awkward and does not allow you much flexibility in constructing your prose. Or, you can
- embed fragmentary quotations into your prose, adding any elements necessary to result in a smooth, grammatically complete sentence. Example: Lady Macbeth's reference to "the babe that milks me" suggests that she has lost a child (MAC I.vii.5). The preceding sentence is grammatically correct, even though the cited passage "the babe that milks me" is a sentence fragment (lacking a main clause subject and verb).
The witches chant, "Double, double, toil and trouble;/ Fire burn and caldron bubble" (MAC IV.i.10-11).Final Punctuation with Parenthetical References: Note that in the example above, there is no period immediately following the word "bubble"; instead, the final period of the citation follows the parenthetical reference. Rule of thumb: most punctuation found at the end of the citation is omitted; instead, insert the punctuation appropriate to the syntax of your sentence (period, colon, semicolon, comma) immediately following the parenthetical reference. Exception: if the quoted passage ends with a question mark or an exclamation point, include it before the final quotation mark AND insert the punctuation appropriate to the construction of your sentence after the parenthetical reference. You may also use ellipses [. . .] at the end of a citation if you wish to indicate that the passage continues beyond what you have quoted.EXAMPLES:
The first four lines of Macbeth, act IV, scene i, read as follows:
1 Macbeth: Why should I play the Roman fool, and dieThese lines might be incorporated into your prose in the following ways:
2 On mine own sword? Whiles I see lives, the gashes
3a Do better upon them.
3b Macduff: Turn, hell-hound, turn!
4 Macbeth: Of all men else I have avoided thee.When Macbeth asks himself, "Why should I play the Roman fool, and die/ On mine own sword?" (MAC V.viii.1-2), the enraged Macduff replies, "Turn, hell-hound, turn!" (MAC V.viii.3).Each of the examples above is a grammatically complete sentence suitable for inclusion in a formal analytic paper. The first includes two citations, one ending with a question mark and one with an exclamation point. Note that these final punctuation marks are included in the citation (before the final quotation marks), while the comma and period, the punctuation marks appropriate to the construction of your sentence, follow the parenthetical references. In the second grammatically complete sentence ("Macbeth's regret. . . "), note that the final punctuation is omitted from the quotation (there is no period within the quotation marks), while the appropriate punctuation for your sentence (a period) follows the parenthetical reference.Macbeth's regret at the murder of Macduff's wife and children is implied in his response: "Of all men else I have avoided thee" (MAC V.viii.4).
The next example incorporates passages taken from The Tempest:
When Prospero shows Alonso his supposedly drowned son playing chess with Miranda, Alonso is afraid that it is but "a vision of the island" (TEMP V.i.176). Miranda is equally amazed when she first sees Alonso, exclaiming, "O wonder!/ How many goodly creatures are there here!/ O brave new world/ That has such people in't!" (TEMP V.i.182-5).In the first sentence, the final punctuation of the citation has been omitted (there is no punctuation preceding the final quotation mark); in the second, the exclamation point from the citation has been preserved. In both cases, the parenthetical reference is followed by a period, the final punctuation required by the syntax of your prose (a grammatically complete sentence which requires a final period).(In all examples above, note the use of capitalization and slashes to indicate the beginning and end of lines of verse.)
Final Punctuation of Indented Block Quotations: Longer quotations (four or more lines of verse) should be single-spaced and double indented (one more tab than for a new paragraph; see example below). Omit quotation marks and place final punctuation of the quotation at end of line quoted, before the parenthetical documentation, which is not followed by punctuation.
Example:
Toward the end of The Tempest, Prospero bids farewell to his magic: [switch from double- to single-spacing at start of indented block citation] [2 tabs] . . . But this rough magic
I here abjure; and when I have required
Some heavenly music (which even now I do),
[. . .] I'll break my staff,
Bury it certain fathoms in the earth,
And deeper than did ever plummet sound
I'll drown my book.
(TEMP V.i.50-7)
[switch back to double-spacing after parenthetical reference]Here we see that Prospero's magic is equated to poetry. . .
[Paper continues, double-spaced, below the double indented, single-spaced quotation.]
Because this is an indented block citation, the period following "I'll drown my book" is left at the end of the quoted line, preceding the parenthetical reference, which is not followed by a punctuation mark.
Be sure to consult the ESSAY EVALUATION CHECKLIST (which I will use in grading your papers) both BEFORE AND AFTER writing your first draft. Proofread carefully, and be sure that you do not make the errors included on the checklist!
Don't forget to give your paper a title which identifies the works discussed and gives your reader some idea of what you are arguing (your thesis). The paper title should not be underlined, but the title of the medieval works you discuss should be (exception: titles of individual lyric poems are quotation marked rather than underlined).
Avoid using the first or second person (I, we, you). The implication of first-person references is that your paper is just a statement of personal opinion, and thus no more valid than opposing opinions; why should the reader care what you think? Instead, aim for a tone of objective neutrality, which is rhetorically more effective than a statement of opinion ("I believe"; "I think") in convincing the reader of the objective validity of your argument.
Use the present tense in writing about literature. The past tense is appropriate for discussion of historical context or to refer to events that occur before those recounted in the text, but keep discussion of what occurs in the text in the present tense.
As necessary, modify citations so that the quoted passages fit smoothly into the syntax of your sentences. Be sure to indicate any changes in the citation using [square brackets], not (parentheses), since parentheses could be part of the material you are quoting. Indicate any omitted words or lines with ellipses [. . . ].
Remember: this essay is NOT a research assignment. Do not cite secondary sources. As appropriate, you may bring in information from lecture, the Introductions in the texts and the study guides without documentation. To avoid plagiarism, be sure to state this information in your own words -- do not cite the guides or introduction directly.
Because I will read your paper in hard copy rather than on the web, PLEASE USE ONLY UNDERLINING rather than italics in your final paper. Italics and underlining are alternate conventions used to indicate the same things (titles, foreign terms, added emphasis) and should not normally be mixed in a given piece of work (as a rule, you pick one and use it consistently). Italics are preferable on web documents where underlining indicates a link. For work read in hard copy (including electronically submitted documents which your instructor will print out), follow your instructor's preferences. In my case: PLEASE USE ONLY UNDERLINING which is easier on my middle-aged eyes!
Consult the ESSAY EVALUATION CHECKLIST (which I will use in grading your papers) BEFORE AND AFTER writing your first draft. Be sure that you do not make the sort of errors listed on this checklist!
Contents of this and linked pages Copyright Debora B. Schwartz, 1997-2012
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