The Introduction

•Should be interesting (Mrs. Kennedy has 80 of these to read)

•Should be informative (but don’t give away all the good stuff)

L e n g t hShould be three-four paragraphs long (No, she’s not crazy)

Purposes of the introduction

• To get attention of the reader

• To make clear the purpose of the paper

• To set the tone of the paper

• To provide background information

What do I write? Paragraph one

Use Attention getters

•Question (not for this paper)

•Anecdote (could be)

•Example

•Startling statistics (not for this paper)

•Quotation (marvelous idea)

Example

“All the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players,” (As You Like It II: vii) is an apt description for the life of the man who coined this phrase. As Shakespeare so wisely stated, all of life itself is a performance, and given his own history, it is unclear whether Shakespeare himself was a real figure or merely a “player.”. . .

Paragraph two

Provide background information

• Facts

• Details

• History

• Importance of topic

Example

William Shakespeare is hailed as a premiere playwright. Despite his humble beginnings some five hundred years ago in a small village in England, he has influenced both the theater and literature more than any other writer of his time or since his time. He had written some thirty-seven plays and hundreds of sonnets.

Or did he?

Paragraph threeProvides more background

Since the Elizabethan era in which Shakespeare produces these volumes of work, critics have questioned his authenticity. Could a man of his limited education and inferior breeding actually produce plays about the inner workings of a monarchy ( Best 43)? While those who steadfastly believe he did not write the pieces, others come forth…

Paragraph 4-foreshadow your main points; provide thesis

This nagging question of deception then ironically becomes a central theme of Shakespeare’s. For example, in his life he appears to be one man--a husband, father, and loyal subject to the queen, but he is perhaps really an imposter in all of those areas. Secondly, in the era in which he wrote betrayal was prominent as well—the rivalry between Queen Elizabeth and her sister Mary led both to imprisonment and a subsequent beheading. Thirdly, in two of his most famous works, Hamlet and Othello, the difference between what actually is and what appears to be is crucial to the development of the plots. Finally, the critics, who may not agree on whether Shakespeare really penned all of those many plays and sonnets, do agree that he employs fakery in most of his dramas, whether they be comedies, tragedies, or histories. In fact, Shakespeare’s life, as well as the era in which he wrote, involves some aspect of fraudulence. It is clear then according to many critics why his writing revolves on this theme of deception.

Setting the toneIn an expository paper the tone should be serious

Diction—words you choose should be formal in nature

•Vocabulary-should be more complex

(example “Check it out” would be informal ; “Scrutinize the situation would be more formal and therefore more serious.)

•Contractions-informal, do not use

Ex: Not what’s but what is

Setting the toneDiction

Point of view—Use third person

First is too chatty and informal

Ex: I used to think Shakespeare was too difficult to read…

Instead use

Ex: Many readers at first find Shakespeare too difficult…