The Critical Lens Essay

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The Critical Lens Essay
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Why do we have to?

• Because
• In 11th Grade you will take the English Regents
  Exam (a really important test).
• 70 of your grade is based off of four essays
• The Critical Lens is, perhaps, the most difficult
  of the four essays.
• This essay is very similar to an essay format
  they give on the SAT.
• It will count as two test grades in this class.
• I said so.

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ALWAYS READ DIRECTIONS
By golly, its a checklist of what I must include
in my essay! FOLLOW IT.
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Prewriting Steps (PAL)

• Paraphrase rephrase the quote in your own
  words.
• Agree/Disagree decide whether you agree with
  the quote or disagree with the quote.
• Literature think of books, plays, or stories
  you have read that can support your belief or
  disbelief of the quote.
• NOTE For our purposes, we will ONLY be using The
  Odyssey, by Homer.

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EASY ESSAY INTRO

• According to Author of quote Quote. This means
  your interpretation of the quote which is your
  thesis. Two works that prove/disprove this quote
  are title of work by author of work and title of
  second work by author of second work.

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Easy Intro Steps

• COPY THE QUOTE.
• According to Author of quote Quote.
• USE YOUR WORDS
• This means your interpretation of the quote which
  is your thesis
• TWO WORKS ARE (Title, Author, Genre)
• Two works that prove/disprove this quote are
  title of work by author of work and title of
  second work by author of second work.

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Remember

• PAL

CUT
PALCUT


A
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Body Paragraphs

• Each body paragraph should supply ONE reason to
  support your thesis.
• Each reason should be supported by specific
  examples.
• Each paragraph should also mention a literary
  element (usually theme, simile, metaphor,
  symbols, etc)
• For OUR purposes you may use
• Epic similes
• Epithets
• Characteristics of an Epic Poem
• The definition of an Epic Hero Tragic Flaw
• The parts of the heros journey (initiation,
  departure, return)
• NOTE these terms should be defined in your
  study guides

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Epithets (nicknames) for Odysseus

• god-like
• man of many resources
• man of many turns
• much-enduring
• great-hearted
• sacker of cities
• loved of Zeus
• great glory of the Achaeans
• master mariner
• mastermind of war
• man of action
• the great teller of tales
• man of pain

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• To whom much is given much is tested.

What is Odysseus GIVEN?
How is Odysseus tested?
THESE DETAILS SHOULD FORM THE REASONS/EXAMPLES IN
YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS!
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REMEMBER

• Always
• ask yourself how does this paragraph support to
  my thesis statement?
• connect all of your examples back to your thesis!
• use transition words/phrases between body
  paragraphs!