Outline & Thesis Statement Assignment

Introduction:

When writing an academic essay, an outline can help you structure and plan your arguments and ideas,
while creating a guide for how to organize your paragraphs. Almost all essays can follow the same basic
structure with variations based on the number of paragraphs or specific requirements. However, this
outline template can provide you with a starting point to help you organize your thoughts and
brainstorm the shape and flow of your paper.

Instructions:

Develop an outline of your research essay with the topic sentences that advance your argument and
support your thesis. Map the quotations you've identified from the primary source to the appropriate
paragraphs and determine which paragraphs should address the secondary sources.

Compose a tentative thesis statement by drawing a conclusion from all your analysis of the text thus far
and add it to the outline.

 Include: what you think is happening in the text (*something is not obviously revealed), your
reasons for thinking this, and what this suggests about the text’s message on the
issue/question/topic/theme (i.e. so what is the text trying to say?).

Essay outline template

Feel free to use this outline (or go your own way) and fill it in as much as you can (you don’t need to
know everything about your essay yet).

i. Introduction
a. Background/context of your theme/subject/prompt: Mental illness is a relatively new concept
that is uprising and only recently has been brought to light in health wellness and promotion.
This is important for people to better unravel subconscious thoughts and emotions that may
be uneasy to deal with. In history, being mentally ill would’ve been associated with weakness,
being crazy, or even witchcraft. As seen in Shakespeare's "Macbeth", mental confusion is
widely shown within Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, making them change for the worst towards
the end of the play. Because of their inability to comprehend their own mental struggles and
symptoms of madness they faced, they became obsessed and remorseful.
b. Question about the text, issue you’ve uncovered in the text, commonly held view you want to
challenge: Did obsession/ambition come first or did madness happen first?
c. Other views (secondary sources or potential other views on the question/issue): Edith
Whitehurst labelled Lady Macbeth as the negative mother who carries empathy for others but
what she shows more of if the pushy and uncaring force of destruction she brings to her
husband. To add on, her speech on ripping the imaginary baby’s head off further confirms the
metaphor that she’s an evil person.
d. Thesis statement: Madness is associated with the symptoms that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth
were experiencing such as guilt, greed, and obsession, which ultimately caused them to be
self-preserved and go clinically insane. They were too focused on themselves and only
 deteriorated each other’s lives because of their focus being geared onto the things that don’t
matter, like power.

ii. Topic Sentence one (what this paragraph is stating, which contributes to supporting the thesis)
i. First piece of evidence from primary source: “Still it cried ‘sleep no more!’ To all the
house; ‘Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more,
Macbeth shall sleep no more”. (II. 2. 44-46).
ii. Analysis of supporting evidence (Why does your evidence mean?): The guilt
Macbeth feel after murdering Duncan. Example of symptom of madness. Even
foreshadows his doom since he won’t be able to sleep at peace any longer.
iii. Idea and Quote from secondary source
iv. Explanation/analysis of secondary source’s meaning
v. Response to secondary source that brings you back to topic sentence
vi. Second piece of evidence from primary source & analysis
vii. Analysis of supporting evidence (Why does your evidence mean?)

iii. Topic Sentence two

a. First piece of evidence from primary source: “O proper stuff! This is the very painting of
your fear. This is the air-drawn dagger which you said led you to Duncan. O, these
flaws and starts, imposters to true fear, would well become a woman's story at a
winter's fire, authorized by her grandma. Shame itself!" (III. 4. 62-67).
b. Analysis of supporting evidence (Why does your evidence mean?): Lady Macbeth is
being close-minded here and pushy once again by invalidating Macbeth’s fears and
irrational thinking and mistaking it as being fragile like a woman. She doesn’t provide
the help he needs so he faces his madness by himself.
c. Idea and Quote from secondary source
d. Explanation/analysis of secondary source’s meaning
e. Response to secondary source that brings you back to topic sentence
f. Second piece of evidence from primary source & analysis
g. Analysis of supporting evidence (Why does your evidence mean?)

iv. Topic Sentence three

a. First piece of evidence from primary source: "She should have died hereafter: There
would have been a time for such a word. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
creeps in this petty place from day to day...Out, out, brief candle, life's but a walking
shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard
no more" (V.5.19-26).
b. Analysis of supporting evidence (Why does your evidence mean?): Macbeth becomes
hopeless and all his ambition and motives to be great go out the window as his wife
died. It hit him that life is meaningless when all he’s been focusing on are materials
and power.
c. Idea and Quote from secondary source
d. Explanation/analysis of secondary source’s meaning
e. Response to secondary source that brings you back to topic sentence
f. Second piece of evidence from primary source & analysis
g. Analysis of supporting evidence (Why does your evidence mean?)
[NOTE: Continue with as many body paragraphs as necessary to develop your topic fully. Remember to
include only one main point per paragraph. If you’re moving to a new main point, create a new
paragraph.]

v. Conclusion
a. Summary/synthesis
b. Relevance of your argument for understanding the play as a whole or what the play is
trying to say about this topic