ESSAY 3: ANALYSIS ESSAY
Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to
Critically think about some work of art e.g. a television program, a film, an album, a novel, a poem, a sculpture, etcetera instead of merely summarizing or describing it. Frequently, the most effective arguments are those told in narrative, through art, or in music. This assignment asks students to choose a work of art and explore its argument.
“The character of Hamlet is consumed by his need to exact revenge” is just a summary.
“William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet argues that revenge is a fundamentally corruptive pursuit” is an example of an analysis and a good thesis. The first example is bad because it’s just what happens in the play. The second example is good because it articulates the implied argument of the work as a whole.