Expert: Samuel Noel - 6/7/2009

Question
I need help with my theme statement for romeo and Juliet. my

theme is about hate.



This is what i got so far;



In the play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare develops

the idea that when people hate and feud with each other ,

they fight blindly,hurting the people that they care about.

Answer
Hi Jake,

I am assuming that you are trying to create a workable thesis argument and what you have is a statement based on speculation. A thesis presents a statement (or question) that can be argued from both sides. You can argue for it or against it. While it is possible for those fighting in a feud to "fight blindly, hurting the people that they care about," it is equally possible for people to feud and not fight blindly. You need another component to your argument that can persuade the reader to accept your premise.

Without an argument or thesis, an essay becomes a generalized opinion that either makes simplified observations or unsustainable premises.

Perhaps you might want to tweak your thesis to incorporate "Cause and effect," that for every action there is a reaction and that those borne of negativity will create effects of equal or greater negativity. I'm not saying that this is where you want to go, but you need something that is logical and from this point you can specify what elements in the play proves the point.

I hope this is useful.

Sam Noel