Lesson Plan: Writing about Theme
Subject: English
10th Grade
Overview: This lesson is designed to assist the students understand the concept of theme and how to identify the theme as well. Through the study of theme and how it is illuminated, students will also be able to see the purpose of using different literary elements, such as, theme, characterization, setting, events, point of view, tone, etc., in the writing of any literary work. This lesson also provides a good exercise for the New English Regents Exam Task IV writing.
Objectives
Following a brief discussion of theme in literature, each student will display his/her understanding of this literary concept by generating a list of themes in Julius Caesar, from which he/she chooses one and writes an essay about 250 words to illustrate it.
Materials:
Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
Procedures:
- Begin the class with the discussion of "What is theme?"
The theme of a literary work is its underlying central idea or the generalization it communicates about life. The theme expresses the author's opinion or raises a question about human nature or the meaning of human experience. At times the author's theme may not confirm or agree with your own beliefs. Even then, if skillfully written, the work will still have a theme that illuminates some aspects of true human experience.
- What's the difference between a subject and a theme?
A piece of literature may have both a subject and a theme. The subject is a specific topic of the selection. The theme is the generalization about life at large that the specific selection leads you to see. - How many themes can a work contain?
A long work may contain more than one theme. - How to identify a theme?
Sometimes the theme may be clearly stated. More often, the theme is implied or suggested through other elements. In fact, you can determine the theme by looking closely at other literary elements involved, such as, characterization, setting, events, point of view, tone, irony, imagery, etc. In other words, theme is illuminated through these literary elements. - Identify at least one theme from Julius Caesar by answering the following questions:
- What do various character think, say, and do regarding subject-the assassination of Julius Caesar?
- What are the main characters' key traits? Does the character change at all during the course of selection?
- How do the time, place, and other details of setting serve as a suitable background for the subject of Julius Caesar?
- What do the particular conflicts in Julius Caesar have to do with the subject matter?
- What do the work's climax and resolution have to say about the subject matter of the play?
- What is the author's tone, or attitude, toward the subject as revealed by the author's word choice and other details?
Use the chart below to help you record the answer: Elements Illuminating Theme Characterization
Setting
Events(conflicts)
Tone(
such as sympathy, empathy)Irony
- Key traits
- Goals
- Change
- Time:
- Place:
- Mood:
- Conflicts (5 types)
- Climax
- Falling action and resolution
- Situational irony
- Verbal irony
- Dramatic irony
- Could the answer of any of the following questions be generalized into a theme?
- Explain how Julius Caesar is in part the story of the conflict between Brutus' ideals and the real world. Does Shakespeare suggest that the world needs idealists like Brutus? Explain.
- As a political play, Julius Caesar revolves around two dangers: the danger of instability in the state and the danger of tyranny in a strong ruler. How are these ideas shown to be in conflict in the play? Does Shakespeare show one danger to be greater than the other? Explain.
- What view of an individual's ability to influence history is presented in Julius Caesar?
- What is the difference in your response to the following statements before and after reading the play, Julius Caesar?
- Too much ambition inevitably leads to disaster.
- Politicians are concerned with power than issues affecting people's lives.
- Violence leads to more violence.
- Crowds can be easily manipulated and moved to violence.
- What other themes does Shakespeare tackle in the play, Julius Caesar?
- Deciding which comes first--loyalty to one's country or loyalty to a friend--can be extremely difficult.
- Personal ambition, when unchecked, can interfere with the ability to govern the state--even in the most patriotic leader.
- Violence begets violence.
- Even the most noble human beings have personal flaws and blind spots that can undermine their success--and destroy them.
- When legitimate authority breaks down, all other rules of society will crumble too.
- How is each of the themes revealed in each act?
- How to organize your essay?
- Begin your introductory paragraph with a thesis statement, which restates the main idea of the assignment. Be sure to state the theme in terms of a generalization about human nature or experience. Then indicate that the theme is illuminated through the other elements of the work.
- Body:
- Choose at least two literary elements from Julius Caesar to explain how they help illuminate the theme.
- Choose at least two literary elements from another work of literature you have read to explain how they help illustrate the theme.
- In the concluding paragraph, restate your thesis statement. You might explain whether the selection led you to understand a theme new to you or to renew a prior awareness.
Assessment measures:
Write an essay discussing the theme of the play Julius Caesar.- In the essay, discuss the theme by describing at least two main characters, such as Caesar, Brutus, Cassius or Antony, and explain how these characters' action and behavior relate to the theme.
- In each essay, discuss how the theme is revealed through characterization, imagery, or any other literary elements by using references from Julius Caesar and another related literary work you have read.
Follow-up activities/extensions:
Follow this lesson, we will do a New Regents Task IV exercise.