I'm soooooo screwed!!!! HELP ME!!!!
- Thread starter silver 2039
- Start date
cubsfan6506
Got u
That was a good topic.
Ansar
Détente avec l'été
Yeah, the thread title reminded me of that too...
Cuivienen
Deity
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2003
- Messages
- 8,011
Nothing about both being protagonists who are similar and different. That's useless and doesn't mean anything. First off, list the similarities you will discuss during the essay in the opening paragraph.
Having never read A Doll's House, I can't give you any ideas, but here you go for an opening sentence:
"Nora Helmer of Henrik Ibsens' A Doll's House and the titular Antigone of Anouilh's* Antigone experience similar pressures to be feminine from their relatives."
You need more substance, though. That's not a specific enough comparative essay topic. Also, your discussion of them being "neither right nor wrong" is utterly unrelated and should be excised entirely.
*Spelling it correctly helps.
De Lorimier
North American Scum
OMG yours teacer is such a beothch!!!1 LOL!!!11111
Try doing your homework sober before coming here to whine about your poor results and asking other people to do your work.
Moderator Action: Warned for flaming
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889
It doesn't even look like the essay takes up one page. Proofread it. Rewrite it. Be sober. It really shouldn't take you that long to do.
If you can't even remember if you were stoned while writing it, then how would you expect to come up with a halfway decent essay? Take an hour break, look at it with a fresh mind, and begin anew.
If you can't even remember if you were stoned while writing it, then how would you expect to come up with a halfway decent essay? Take an hour break, look at it with a fresh mind, and begin anew.
Kennigit
proud 2 boxer
Only advice I can give really is to calm down. I assume that you've probably been in a situation similar to this before- maybe not so severe but one of those "oh my god! this huge thing is due tommorrow". Just remember how you came through with those and succeeded, and that you can succeed in this situation. That helps me when I'm doing stuff the day they're due to get a good grade.
Pretty much. And take short breaks so you don't get too tense. I've had my share of all-nighters, making sure to get 20 pages together, properly sourced with some 70 footnotes and everything else for the morning.
AngryPinkMoose
Keep it classy
The teacher sounds funny to me.
Kennigit
proud 2 boxer
Also, just a little encouragement- this isn't super long. Even if what you have is far below what you are supposed to write, its only going to be no more than 4 pages I imagine. That's not that bad, maybe 3 good hours of time to really perfect it, and I hope you actually know the material and have not been spark noting.
Well my only advice is to stop taking your grades that seriously... I mean you are "sooooooo screwed" because your teacher didn't like an essay worth 20% of your grade? Come on.
Don't take this sort of thing so seriously... I can't even remember my High School grades. Ultimately they made no difference whatsoever in my life. Just relax.
Don't take this sort of thing so seriously... I can't even remember my High School grades. Ultimately they made no difference whatsoever in my life. Just relax.
Buddy, I tell you this:
My experience is that usually people are WAY better writers than you'd suppose by what they deliver. Vocabulary generally isn't much of an issue, it's articulation that is.
As for me, I always state goals. Most of the time, people proceeds aimlessly in the text, throwing ideas in without order or without a structure - and what they get is a shred of barely linked paragraphs.
Establish your goals, where you are going with your essay. What is the conclusion you want to reach? The plays are good? Are they bad? Are they enlightening? Are they dated, or do they communicate to a modern reader? I mean, get somewhere to go before you even start.
A great way to start is to line out the parameters you used to reach your conclusions.
But most importantly - think of the correlation between paragraphs. All of them must contain at least one idea (or aspect of an idea), and that idea must lead somewhere else (to the beginning of the next paragraph), going on and on until a conclusive thought or argument is coined - which is the moment to stop writing. This way, the text will feel as a whole, a conjunction, instead of just thoughts lumped together.
Maybe it's vague, but I can't do much more as I haven't read either play. Still, if you manage to arrange it in this structure, you'll be fine.
Regards
.
My experience is that usually people are WAY better writers than you'd suppose by what they deliver. Vocabulary generally isn't much of an issue, it's articulation that is.
As for me, I always state goals. Most of the time, people proceeds aimlessly in the text, throwing ideas in without order or without a structure - and what they get is a shred of barely linked paragraphs.
Establish your goals, where you are going with your essay. What is the conclusion you want to reach? The plays are good? Are they bad? Are they enlightening? Are they dated, or do they communicate to a modern reader? I mean, get somewhere to go before you even start.
A great way to start is to line out the parameters you used to reach your conclusions.
But most importantly - think of the correlation between paragraphs. All of them must contain at least one idea (or aspect of an idea), and that idea must lead somewhere else (to the beginning of the next paragraph), going on and on until a conclusive thought or argument is coined - which is the moment to stop writing. This way, the text will feel as a whole, a conjunction, instead of just thoughts lumped together.
Maybe it's vague, but I can't do much more as I haven't read either play. Still, if you manage to arrange it in this structure, you'll be fine.
Regards
.
You are stating the obvious, get to the point and say what you want to say. Avoid indefinate words such as "right" and "wrong". As a reader I have no idea what you mean by those two words.
First, take out "number of" to eliminate indefinate words and thus wordiness.
Less plot summary and more analysis and interpretation.
AL_DA_GREAT
amour absinthe révolution
relax, you won't be able to concentrate if you are that upset. It is one page, you can write a new one in a few minutes.
silver 2039
Deity
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
- Messages
- 16,208
World Lit Essay
The noble heroine is an ever present theme in literature, embodying the brave woman who sacrifices herself in the name of duty or rises up against oppression.
This is how the protagonists Nora Helmer and Antigone are normally viewed in both Henrik Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’, written in the late 1800’s, and Jean Anillouh’s 20th century work ‘Antigone’. This perspective is cemented by the role and actions of these characters at first glimpse. However, in spite of its popularity, this viewpoint might be inaccurate.
In A Doll’s House, Nora Helmer has a number of expectations thrust upon her by society. When she queries her husband “What do you think are my most sacred vows?” Torvald replies bluntly, “And I have to tell you that! Aren’t they your duties to your husband and children?” As a woman she is expected by Torvald and society to place her husband and children before herself and sacrifice for them. To a modern audience this seems quite outrageous as it is commonly believed that marriage is an equal partnership.
In the beginning of the story she desires to accept the role that society expects of her when she states, “Free. To be free, absolutely free. To spend time playing with the children. To have a clean, beautiful house, the way Torvald likes it.” In this line she expresses the desire to please Torvald and conform to society’s expectations. However later we learn that she is not content with her life. She occasionally lashes out against Torvald’s injunctions. For instance Torvald dislikes her eating macaroons because it spoils her teeth, yet she eats macaroons behind his back as well as other small acts of rebellion against societal norms by saying things such as “I have such a huge desire to say –to hell and be dammed!” shocking Dr. Rank and Mrs. Linde.
Nora furthermore completely refuses to accept some of society’s rules. For example when she is speaking to Krogstad about her taking out a loan illegally, she proclaims, “This I refuse to believe. A daughter hasn’t the right to protect her dying father from anxiety and care? A wife hasn’t a right to save her husband’s life? I don’t know much about laws, but I’m sure that somewhere in the books these things are allowed. And you don’t know anything about it-you who practice the law? You must be an awful lawyer Mr. Krogstad.”
Nora adamantly believes that she was doing what society wished of her. She was being a good wife by saving her husband’s life and a good daughter by not giving her father more problems. Yet she is informed by Krogstad that what she did was wrong and she cannot accept this. We as the audience support Nora’s acts of rebellion against society’s expectations since our modern beliefs oppose the male dominated society depicted in the play.
Eventually she is pushed towards standing up for herself and leaving Torvald as she realizes that Torvald is not the strong man he poses to be and she is disillusioned with him and her desire for freedom manifests itself. She says “I have been performing tricks for you, Torvald. That’s how I’ve survived. You wanted it like that. You and Papa have done me a great wrong. It’s because of you I’ve made nothing of my life.”
She feels that she has been basically a “doll wife in a doll house” and that she has been degraded by how her father and Torvald, both of whom are characters that reflect how society treated her. It appears to the audience that Nora is a noble heroine extricating herself from the male domination under which she has been oppressed for so long.
However, this is not the case as Nora is a flawed character. Despite her attempts to conform to her duty as a devoted wife she is willing to flirt with Dr. Rank and tease him. Yet when he professes his love for her she draws away saying “Oh how can I tell what I know or don’t know? Really, I don’t know what to say-Why did you have to be so clumsy, Dr. Rank! Everything was so good.” Nora wants the excitement that comes with flirting yet she does not wish to accept the consequences of her actions. She wants everything to remain the same and not change and when she starts losing control she cannot accept it. This is similar to how Nora reacts to Torvald’s tirade against her. She dislikes the fact that their relationship has changed and thus decides to walk out abandoning her husband and children. Torvald is willing to compromise with her even though it goes against all his beliefs when he implores” I see. There’s a gulf that’s opened up between us-that’s clear. Oh, but Nora, can’t we bridge it somehow?”
Nora rejects all his proposals of aid, and continuing contact. Not only this but she abandons her children who clearly love her, and that is perhaps one of the worst crimes a mother can commit as she punishes her innocent children for her husband’s and her own faults.
Her intentions are perhaps noble in that she wishes to be independent but they are also selfish and misguided as she is naïve, and she walks into the cold and darkness outside without having any idea of her future, having severed all contact with her husband and children.
In ‘Antigone’, Antigone is the fiancé to Haemon and her role is as Creon puts it, “to produce sturdy sons” as he believes that she will be most useful to Thebes by doing that. Society expects Antigone to act in a manner that a princess should, the Nurse says to her, “….And yet you used not to be like the others, preening in front of the glass and putting rouge on their lips and trying to attract attention. The times I’ve said to myself ‘My goodness, this child isn’t vain enough! For ever in the same dress, with her hair all over the place-the lads’ll be after Ismene with her curls and her ribbons, and this one’ll be left on my hands’ And all the time you were just like your sister-worse, you little hypocrite!..”. The Nurse’s statements are quite contradictory; she berates Antigone for meeting a boy and then criticizes her for not being vain enough like her sister to attract boys. Society expects her to be both virtuous and yet attract boys at the same time. Ismene who is also a representation of societal expectations says “Antigone! Please! It’s all right for me to die for their ideas. But you’re a girl.”
Due to her gender Antigone is not expected to be brave and courageous like the men. Antigone openly rejects these societal expectations as she says “Only a girl! The tears I’ve shed because of it!” stating her desire to not be subjected to the restrictions placed upon her. Her sister Ismene also warns her against defying Creon and his authority by saying fearfully,“He’s the king, Antigone. He’s stronger than we are. And everyone agrees with him. The streets of Thebes are full of them.” Ismene fears the consequences they will have to suffer if they go against society and authority yet Antigone is defiant and is determined to bury her brother rejecting all reason and she goes against the pronouncements of a ruthless tyrant.
We as the modern audience applaud her for her actions feeling that Antigone, like Nora is blazing her own path.
When confronted by Creon about her reasons for deciding to bury her brother Antigone states “I had to just the same. People who aren’t buried wander in search of rest. If my brother had come home tired after a day’s hunting I’d have taken off his boots, given him something to eat and got his bed ready. Polynices has done with hunting now. He’s going home, to where Mother and Father and Eteocles too, are waiting for him. He’s entitled to some rest.”She believes that she is doing her duty as a sister.
However this is not the case as Antigone is a flawed character. She is more determined to die than to see that her brother is buried. She is as afraid of change as Nora is in ‘Doll House'. Antigone does not wish to grow up, nor does she wish to see Haemon change as she says “I love a Haemon who’s tough and young…A Haemon who’s demanding and loyal, like me. But if that life of yours, that happiness of yours, are going to pass over him and erode him-if he’s not going to turn pale anymore when I turn pale-if he won’t think I must be dead if I’m five minutes late-if he doesn’t feel alone in the world and hate me if I laugh and he doesn’t know why-if he’s going to become a conventional spouse and learn to say yes like the rest-then no, I don’t love Haemon anymore!” This quote shows Antigone’s self-centered attitude and how she despises everyday normal life.
Antigone has decided that if she cannot control change in her life then she must have a glorious death. She is also very stubborn when Creon tries to talk to her and convince her to live she says “I don’t want to. It’s all very well for you, but I’m not here to understand. I’m here to say no to you, and to die”. No matter what Creon says Antigone is not willing to change her mind and live, and Creon is revealed not to be the tyrant as he initially is portrayed by Antigone. “If I were just an ordinary brute of a tyrant you’d have had your tongue torn out long ago, or been taken apart with red hot pincers, or thrown into a dungeon. But you can see something in my eyes that hesitates” he himself states. So instead of appearing noble Antigone appears almost to be a misguided, naïve and stubborn child not the great heroine we imagine her to be. As her death looms before her she admits her fear, and feels that her decision may have been a mistake. But by then it is too late and Antigone dies leaving her family to suffer for her actions.
The image of the noble heroine is shattered upon close examinations of these plays. Nora the innocent and naïve “doll wife” of Torvald actually turns out to be a calculating woman who desires control over her life and excitement without the consequences, and when her control is lost cannot accept it and reacts by turning her back to society. Antigone the brave woman who faces death to protect her brother’s spirit turns out not to be so much brave as she is self-centered and fearful of change and can see no other option but to die. As the famous saying goes “Any man can die. But it takes a brave man to live”.
The noble heroine is an ever present theme in literature, embodying the brave woman who sacrifices herself in the name of duty or rises up against oppression.
This is how the protagonists Nora Helmer and Antigone are normally viewed in both Henrik Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’, written in the late 1800’s, and Jean Anillouh’s 20th century work ‘Antigone’. This perspective is cemented by the role and actions of these characters at first glimpse. However, in spite of its popularity, this viewpoint might be inaccurate.
In A Doll’s House, Nora Helmer has a number of expectations thrust upon her by society. When she queries her husband “What do you think are my most sacred vows?” Torvald replies bluntly, “And I have to tell you that! Aren’t they your duties to your husband and children?” As a woman she is expected by Torvald and society to place her husband and children before herself and sacrifice for them. To a modern audience this seems quite outrageous as it is commonly believed that marriage is an equal partnership.
In the beginning of the story she desires to accept the role that society expects of her when she states, “Free. To be free, absolutely free. To spend time playing with the children. To have a clean, beautiful house, the way Torvald likes it.” In this line she expresses the desire to please Torvald and conform to society’s expectations. However later we learn that she is not content with her life. She occasionally lashes out against Torvald’s injunctions. For instance Torvald dislikes her eating macaroons because it spoils her teeth, yet she eats macaroons behind his back as well as other small acts of rebellion against societal norms by saying things such as “I have such a huge desire to say –to hell and be dammed!” shocking Dr. Rank and Mrs. Linde.
Nora furthermore completely refuses to accept some of society’s rules. For example when she is speaking to Krogstad about her taking out a loan illegally, she proclaims, “This I refuse to believe. A daughter hasn’t the right to protect her dying father from anxiety and care? A wife hasn’t a right to save her husband’s life? I don’t know much about laws, but I’m sure that somewhere in the books these things are allowed. And you don’t know anything about it-you who practice the law? You must be an awful lawyer Mr. Krogstad.”
Nora adamantly believes that she was doing what society wished of her. She was being a good wife by saving her husband’s life and a good daughter by not giving her father more problems. Yet she is informed by Krogstad that what she did was wrong and she cannot accept this. We as the audience support Nora’s acts of rebellion against society’s expectations since our modern beliefs oppose the male dominated society depicted in the play.
Eventually she is pushed towards standing up for herself and leaving Torvald as she realizes that Torvald is not the strong man he poses to be and she is disillusioned with him and her desire for freedom manifests itself. She says “I have been performing tricks for you, Torvald. That’s how I’ve survived. You wanted it like that. You and Papa have done me a great wrong. It’s because of you I’ve made nothing of my life.”
She feels that she has been basically a “doll wife in a doll house” and that she has been degraded by how her father and Torvald, both of whom are characters that reflect how society treated her. It appears to the audience that Nora is a noble heroine extricating herself from the male domination under which she has been oppressed for so long.
However, this is not the case as Nora is a flawed character. Despite her attempts to conform to her duty as a devoted wife she is willing to flirt with Dr. Rank and tease him. Yet when he professes his love for her she draws away saying “Oh how can I tell what I know or don’t know? Really, I don’t know what to say-Why did you have to be so clumsy, Dr. Rank! Everything was so good.” Nora wants the excitement that comes with flirting yet she does not wish to accept the consequences of her actions. She wants everything to remain the same and not change and when she starts losing control she cannot accept it. This is similar to how Nora reacts to Torvald’s tirade against her. She dislikes the fact that their relationship has changed and thus decides to walk out abandoning her husband and children. Torvald is willing to compromise with her even though it goes against all his beliefs when he implores” I see. There’s a gulf that’s opened up between us-that’s clear. Oh, but Nora, can’t we bridge it somehow?”
Nora rejects all his proposals of aid, and continuing contact. Not only this but she abandons her children who clearly love her, and that is perhaps one of the worst crimes a mother can commit as she punishes her innocent children for her husband’s and her own faults.
Her intentions are perhaps noble in that she wishes to be independent but they are also selfish and misguided as she is naïve, and she walks into the cold and darkness outside without having any idea of her future, having severed all contact with her husband and children.
In ‘Antigone’, Antigone is the fiancé to Haemon and her role is as Creon puts it, “to produce sturdy sons” as he believes that she will be most useful to Thebes by doing that. Society expects Antigone to act in a manner that a princess should, the Nurse says to her, “….And yet you used not to be like the others, preening in front of the glass and putting rouge on their lips and trying to attract attention. The times I’ve said to myself ‘My goodness, this child isn’t vain enough! For ever in the same dress, with her hair all over the place-the lads’ll be after Ismene with her curls and her ribbons, and this one’ll be left on my hands’ And all the time you were just like your sister-worse, you little hypocrite!..”. The Nurse’s statements are quite contradictory; she berates Antigone for meeting a boy and then criticizes her for not being vain enough like her sister to attract boys. Society expects her to be both virtuous and yet attract boys at the same time. Ismene who is also a representation of societal expectations says “Antigone! Please! It’s all right for me to die for their ideas. But you’re a girl.”
Due to her gender Antigone is not expected to be brave and courageous like the men. Antigone openly rejects these societal expectations as she says “Only a girl! The tears I’ve shed because of it!” stating her desire to not be subjected to the restrictions placed upon her. Her sister Ismene also warns her against defying Creon and his authority by saying fearfully,“He’s the king, Antigone. He’s stronger than we are. And everyone agrees with him. The streets of Thebes are full of them.” Ismene fears the consequences they will have to suffer if they go against society and authority yet Antigone is defiant and is determined to bury her brother rejecting all reason and she goes against the pronouncements of a ruthless tyrant.
We as the modern audience applaud her for her actions feeling that Antigone, like Nora is blazing her own path.
When confronted by Creon about her reasons for deciding to bury her brother Antigone states “I had to just the same. People who aren’t buried wander in search of rest. If my brother had come home tired after a day’s hunting I’d have taken off his boots, given him something to eat and got his bed ready. Polynices has done with hunting now. He’s going home, to where Mother and Father and Eteocles too, are waiting for him. He’s entitled to some rest.”She believes that she is doing her duty as a sister.
However this is not the case as Antigone is a flawed character. She is more determined to die than to see that her brother is buried. She is as afraid of change as Nora is in ‘Doll House'. Antigone does not wish to grow up, nor does she wish to see Haemon change as she says “I love a Haemon who’s tough and young…A Haemon who’s demanding and loyal, like me. But if that life of yours, that happiness of yours, are going to pass over him and erode him-if he’s not going to turn pale anymore when I turn pale-if he won’t think I must be dead if I’m five minutes late-if he doesn’t feel alone in the world and hate me if I laugh and he doesn’t know why-if he’s going to become a conventional spouse and learn to say yes like the rest-then no, I don’t love Haemon anymore!” This quote shows Antigone’s self-centered attitude and how she despises everyday normal life.
Antigone has decided that if she cannot control change in her life then she must have a glorious death. She is also very stubborn when Creon tries to talk to her and convince her to live she says “I don’t want to. It’s all very well for you, but I’m not here to understand. I’m here to say no to you, and to die”. No matter what Creon says Antigone is not willing to change her mind and live, and Creon is revealed not to be the tyrant as he initially is portrayed by Antigone. “If I were just an ordinary brute of a tyrant you’d have had your tongue torn out long ago, or been taken apart with red hot pincers, or thrown into a dungeon. But you can see something in my eyes that hesitates” he himself states. So instead of appearing noble Antigone appears almost to be a misguided, naïve and stubborn child not the great heroine we imagine her to be. As her death looms before her she admits her fear, and feels that her decision may have been a mistake. But by then it is too late and Antigone dies leaving her family to suffer for her actions.
The image of the noble heroine is shattered upon close examinations of these plays. Nora the innocent and naïve “doll wife” of Torvald actually turns out to be a calculating woman who desires control over her life and excitement without the consequences, and when her control is lost cannot accept it and reacts by turning her back to society. Antigone the brave woman who faces death to protect her brother’s spirit turns out not to be so much brave as she is self-centered and fearful of change and can see no other option but to die. As the famous saying goes “Any man can die. But it takes a brave man to live”.
Wordy, consider combining ideas. Most people already know what a "noble heroine" is and realize it is an "ever present theme" in lit. Get straight to what you are trying to say, what you are going to talk about in your paper.
Perhaps:
In Henrik Ibsen's 'A Doll's House' and Jean Anillouh's 'Antigone', the roles and actions of the protagonists Nora Helmer and Antigone elucidate their defining qualities as noble heroines.
Ecofarm
Deity
I have one thing to say: structure, structure, structure.
A 5 paragraph essay (about the length of your essay) should look like this:
Paragraph 1 (Introduction)
Sentance 1: General introduction to topic.
Sentance 2: Specific introduction to topic.
Sentence 3: Introduce paragraph 2 (point 1)
Sentance 4: Introduce paragraph 3 (point 2)
Sentance 5: Introduce paragraph 4 (point 3)
Sentance 6: Introduce paragraph 5 (conclusion)
Sentance 7: Main point/assertion
Paragraph 2: (1st point)
Sentance 1: restate sentance 3, paragraph 1
Sentence 2: proof 1
Sentance 3: proof 2
Sentance 4: proof 3
Sentance 6: conclusion of 1st point
Sentance 7: transition to next paragraph (how are they linked)
Paragraph 3: (2nd point)
... structure same as paragraph 2
Paragraph 4: (3rd point)
... structure same as paragraph 2
Paragraph 5: (conclusion)
... structure same as paragraph 1 except subsiitute 'conclude' for 'introduce'
I'm sure you can find a much better explaination of the structure for a standard 5 paragraph essay online. Follow the structure and it will be clear what you are talking about, 3 reasons that you find this to be true, and how to present these things in a convincing way. The most difficult part is avoiding being overly repititious.
Example:
Paragraph 1
Gender roles are often contentious. In two plays, "x" and "x", heroines struggle to define their own roles in society, despite expectations from others. They do so in this way (point 1). They also do so in this way (point 2). Lastly, they share common experience in this way (point 3). It thus becomes apparent that the characters have much in common. Their struggles against expected gender roles are central to their contribution to the respective works.
Paragraph 2
The characters both struggle with other's understanding of their intentions (point 1). Character 1 says "x" in response to "x". Similarly, character 2 says "x" in response to "x". Each feels that the outside pressure fails to undersand them: "x" and "x". Thus, it is apparent that each struggles to communicate with society's authoritiy figures. This is not the only way that they are similar, however, because (transition to paragraph 3).
A 5 paragraph essay (about the length of your essay) should look like this:
Paragraph 1 (Introduction)
Sentance 1: General introduction to topic.
Sentance 2: Specific introduction to topic.
Sentence 3: Introduce paragraph 2 (point 1)
Sentance 4: Introduce paragraph 3 (point 2)
Sentance 5: Introduce paragraph 4 (point 3)
Sentance 6: Introduce paragraph 5 (conclusion)
Sentance 7: Main point/assertion
Paragraph 2: (1st point)
Sentance 1: restate sentance 3, paragraph 1
Sentence 2: proof 1
Sentance 3: proof 2
Sentance 4: proof 3
Sentance 6: conclusion of 1st point
Sentance 7: transition to next paragraph (how are they linked)
Paragraph 3: (2nd point)
... structure same as paragraph 2
Paragraph 4: (3rd point)
... structure same as paragraph 2
Paragraph 5: (conclusion)
... structure same as paragraph 1 except subsiitute 'conclude' for 'introduce'
I'm sure you can find a much better explaination of the structure for a standard 5 paragraph essay online. Follow the structure and it will be clear what you are talking about, 3 reasons that you find this to be true, and how to present these things in a convincing way. The most difficult part is avoiding being overly repititious.
Example:
Paragraph 1
Gender roles are often contentious. In two plays, "x" and "x", heroines struggle to define their own roles in society, despite expectations from others. They do so in this way (point 1). They also do so in this way (point 2). Lastly, they share common experience in this way (point 3). It thus becomes apparent that the characters have much in common. Their struggles against expected gender roles are central to their contribution to the respective works.
Paragraph 2
The characters both struggle with other's understanding of their intentions (point 1). Character 1 says "x" in response to "x". Similarly, character 2 says "x" in response to "x". Each feels that the outside pressure fails to undersand them: "x" and "x". Thus, it is apparent that each struggles to communicate with society's authoritiy figures. This is not the only way that they are similar, however, because (transition to paragraph 3).
I am familiar with the 5-paragraph essay, but I've never heard of introducing your conclusion in your introductory paragraph. That seemingly defeats the purpose of even having a conclusion.
