1. ENG 102 – Bolton
Essay Assignment 2: Drama: Character Analysis
For this essay assignment, you will analyze a character, meaning you determine what motivates him/her
to behave the way he/she does. (You are looking, essentially, at the psychology of the character.) Please
follow these guidelines when constructing your essay; any guideline not met/followed may result in a
lower essay grade:
1.) Choose ONE character from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet to analyze.
2.) Determine how the character is usually perceived by readers and/or other characters.
3.) Construct an academic essay in MLA format that argues/explores how the character is different
from the way he/she is normally perceived. Include all of the following in your essay:
o all typical expected essay components for academic essays: introduction, thesis
statement, body paragraphs with topic sentences and supporting sentences, conclusion
o at least one counterargument in the body of your essay (remember, a counterargument
should offer then refute/disprove an opposing argument to yours—see pgs. 86-87 of your
textbook)
o at least one quote from Hamlet to support your character analysis (remember, plays from
anthologies—like Hamlet in your textbook—are cited by page numbers… but you still
need to include slashes for line breaks if the section is written in ―lines‖)
o at least one quote from your (one) literary criticism article (this can help support your
claim or can be part of your counterargument)
o a Works Cited page that includes the play and your additional source
4.) Before submitting your final essay, don’t forget to proofread carefully for grammatical,
technical, and mechanical errors.
Important Dates and Requirements
Character Analysis Worksheet Due: June 18 (at class time)
Outline of Essay Due: June 20 (at class time)
Draft Due to TurnitIn for PeerMark: June 20 (by 11:59 pm)
Peer Review Must be Completed By: Saturday, June 22 (by 11:59 pm)
Paper Due to Instructor: June 25 (by 5:00 pm)
Length*: 800-1200 words
Sources Required*: Two—(1) the play Hamlet and (2) ONE literary criticism
article from the library database JSTOR or Literary
Reference Center—you may not any other database, and you
may not include more than one article in your essay
Submission Methods: Hard copy (to me), electronic copy to TurnitIn
* Essays that are too short, too long, or don’t meet the source requirements will receive half credit.
Note: You will also be required to turn in additional work that you complete as part of the writing
process—see next page for details.
Consult the rubric (at the end of this assignment sheet) carefully for
specific details on how your essay will be graded on each component!

2. Additional Assignments Required:
Due dates for these assignments are listed above and on the course outline on the course syllabus.
Remember, they are due in class on the date listed and are accepted via hard (printed) copy only; the
only exception is if you are absent, and you then have options for receiving credit—see syllabus for full
policy. Each assignment is worth 10 points.
Character Analysis Worksheet for Essay 2: There is a worksheet on D2L that asks you some
questions about your chosen character. Print this worksheet and fill it out (it may be handwritten).
Outline for Essay 2: This worksheet (from D2L) asks you to outline the basic structure of your essay.
Print it and fill it out (it may be handwritten).
Reminder about PeerMark: You must submit a draft of your essay to Turnitin.com for PeerMark—
this draft must meet all requirements for the essay, including length and format. To get full credit, you
must also review the two essays you are assigned and offer thorough feedback for your peers.
Note: There are additional handouts/links on D2L that you might find helpful while writing this essay.
It’s your responsibility to consult them if you need additional help.

3. Student Name: _____________________________
Grading Rubric/Sheet for Essay 2: Character Analysis (100 points)
Scale: E = perfect/excellent, G = good, F = fair, P = poor or missing
Essay Component
(circled items indicate problems with that particular area)
Score (see scale)
E G F P
Title is interesting/creative, original, and relevant to the essay’s content/focus
5 4 2 0
Introduction introduces play and author (and character!), briefly summarizes play (relevant
to character), provides necessary background information, and builds to the thesis 10 8 6 0
Thesis statement is clearly worded, attempts to understand the character in a new way,
and is the last sentence of the introduction 10 8 6 0
Body Paragraphs adequately support thesis by providing examples from the play,
explaining connections logically and thoroughly, and offering at least one
counterargument that offers and refutes an opposing view; plot summary is avoided
25 20 10 0
Quotes from play and literary criticism article (found from researching) are included,
formatted correctly (parenthetical citations in MLA format), properly integrated
(introduced and discussed/explained), and effective in supporting thesis
10 8 6 0
Conclusion avoids introducing new ideas and adequately summarizes essay
10 8 6 0
Organization is effective through the use of topic sentences and transitions throughout the
essay; order of body paragraphs reflects thesis statement 10 8 6 0
Vocabulary, language use, and word choices are correct and appropriate; present tense is
used when discussing play, terms are used correctly, second-person (“you”) and
unnecessary first-person (I think, I believe, etc.) are avoided
10 8 6 0
MLA Format is followed throughout essay: heading, page numbers, spacing, alignment,
margins, font, Works Cited page 10 8 6 0
Grammar/Mechanics
More than 3 errors of
the same type will
result in it being
circled here; any error
circled will result in 5
points off your essay
grade.
Run-on sentences
Sentence fragments
Comma splices
Subject/verb agreement
Verb tense shifts
Pronoun usage
Punctuation usage
Spelling/typos
Wording/wordiness
Other:
* Please consult your essay for details; if you do not understand a comment I made, please don’t hesitate to
come see me during office hours to discuss your essay.
Subtotal: _____/100
Was PeerMark completed (on Turnitin.com) adequately? If not, subtract up to 15 points: - _____
Was this rubric printed out and turned in with the final essay? If not, subtract 15 points: - _____
Grammatical/Mechanical errors: - _____
Final Essay 2 Grade: _____/100