Notes on Essay Writing

Analytical Essays

Dramaturgical Essays

Theatre Review

The Essay Writing Process

Assignment Pitfalls

 

General Note on Essays

All essays share one thing in common: they are written for a purpose. However, essays can be written for different purposes, so they can also have very different features. Considering why you are writing an essay will help you determine how to produce a good essay. You should therefore always consider the reasons why you are being asked to write an essay before you begin developing your arguments.

It might be tempting to think that the only reason you are writing an essay is to get a grade that will enable you to pass your course. However, you are likely to lose many opportunities to advance your learning and communication skills if this is the only reason you can find to write essays. When you are given an assignment topic or question, you are being offered an opportunity to learn more about a particular subject related to the course you are studying. The assignment topics or questions set by your teachers are carefully designed to focus your attention to important elements associated with the study of drama, theatre and performance. A number of elements you will be asked to consider will also require you to develop new ways of thinking about various subjects. Two key areas you will continue to reflect upon throughout the course of your studies are:

 

The Social Significance of Plays you Study

As historical circumstances and cultural developments influence the writing, production and reception of plays and performances, the social significance of any play is essential to interrogate if you wish to understand all the features of plays you are studying. This type of study may require you to research a range of social and historical concepts, events, developments and phenomena that appear to be extraneous or external to the play itself. For example,

• You may be asked to investigate the political systems and conflicts during an era in which plays were written and to consider how they impacted upon the creation of a particular style of play. Eg. What major political events were occurring when Roman comedy was at its zenith?
• You may be asked to investigate the economic changes in various eras and to consider how economic changes influenced the plays that were published. Eg. Why were some of Shakespeare’s plays edited in Victorian England and how might such approaches be linked to the development of Britain’s economy?
• You may be asked to investigate the era in which plays were produced and to compare material conditions of audiences today to those of audiences in the era in which a play was written. Eg. Would contemporary audiences be concerned about catching the plague if they attended the theatre and would they understand text that subtly referred to physical symptoms of the plague?

 

The Performance Significance of Plays you Study

Written forms of plays are often recognised as the permanent records of dramas while performances of plays are recognised as ephemeral activities that are difficult to record. While the construction of plays and performances are two separate crafts, the performance of a play is ultimately the only way to test whether or not a play actually works for an audience and the elements of a performance that support a production of a play are essential to consider and distinguish from the play. While practical activities in tutorials enable you to experiment with performance possibilities, the plays you will study have usually already been produced. Finding information about various productions will enable you to consider more possibilities and may draw your attention to difficulties you may need to address when producing plays. This kind of information also prompts you to consider the technical limitations and developments that have influenced the evolution of theatrical performances and why so many differences are evident in productions of the same play in different eras or cultures. Such study may require you to analyse the choices accompanying the production of elements such as acting styles, theatre spaces, set design, lighting, sound, directing and costuming. This kind of study may also require in depth analysis of reviews of performances or consideration of any particular edits or translations of texts used for a production. For example,

• You may be asked to investigate the influence of electricity on lighting designs for theatres. Eg. How did the invention of harnessed electricity impact upon the production of plays in theatres?
• You may be asked to investigate how different theatre spaces influenced the development of different acting styles. Eg. Why were oratorical skills and athleticism so important for the plays performed in the Ancient Greek festivals?
• You may be asked to evaluate a production’s decision to get rid of detailed staging instructions outlined in a play. Eg. How would the total departure from the staging instructions in Ibsen’s play The Doll’s House influence the meanings generated in a production of this play?

Writing Essays:

Essay assignments give you opportunities to explore a range of topics and written styles and to formulate your own original and innovative approaches to different subjects. For example, if your essay question gives you scope to look at a number of different plays, try to avoid common or popular choices and look for ways of offering a view or analysis that is insightful or unusual. Your lecturer has probably read a million essays on Shakespearean comedies or analyses of well-known Australian plays like The Removalist or Blackrock so they will appreciate and respond to original ideas and innovative arguments you are able to develop and defend.

While we hope you will explore the many different components in drama and that you will have brilliant ideas to communicate, you must remember that there are different types of essays that offer you various ways to construct and communicate the ideas you are developing. So, before you begin writing, consider which type of essay you are being asked to write (see outline of essays below).

 

 

Analytical Essays

There is always some degree of analysis involved in essay writing and most assignments develop your abilities to analyse and research. However, when you are asked to provide an analysis of a set play or topic, you are being asked for a particular type of essay. Analysis involved more than a description of a field of study and more than a list of your observations or a survey of observations made by others. Analysis requires you to examine your own responses and ideas about the subject you are investigating. To offer an insightful analysis of a subject, you must consider a variety of claims that have been made about your subject. To find the variety of claims, you MUST conduct research. Research is important because you will only be in a position to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the subject you are investigating when you have located a variety of information and opinions. As it is easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of material and the range of resources available for research, students need to remember that they are researching a particular topic that is part of a large field of knowledge. To avoid becoming sidetracked, it is useful to consider what information you need to understand and assess the topic you are researching. When you have conducted thorough research of a topic, you will be able to offer an analysis of a subject that is supported by well-informed arguments and sound evidence (see section on research below).

Remember:

An analytical essay offers your view.

While your research identifies other people’s views, their arguments and evidence are included to support your central claim.

An analytical essay can often include the following sections in various orders:

• A summary or outline of the subject you are analysing
• Your claim about the subject (a position that you have formed in response to your research and reading)
• An analysis of assumptions that have been or could be made about the subject you are analysing
• An analysis of any hidden or implied arguments associated with the subject you are analysing
• An analysis of any contradictions – conflicting statements about the subject you are studying that are different to each other or to the responses you have had
• An analysis of evidence that supports your claim
• A summary that explains why your claim is more appealing than others

 

A sample assignment topic for an analytical essay:

The Medieval Play Everyman is described as a morality play. In a well-argued essay, identify at least three moral virtues included in the play and consider whether these virtues were likely to be developed by people in the era and culture in which the play was produced. Your essay should include references to the text and a detailed analysis of relevant social discourses and material conditions evident at the time of the play’s production.

 

 

Dramaturgical essays:

Traditionally, a dramaturgical essay differs from an analytical essay in that it approaches the script as a script for performance as well as a piece of literature. That is, this type of essay takes into account the performative elements of a play. A person writing a dramaturgical essay therefore has to be able to imagine and analyse elements that are used in a production of the play. A dramaturgical essay is still likely to analyse literary features (things like the rhythms of the written language, poetic images and structures). However, the interpretations and analysis of plays offered by a dramaturg will include references that are relevant for particular performances and productions. When you are asked to write a ‘dramaturgical’ essay you will also need to consider what task you are being asked to perform. Since there are many jobs and many types of analysis conducted in a theatre production, you will need to understand the specific aspect of a production you are expected to research, analyse or develop. To do this, you need to understand what is involved in dramaturgy.

Dramaturgy is a word used to collectively describe the arts and techniques used to analyse and produce theatre. Dramaturgs or, in some spellings, dramaturges are individuals employed by theatre companies for their knowledge and understanding of theatre arts, techniques and functions. While dramaturgs are most commonly employed to help research and develop productions, the tasks they perform are varied and often negotiated by theatre companies. Tasks can include:

• Developing a ‘dramaturgical protocol’ which is a package of information for a production that offers relevant historical, social, performative, political or literary information
• Providing literary advice to theatrical productions and playwrights (and sometimes film corporations)
• Analysing, editing, adapting, translating or choosing translations of texts,
• Offering support and feedback for new work
• Collaborating with directors, designers and actors
• Reading and evaluating scripts
• Researching performance histories
• Conducting close textual analyses of plays
• Developing ‘concepts’ for a production
• Researching, writing and designing theatre programmes
• Locating promotional material for productions.

 

As dramaturgy is an evolving field, it is also a good idea to research the various roles and organizations that are associated with this activity before writing your essays (or accepting a contract with a theatre company!)

A sample topic for an assignment that requires a dramaturgical essay:

Queensland Theatre Company is mounting a production of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. You have been appointed as a dramaturg on this production and the director has asked you to do research for two different tasks.

• Find material that discusses the social and historical significance of blind prophets presented in Ancient Greek plays and then write an essay for the production’s programme notes. Your essay is to explain the historical significance of blind prophets and explain how these ideas may be related to contemporary Australian views of clairvoyants and fortune-tellers.
• Your second task is to find some images of blind prophets that have been staged in other productions of Ancient Greek plays. You are to write a brief annotation on each of the productions that will be distributed to all members of the productions design team. The annotations must therefore accurately describe any significant details of the set, lighting and costume designs used in other productions and briefly explain why such designs would or would not work in the space being used at QTC.

 

 

Writing a theatre review:

A theatre review evaluates the impact of a production as a whole rather than focusing on one element such as the choice of play, the script, the playwright or any other component involved in mounting a production. Unlike an analysis of literary components of a play, a review offers your evaluation of all the components in a performance and discusses whether the components were used to successfully (or unsuccessfully) convey meaning in a production. Your evaluation will need to consider the successes, failures or tensions within the production and will demonstrate your ability to identify and analyse a number of elements involved in a performance. Some of the components that may be contained in a review include:

• A brief synopsis of the plot or aims of the production
• An analysis of how the script was supported or interpreted throughout the production
• An analysis of the mood or atmosphere established
• An analysis of the acting styles used by performers and an analysis of any significant performances explaining why they were good, mediocre or bad
• An analysis of the directorial choices evident
• An analysis of the set, lighting, sound, costumes and other effects
• Your personal opinion supported by reasons to justify your opinion

 

A sample question for a theatre review:

Write a 1000 word review of Queensland Theatre Company’s production of Edward Albee’s play The Goat: Or Who is Sylvia?

 

 

Essay writing skills common to all styles of essays

 

A good place to start is to imagine a PICTURE of your essay structure. A common structure found in most academic essays is the one below.

While getting an overall picture of your argument helps you organise your material, your essay must demonstrate your ability to research appropriately and demonstrate your ability to use and understand a number of analytical and literary skills. You demonstrate these skills when you communicate your ideas effectively through a clear structure, a persuasive argument, a good range of evidence to support your argument (research and referencing) and appropriate expression of your argument and evidence (the language and style you select to convey the ideas being outlined). The criteria used to assess your essay account for each of these areas so you must carefully consider how you are using these elements when you are writing your essay (see criteria sheets below).

Clive. Manual of Style for Essay Writing. St Lucia, Qld: Dept. of History, The University of Queensland, 1999.

 

 

 

Examples of criteria used to assess your essays:

1. Criteria for assessing essay Structure  

Fail	Pass	Credit	Distinction	High Distinction
Imprecise and vague focus on the problem	Vague focus on the problem	The problem is defined	The problem is clearly defined.	Concise and accurate statement of problem
No clear statement of method	Vague statement of method	Statement of method presented	Statement of method presented using appropriate terminology	Clear and systematic statement of method using appropriate terminology
Essay shows little relevance to topic	Essay relates to the topic	Essay appropriately discusses the topic	Essay discusses the topic in an informative way	Essay discusses the topic in an insightful way

 

2. Criteria for assessing essay Argument  

Fail	Pass	Credit	Distinction	High Distinction
Much of the evidence inaccurate or questionable	Limited amount of supporting evidence	The evidence is reliable	Accurate presentation of evidence	Accurate presentation of appropriate evidence
Essay rambles and lacks continuity	The focus of the essay is weak	Material presented in a logical order	Material presented in a logical order which helps to build an argument	Logical argument that makes solid statements about the topic
Little evidence of originality	Essay covers material on a general level	Essay covers material on a general level and extends this by wider research	Essay presents some new ideas which were not covered in class	Original & creative work which shows an active engagement with other scholarly thought

 

3. Criteria for assessing essay Research & Referencing  

Fail	Pass	Credit	Distinction	High Distinction
Inadequate acknowledgement of sources	Refers to general sources	Adequate acknowledgement of academic sources	Good acknowledgement of academic sources	Excellent acknowledgement of scholarly sources
No evidence of Research	Evidence of small amount of general research	Evidence of research that is relevant to the topic	Evidence of wide research	Evidence of wide scholarly research
Inadequate consultation of sources	Essay has used a small number of sources	Adequate consultation of sources	Essay relies on a broad range of sources	Excellent choice of scholarly sources
No referencing	Incorrect referencing	Some inaccuracies in referencing	Correct referencing using an accepted citation method	Correct referencing using an accepted citation method

 

4. Criteria for assessing essay Language & Style

Fail	Pass	Credit	Distinction	High Distinction
Clumsily written with much incorrect punctuation	Awkward use of expression	Correct punctuation	Fluent piece of writing	Fluent piece of writing which uses sophisticated language
Much inaccurate usage	Several ungrammatical sentences	Grammatical sentences	Accurate usage of grammar	Grammar used with stylistic flair
Much incorrect spelling	Several incorrectly spelt words	Mostly correct spelling throughout	Correct spelling throughout	Correct spelling throughout
Chaotic Bibliography	Several errors in the Bibliography	Occasional error in the Bibliography	Bibliography appropriately set out	Bibliography correctly set out using MLA Style

 

*For good advice on how to improve sentence or paragraph construction have a look at:

Durham, Marsha and Roslyn Petelin. The Professional Writing Guide: Writing Well and Knowing Why. Warriewood, NSW: Business and Professional Publishing, 2001.

 

The Essay Writing Process

The follow graphic will help to visualise the process that is required when you write an essay:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Assignment Pitfalls:

Under-researched work:

The biggest pitfall for students writing Tertiary Level essays is being under-prepared for the topic. Researching your area thoroughly is an important elementary task. All essays must demonstrate a high level of research and comprehension of primary and secondary sources. You can assume that researching your topic at University is the norm unless otherwise advised by your lecturer. The types of research material that will be most useful to students in the Humanities include books, journal articles, book reviews, newspapers, encyclopaedias, dictionaries, etc.

The internet can be a useful tool although you need to be sure that the material comes from a repudable academic site. Over-reliance on internet sources is not acceptable.

Research Tools:

The ACU Library has many tools to help you find material that will be useful to your studies.

ACU subscribes to many useful databases. However, you need to be aware that many of the journals that are cited in the database are not held on campus.

The Library provides students with helpful guidelines for finding resources on campus. There are Library 'finders' for many disciplines including Drama.

Referencing:

All essays need to follow a standard model of referencing. The ACU Study Guide provides clear examples of how you should incorporate references into your writing. This is essential reading for all subject areas offered at ACU. If the ACU Study Guide does not cover the specific item that you are wanting to include in your essay you can refer to the comprehensive manuals that are located in the Reference Section of the Library. For Drama essays students should use the MLA method of referencing. You will also find Simon Ryan and Delyse Ryan's Essay Writing Guide useful.

Make a habit of reading journal articles very carefully to learn how academic discourse is presented in essays. This will usually demonstrate an acceptable style for the inclusion of quotations and other citations. Look carefully at the way writers discuss the material. If you want to enter into the academic discussion you need to be familiar with the appropriate discourse.

Structure:

Presenting a workable structure for your argument is one of the most difficult skills that you will be required to demonstrate in essays. You must order your material in a coherent and logical manner. Make sure that everything you say is directly relevant to your topic. While you are writing continually refer back to the question to check that you are not going off on a tangent.

Sweeping Statements:

Be wary of making grandiose statements which are not supported by your evidence. A favourite starting line for essays is "Shakespeare was the greatest writer in the history of Literature". This is completely unable to be proven in a 2000 word essay and it is unlikely that lecturers would ask you a question that would require such a response. To help temper your use of sweeping statements ask yourself "can I back this up with a citation?"—if you can't then leave it out.

Forgetting to Cite Your Sources:

You must always cite your sources. All of your information has to have come from somewhere. Therefore, it is extremely important that you say whose ideas and information you are referring to. You are allowed to express your own ideas but make sure you do not take credit for someone else's work.

Copying someone else's exact words or ideas:

Students should familiarise themselves with ACU's rules regarding plagiarism. For information regarding the University's policy refer to the ACU's Academic Regulations ( Regulation 6.4) and the Academic Honesty Policy (Item 7).

Poorly presented work:

Presentation is an important part of assignment writing. Hand-written work is not acceptable. Student access to computers is available on campus. All work should be typed and include a Cover Sheet.

Spelling and Grammatical Errors:

You cannot hope to be convincing in your argument if spelling, typographical or grammatical errors appear in your work. Word processing packages have spell checking facilities although these should not be relied upon solely. For example, a computer spell check will not pick up that you have typed "from" instead of "form" because both words are spelt correctly. There is no substitute for proof-reading your work. Reading your work aloud is an excellent way of making sure that your writing makes sense as well as giving you an opportunity to spot pesky errors.

 

IMPORTANT

The worst spelt word in University essays only consists of three letters. Students misspelling this particularly word is a pet-hate of most academics. its vs it's its = possessive Example: "The dog's bone is buried" could be written as "Its bone is buried"   it's = a contraction of "it is" Example: "The dog is asleep" could be written as "It's asleep"

Getting Help:

If you are having trouble with your tertiary studies ACU has staff who are here to help you. Ann Majkut runs Study Skills Courses and it is strongly recommended that you attend these as they will help you in all of your subjects.

Assessment Links on this Site:

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