Analytical Essay on the play Doubt

Scoring Criteria
Scoring scale:
3 = Excellent/fully meets criterion
2 = Criterion is not fully met because of awkward wording
or poor grammar.
1 = Criterion is not met, but the essay is fully formed
(introduction with thesis, at least 3 body paragraphs, and
a conclusion), so the student gets some credit for effort
0 = The criterion is not met and little effort was put
into completing the essay, as evidenced by missing or
severely underdeveloped paragraphs.
The essay contains:
_______ A clearly written thesis statement that presents a compelling topic or
argument (3 points)
______ Body paragraphs that support or explore the thesis and do not simply present
a summary of the play. (3 points)
___ Body paragraphs that contain relevant evidence from the play ; direct quotes
are explicated and do not take up the majority of any one paragraph (3 points)
_____ Transitions between body paragraphs so that the reader can follow your line of
logic (3 points)
_____ A conclusion that reinforces the thesis by summarizing the main points made in
the body of the essay. (3 points)
Additional Criteria for this assignment:
____ The essay contains perspectives from outside the text that add complexity and
nuance to your thesis. The perspectives do not take precedence over the main text
(Doubt) but instead help to enrich your analysis of the play. (3 points)
These perspectives may include:

A comparison to another text with a similar theme

Generalized, common-knowledge that further exemplifies the thesis
(e.g., the American justice system, the teaching profession, the Catholic
churchs stance on homosexuality).
A specific topic/approach for analyzing literature (e.g., examining
internal and external character traits to understand a character).