Requirements Checklist: ___Thesis (Character and opinion clearly stated) ___Textual Evidence in each body paragraph ___MLA format (including proper heading and title) Introduction Persuasive Essay Building Blocks 1. Start with an attention-grabber such as a question, statistic, quote, or humorous or emotional story that captures you reader’s attention and compels him or her to continue reading. 
 2. State your thesis sentence. This is a sentence that summarized the main reason for your opinion. This sentence can be place anywhere in the introduction. It is often the last sentence of this paragraph. 
 Body 1. Write one paragraph for each of your main ideas. If you have three main ideas, include three paragraphs in the body of your essay. 
 2. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence that supports the thesis and states the main idea of that paragraph. 
 3. The remaining sentences in the paragraph should include facts and examples that support your opinion. Your opinion is a personal judgment or belief that cannot be proven right or wring. However, you can support you opinion with facts. Your purpose is to provide readers with information that will convince them that your opinion makes sense. 
 Conclusion 1. The conclusion is the final paragraph of a persuasive essay. Restate the thesis and emphasize the most important points. Urge readers to share you opinion and take action to support it. Topic: Does power corrupt? It has been stated that, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority; still more when you add the tendency of the certainty of corruption by authority.” * Based on what you have learned from Macbeth, does power corrupt? 1. First step, develop your opinion! (When a character is given power or the opportunity for power, does it corrupt their moral code?Always? Sometimes? Never?) 2. Second step, choose one or more characters from Macbeth and discuss whether power always corrupts, sometimes corrupts, or never corrupts. Provide cited lines and evidence from the play to support your position. 3. Third step, use the outline below to help you form the structure and ideas of your paper before starting your rough draft Characters to Consider: Macbeth Lady Macbeth Banquo Macduff Fleance The Witches Outline: Thesis statement: A thesis statement tells the main points of what you will write about. It is typically the last sentence in the introduction. Example Thesis Statement Introduction Paragraph * Hook * Background info * Thesis Body Paragraph 1 Main Idea 1 – * Topic Sentence: * Supporting Details: Body Paragraph 2 Main Idea 2 – * Topic Sentence: * Supporting Details: Body Paragraph 3 Main Idea 3 – * Topic Sentence: * Supporting Details: Conclusion Paragraph * Restate thesis * Summarize main points