Allusion Paragraph

Shakespeare
Allusion/Metaphor
Research Paragraphs
Pick one dominant Allusion, and one dominant
Metaphor from the story, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream
Your task is to write two paragraphs, using the

assigned paragraph format, to briefly explain why
Shakespeare has used this allusion/metaphor and
analyze the intention.
Identify and prepare
for the following;
 what does the allusion/metaphor mean?

 how does it relate to the context of the play?
 how does it enhance your understanding of
character/event/theme?
 You will need to quote from the primary source and
find some secondary sources to help your analysis, and
cite your sources, accordingly, using MLA format.
 This paragraph is a model of what is expected for your
assessment on allusions. Also, please notice how this paragraph
incorporates secondary source information to make a literary
argument about the primary source. This is the same type of
analysis that you will have to do for your essay. So, practice!
This is in MLA format, so pay close

attention to the parameters.
Name (your own name, preferably)
ENG 2DE
Mr. DeBeck
MLA Formatting
12 October 2022
Rotten in Denmark
At the start of the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Horatio,
after his first sighting of the ghost of King Hamlet, remarks, “In the
most high and palmy state of Rome, / A little ere the mightiest Julius
At the start of the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare,
Horatio, after his first sighting of the ghost of King Hamlet,
remarks, “In the most high and palmy state of Rome, / A little ere
the mightiest Julius fell, / The graves stood tenantless, and the
sheeted dead / Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets”
(I.I.113-116). Notice the modern MLA method of citing lines

from Shakespeare. Please use this.
Act 1. Scene 1. lines 113 – 116
This is how Shakespeare is cited in passage
At the start of the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare,
Horatio, after his first sighting of the ghost of King Hamlet,
remarks, “In the most high and palmy state of Rome, / A little ere
the mightiest Julius fell, / The graves stood tenantless, and the
sheeted dead / Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets”
(I.I.113-116). In this passage, Horatio is alluding to Julius Caesar,
a Roman emperor who died in AD 44 (Delahuntey

Paraphrased etofal.quotation
instead 40). – still needs citing

In this passage, Horatio is alluding to Julius Caesar, a Roman
emperor who died in AD 44 (Delahuntey et al. 40). Caesar was
assassinated, and “he was stabbed by his friend Brutus” (Ibid.)

This is the citation used if there is

three or more authors for the
supporting material.
In this passage, Horatio is alluding to Julius Caesar, a Roman
emperor who died in AD 44 (Delahuntey et al. 40). Caesar was
assassinated, and “he was stabbed by his friend Brutus” (Ibid.)

This means that the citation information

is the same as the last. Notice the direct
quotation here. Use both types for
variety and style.
.
Caesar was assassinated, and “he was stabbed by his friend Brutus”
(Ibid.) The names of Caesar and Brutus have since been commonly
used to allude to conspiracies of murder, and assassinations. Thus,
when Horatio mentions the unusual phenomena in Rome around
Caesar’s death, he makes it clear that the same sorts of things are
Notice how the secondary source
happening currently in Denmark. information is being used to inform our
understanding of the play
.
Thus, when Horatio mentions the unusual phenomena in Rome
around Caesar’s death, he makes it clear that the same sorts of
things are happening currently in Denmark. Through this allusion,
audiences can see a relationship between Julius Caesar and King
Hamlet, and audiences begin to suspect, right at the start of the
play, that King Hamlet has been murdered.

Extend, with the info. gained from the allusion, what do you
think Shakespeare’s purpose or message was?
Works Cited
Delahuntey, Andrew et al., eds. Oxford Dictionary of Allusions. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1991.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Marilyn Eisenstat. Toronto: Harcourt Canada, 1998
Please include a Works Cited,

formatted properly.

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Shakespeare

Your task is to write two paragraphs, using the

 what does the allusion/metaphor mean?

This is in MLA format, so pay close

At the start of the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Horatio,

Horatio, after his first sighting of the ghost of King Hamlet,

sheeted dead / Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets”

(I.I.113-116). Notice the modern MLA method of citing lines

Horatio, after his first sighting of the ghost of King Hamlet,

sheeted dead / Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets”

(I.I.113-116). In this passage, Horatio is alluding to Julius Caesar,

a Roman emperor who died in AD 44 (Delahuntey

emperor who died in AD 44 (Delahuntey et al. 40). Caesar was

assassinated, and “he was stabbed by his friend Brutus” (Ibid.)

This is the citation used if there is

emperor who died in AD 44 (Delahuntey et al. 40). Caesar was

assassinated, and “he was stabbed by his friend Brutus” (Ibid.)

This means that the citation information

used to allude to conspiracies of murder, and assassinations. Thus,

when Horatio mentions the unusual phenomena in Rome around

Thus, when Horatio mentions the unusual phenomena in Rome

around Caesar’s death, he makes it clear that the same sorts of

things are happening currently in Denmark. Through this allusion,

audiences can see a relationship between Julius Caesar and King

Hamlet, and audiences begin to suspect, right at the start of the

play, that King Hamlet has been murdered.

Please include a Works Cited,

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