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In an argument, you attempt to convince the reader through a series of persuasive arguments to agree with your claim.

Read a sample persuasive essay on pp. 367–368 in The Essential Guide to Language, Writing, and Literature.

The first step to writing your paper is to come up with your claim, or thesis. Your thesis is your statement of what you believe. A good thesis tells what you believe, sets boundaries on what you will include in your paper, and establishes an organizational order for your arguments. Read the section Developing a Thesis Statement on pp. 371–372 in The Essential Guide to Language, Writing, and Literature. You will support your thesis with examples from the text of Romeo and Juliet. Your thesis statement could be a response to any one of the following questions:
As punishment for killing Tybalt, Romeo is banished from Verona. Is this punishment fair?
Romeo and Juliet are referred to as “star-cross’d lovers.” What is most responsible for the outcome of the play: destiny or the characters’ actions?
Do their parents have the right to keep Romeo and Juliet apart?

After carefully analyzing the text of Romeo and Juliet, I have come to the conclusion that the parents of Romeo and Juliet do not have the right to keep them apart. Throughout the play, it is evident that the feud between the Montagues and Capulets is the main reason why Romeo and Juliet cannot be together. Their love for each other is genuine and pure, and it is unfair for their parents to try to control their lives based on their family's history. Furthermore, the actions of the parents, particularly Lord Capulet and Lady Capulet, only serve to escalate tensions and ultimately lead to the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Therefore, I argue that the parents should not have the power to separate Romeo and Juliet, as their love should not be dictated by the past grievances of their families.