Macbeth - Essay Questions


NOTE: This is a significant assignment. Make sure you give it the attention it deserves. Before we get to the topics, a reminder of a few ground rules:

  • YOU MUST SHOW YOUR WORK. You need to get your ESSAY ORGANIZER signed before you start working. You also need to show your work in Google Docs. I should be able to track your progress through version history.
  • Length: 750 words, give or take 10% . These parameters are firm. Put a word count (and the means by which you derived the count) on your essay, at the end of the essay. Use proper notation and a Works Cited. **Quoted material does NOT count in a word count** Students will lose marks for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors, so edit your work carefully. It would probably be a good idea to have it peer edited.

 

  • Due date: _________________Be warned, however, that other teachers will be expecting work from you in the meantime. I will too, since we are moving on to new topics of discussion in class. Do not wait until the last minute to do this assignment.
  • As with any essay your job will be to decide on one topic (don’t do a mix of topics), choose an angle, and write a convincing argument. In order to create a convincing argument, you MUST quote material to support your opinions. Failure to do so will result in a weak argument, and a low score.
  • Essays should be 1.5 spaced, follow formal essay formatting as discussed in class, and submitted in the Google Classroom.

Topics:
Choose ONE of the following:  Strikerthrough = these topics are not available to you.

1. Is Macbeth a tragic hero according to the classical definition of the term or is he merely a monster? Does Shakespeare succeed in creating sympathy for Macbeth?

2. The theme of “Fair is foul, foul is fair” permeates throughout the play.  Explain what it means, providing examples from the play to support your answer.

3. Lady Macbeth – discuss her influence and the ebb and flow of power in Macbeth.

4. Are the weird sisters instigators of Macbeth's actions, or do they merely report what's destined to be?

 

 

5. *Choose two of the minor characters in Macbeth and examine how they contribute to the play's action.

6. *Examine Macbeth's mental deterioration throughout the play.

7.*Macbeth is about various kinds of killing (among other things). Does the play distinguish between honorable and dishonorable violence? Can this very bloody play be seen as a plea for peace and human harmony?

8.*The mark of any great storyteller is the ability to manipulate an audience at any given time in the story, carefully influencing emotions, reactions, and opinions toward characters and events. Explain how William Shakespeare carefully manipulates the audience to experience different feelings toward Macbeth, from admiration and hope, to anger and resignation, throughout the play.

 

 

Some notes on formal essay formatting here (PDF)

Here is the scoring rubric for this assignment. (PDF)

Here is a graphic organizer for your essay.

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