SCHS English Year 10

Macbeth Assignment - Standard

Narrative Structure and Plot

Create a timeline that plots the main events of the play in detail. Include the elements of Shakespearean Tragedy as described below:

The genre of tragedy Macbeth belongs to the set of plays known as tragedies – first developed by ancient Greek dramatists such as Euripides and Sophocles. This genre has the following important features:

·  the main character (or protagonist) is a hero who is initially celebrated and admired; usually a member of the nobility

·  the tragic hero possesses a ‘fatal flaw’ leading to a terrible error of judgment (the Greek term is hamartia) – Macbeth’s is usually said to be his ambition

·  as a result of this error, society falls into conflict and disarray, eventually leading to the hero’s downfall

·  finally the society is ‘purged’ of its corrupt elements, leading to a release of tension (catharsis) and a new beginning.

Character Analysis

Use the prompts below to write character profiles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. (minimum 1 paragraph each)

Macbeth

·  Describe Macbeth's character. Is he completely a villain? Does he have a conscience? What are his admirable qualities? What do the wounded captain's comments reveal about Macbeth's character? What is his tragic flaw? Is Macbeth aware of his flaw?

·  A tragic hero should provoke our sympathy. Do you sympathize with Macbeth? Why or why not? Does his downfall evoke pity and terror? Does he fit Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero?

·  What are the forces that determine Macbeth's destiny? To what degree are the witches responsible for Macbeth's downfall? What roles do fate and free will play in Macbeth's destruction?

Lady Macbeth

·  The character of Lady Macbeth has caused much critical disagreement. Some critics say she is all evil, the constant temptress of Macbeth; others contend that Shakespeare gives her many human qualities. What conclusions have you drawn about Lady Macbeth? Is she merely a symbol of evil? Or is Shakespeare careful to show her strengths as well as weaknesses?

·  Alternatively, is Lady Macbeth also a tragic hero? Why or why not? Provide evidence

·  Lady Macbeth is the focus of much of the exploration of gender roles in the play. How does Shakespeare use the play to comment on gender roles?

Imagery and Motifs

Disruption of the Natural Order

Macbeth is set in a society in which the notion of honor to one's word and loyalty to one's superiors is absolute. At the top of this hierarchy is the king, God's representative on Earth. Other relationships also depend on loyalty: comradeship in warfare, hospitality of host towards guest, and the loyalty between husband and wife. In this play, all these basic societal relationships are perverted or broken. Lady Macbeth's domination over her husband, Macbeth's treacherous act of regicide, and his destruction of comradely and family bonds, all go against the natural order of things.

Violent disruptions in nature — tempests, earthquakes, darkness at noon, and so on — parallel the unnatural and disruptive death of the monarch Duncan.

The medieval and renaissance view of the world saw a relationship between order on earth, the so-called microcosm, and order on the larger scale of the universe, or macrocosm. Thus, when Lennox and the Old Man talk of the terrifying alteration in the natural order of the universe (nature), these are all reflections of the breakage of the natural order that Macbeth has brought about in his own microcosmic world (society).

Many critics see the parallel between Duncan's death and disorder in nature as an affirmation of the divine right theory of kingship. As we witness in the play, Macbeth's murder of Duncan and his continued tyranny extends the disorder of the entire country.

Discuss how Shakespeare uses imagery (such as darkness, light, death, animals, blood, disease, violence, sleep etc.) to demonstrate this disruption of the natural order/nature. Provide at least five examples/quotations. (Minimum 1 paragraph)

Interpretation

1. Complete the following table describing how these characters contribute to the tragic fate of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth / Macbeth / The Witches

2. Construct an argument based on the following prompt questions. (minimum 1 paragraph).

What are the forces that determine Macbeth's destiny? To what degree are the witches responsible for Macbeth's downfall? What roles do fate and free will play in Macbeth's destruction? How much should be assigned to Macbeth's ambition and Lady Macbeth's manipulation?

Practice Essay

Choose one of the following practice essay topics:

“Macbeth is basically a man of conscience but with a fatal weakness: ambition.” Discuss.

OR

“After the murder of Duncan, neither Macbeth nor Lady Macbeth evokes pity or even sympathy for the duration of the play.” Do you agree?

Essay Structure Checklist

Introduction
Contention
* State your position on the topic. You may 100% agree, 100% disagree, or create a middle-ground position by saying “…to some extent”, “…in certain situations”,”…some of the time” etc. Remember, if you choose a middle-ground position, to specify when, under which circumstances &c.
* Refine your focus. Choose a particular aspect of the topic – one key theme or aspect of the issue – on which to concentrate.
Summary of Main Points
* Briefly summarise the three main points you will make to support your contention.
* These must be based on ideas. Do not list a series of techniques, characters or events. Instead, use these things as evidence.
* Ask yourself: what are three key ideas expressed in the novel/play/film about the topic you have chosen? / Have I…………?
Chosen to agree, disagree or have a middle ground position on the statement [ ]
Refined my contention so that I am concentrating on a specific aspect of the topic
[ ]
Clearly stated my position [ ]
Summarised my three main points [ ]
Checked that all the points directly relate to my contention (position on the topic) [ ]
Paragraph 1
Topic Sentence
* State 1 key message /idea that the text is saying about the topic.
* Make sure you identify the stance (views and values) of the text. It is not enough to just describe what the text is talking about or to explain the issue.
Example 1
* Give a direct quotation from the text to support your point. You should also discuss film (camera/lighting/sound) and literary (figurative language/style/tone/voice) techniques as evidence, where appropriate.
Explanation 1
* Explain why this quotation demonstrates the point you are making.
* Consider, when you choose and explain your quotations, whose opinion is being expressed. A statement from a sympathetic character might be endorsed by the text, but a statement from an unsympathetic character may be intended as a bad example rather than reflecting the opinion of the author. (It will not always be this simple – some events are ambiguous and characters can be complex in their views and behaviour – but it is something you will need to consider for each quotation you use.)
* Think about how the text is positioning you to respond to the example you are giving. The text will position you to respond positively to some ideas/events/characters and negatively towards others.
Example 2
* Give a direct quotation from the text to support your point.
Explanation 2
* Explain why this quotation demonstrates the point you are making.
Link
* Briefly explain how this point supports or relates to your overall contention. / Have I…………….?
Stated a clear message/idea in my topic sentence [ ]
Made it clear what stance (views and values) the text is taking on the issue [ ]
Avoided focusing on characters, events or techniques in my topic sentence. Do not do this! Choose a key idea instead! [ ]
Included at least two direct quotations/examples of film techniques as evidence to support my point [ ]
Explained both of those quotations/techniques [ ]
Checked to make sure that those quotations/techniques are
relevant to the point I am making [ ]
Considered how the reader is positioned to view the example I am using [ ]
Checked to see if the quotations I have used are literal, figurative or ironic [ ]
If I am using direct speech, checked to see if the lines are spoken by a sympathetic or unsympathetic character [ ]
Explained the link between my point and the contention [ ]
Paragraph 2
Topic Sentence
* State 1 key message /idea that the text is saying about the topic.
* Make sure you identify the stance (views and values) of the text. It is not enough to just describe what the text is talking about or to explain the issue.
Example 1
* Give a direct quotation from the text to support your point.
Explanation 1
* Explain why this quotation demonstrates the point you are making.
Example 2
* Give a direct quotation from the text to support your point.
Explanation 2
* Explain why this quotation demonstrates the point you are making.
Link
* Briefly explain how this point supports or relates to your overall contention. / Have I…………….?
Stated a clear message/idea in my topic sentence [ ]
Made it clear what stance (views and values) the text is taking on the issue [ ]
Included at least two direct quotations/examples of film techniques as evidence to support my point [ ]
Explained both of those quotations/techniques [ ]
Checked to make sure that those quotations/techniques are
relevant to the point I am making [ ]
Considered how the reader is positioned to view the example I am using [ ]
Checked to see if the quotations I have used are literal, figurative or ironic [ ]
If I am using direct speech, checked to see if the lines are spoken by a sympathetic or unsympathetic character [ ]
Explained the link between my point and the contention [ ]
Paragraph 3
Topic Sentence
* State 1 key message /idea that the text is saying about the topic.
* Make sure you identify the stance (views and values) of the text. It is not enough to just describe what the text is talking about or to explain the issue.
Example 1
* Give a direct quotation from the text to support your point.
Explanation 1
* Explain why this quotation demonstrates the point you are making.
Example 2
* Give a direct quotation from the text to support your point.
Explanation 2
* Explain why this quotation demonstrates the point you are making.
Link
* Briefly explain how this point supports or relates to your overall contention. / Have I…………….?
Stated a clear message/idea in my topic sentence [ ]
Made it clear what stance (views and values) the text is taking on the issue [ ]
Included at least two direct quotations/examples of film techniques as evidence to support my point [ ]
Explained both of those quotations/techniques [ ]
Checked to make sure that those quotations/techniques are
relevant to the point I am making [ ]
Considered how the reader is positioned to view the example I am using [ ]
Checked to see if the quotations I have used are literal, figurative or ironic [ ]
If I am using direct speech, checked to see if the lines are spoken by a sympathetic or unsympathetic character [ ]
Explained the link between my point and the contention [ ]
Conclusion
Summary of Main Points
* Provide a brief recap of your main points.
Statement of what overall “big idea” is being expressed about society/human nature/etc.
* Answer the ‘so what’ question – explain what larger, overall point is being made by the text about the world in light of the specific issues you have just discussed. / Have I………. ?
Summarised my key points [ ]
Addressed the ‘big ideas’ of the text [ ]
Additional Content
Context
* Sometimes information about the historical, political, cultural, social, economic and/or religious context of the text will be important for interpreting the ways in which ideas, characters and events are portrayed in a text. Discussion of this needs to be included in your body paragraphs, but make sure you are bringing this information in where it is genuinely relevant to the point you are making.
Alternative Interpretations
* Some scenes, characters, events, statements and/or techniques in the text will be open to more than one interpretation. Some of these interpretations will relate to a particular critical lens such as feminism, Marxism, post-colonialism, psychoanalysis etc.
* Where relevant, make sure that you discuss the multiple interpretations that exist and explain the evidence for them. Do not just mention the alternative interpretation – you have to back it up.
These things do not need to be done in every paragraph, but they do need to be done at some point during your essay. / Have I………. ?
Included information about the context of the film where relevant to the point I am making or the evidence I am using [ ]
Discussed, where relevant, alternative interpretations of scenes, characters, techniques or quotations [ ]