MACBETH essay assignment - Due on Finals Day when you come to class.
Directions: Choose one of the following essay questions and answer it as completely and thoroughly as possible in a minimum of five paragraphs. Remember to set up your essay with an introduction that contains a focusing idea (thesis statement) that clearly addresses the prompt you are responding to. Include at least three specific examples, points, or arguments that you explain in detail and support with evidence in the body paragraphs of your essay. You will want to finish with a strong conclusion that sums up and reinforces your essay’s main points.
1. Who is the hero in the play Macbeth? What traits of that character make them the hero? Is this character a hero throughout the entire play, or does he/she stay a hero throughout the entire story? Demonstrate your standpoint by describing at least three of the characteristics this hero represents throughout the play.
2. In the play Macbeth, the protagonist, Macbeth, faces several influential factors, with the most influential factors being: the three witches, Lady Macbeth, and the apparitions. Examine how these forces, along with Macbeth's greed and ambition, prompt his terrible actions throughout the story.
3. What is the image of each gender in the the play? What questions does the play raise about being a man or being a woman? What is the main difference between the two genders? Lady Macbeth, Banquo, and Macbeth make references to men and women which suggests certain traits for masculinity and femininity. Explain your conclusions about how gender is understood in the play.
4. Compare and contrast Macbeth and Lady Macbeth - Show how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are similar in character and what sets them apart. This can be somewhat tricky at first, but look at how each reacts to the thought of killing before the butchery starts and after the body count begins to rise. Both characters begin to take on the characteristics of the other, so a comparison can be made between the characters before and after.
5. In the play Macbeth, is it simply fate that Macbeth becomes king, or did he manipulate his reality to get the crown? Was his journey to his ultimate death a path created solely upon his actions? Would Macbeth have become king if he hadn’t murdered and deceived all of the people he did? Was the story of Macbeth a self-fulfilling prophesy, or simply a surprising series of events that led Macbeth to the crown?
Regardless of your essay prompt choice, you’ll want to be sure to structure your essay with an introduction that identifies the prompt you’re responding to. You should then provide at least three specific examples, from the text, that illustrate and back-up any assertions, points, arguments, or observations you make. You’ll then want to wrap it up with a concluding paragraph that ties everything together and leaves the reader with something interesting to think about.