Priscilla Lindberg
Hum 9
21 May 2012
Quote Analysis
Is Not Just Saying What They Said!
What is analysis?
a·nal·y·sis
[uh-nal-uh-sis]
noun, plural a·nal·y·ses
[-seez]
1.
the separating of any material or abstract entity into its
constituent elements (as opposed to synthesis).
2.
this process as a method of studying the nature ofsomething or of determini
ng its essential features andtheir relations: the grammatical analysis of a senten
ce.
3.
a presentation, usually in writing, of the results of this
process: The paper published an analysis of the political situation.
4.
a philosophical method of exhibiting complex concepts orpropositions as
compounds or functions of more basic ones.
Ok. Now what is expected of YOU in a quote analysis?
Analysis considers the implications of a piece of text. It reveals something about the character or
his/her relationship to others or to self, and perhaps even the themes of the overall work. It requires
you to interpret the passage, not paraphrase it.
Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself about a quote. Your response to them will
most likely yield you an analysis:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
What does this quote tell us about this character’s traits?
Is this behavior consistent with what we’ve seen so far? Or is this a change?
If the character is changing, what factors or variables are bringing on these changes?
How does this quote advance the plot?
What is significant about any certain choice of words, or ways the characters emphasize
them?
Example:
“Out , damned spot, out, I say!” – Act 5: 1 Line 37
Weak Analysis:
“Lady Macbeth is hallucinating while she sleepwalks and is imagining there are spots of blood on
her hands that she cannot wash out. She is feeling guilty about all the deaths.”
Strong Analysis:
“Lady Macbeth is hallucinating while she sleepwalks and is imagining there are spots of blood on
her hands that she cannot wash out. Her hallucinations are the result of a deep and welling guilt
which has unraveled her and is symbolized by her manic desire to literally “wash her hands” of
her crimes. She is no longer the fierce creature of Act 1 who begged to be unsexed in order to
commit foul play, but is now a victim of her own ambitions for power and supremacy.”
**Note that both quotes contain a brief paraphrase, which is fine, as long as you use that
paraphrasing in service to your analysis, which must be aiming to interpret the quote for its
significance.
Your Turn. Use your text to help you understand the greater context:
Act 3 Scene 2 Lines 25-29
“Duncan is in his grave.
After life’s fitful fever he sleeps well.
Treason has done his worst; nor steel nor poison,
Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing
Can touch him further.”
Analysis: