Macbeth Essay Assignment
Task: You will be required to write a five paragraph essay in order to demonstrate
your understanding and critical analysis of the play Macbeth.
Length: 3-4 pages
Questions: Choose one of the following questions from which to form your essay
1. The supernatural plays an important role in Macbeth. To what extent does it
motivate Macbeth's actions?
2. Is Macbeth a moral play? Do we learn any lessons from it? Is justice served
at the end of the play?
3. Discuss Macbeth's visions and hallucinations. What role do they play in the
development of his character?
4. Discuss the role that bloody plays in Macbeth, particularly following
Duncan's death and late in the play. What does it symbolize for Macbeth and
his wife?
5. Is Lady Macbeth more responsible than Macbeth for the murder of King
Duncan? Is Lady Macbeth a more evil character than her husband and, if so,
why?
6. Examine Macbeth's mental deterioration throughout the play.
7. Discuss the speech Macbeth gives upon hearing that his wife is dead in Act
V, Scene V. How do his words capture one of the major themes in the drama?