Macbeth Final Essay
To celebrate the end of Macbeth, you will be writing an essay. Below are the prompts for
your final (and longest) essay on Macbeth. Please take a moment and consider which
one you would like to choose. Your rough draft may be presented in whichever form you
wish, but your final draft must be typed with adherence to MLA guidelines.
Additionally, make sure you include textual evidence (quotes) in all of your body
paragraphs. Also, take note of the due dates.
Rough draft due: Thursday, October 3
Final draft due: Monday, October 7
Prompt #1: Who is to blame for Macbeth’s downfall? Macbeth himself? Lady
Macbeth? The witches? Consider each possibility and explain the level of culpability in
each. Also, why is it so important for Macbeth to be defeated? To answer this question,
you must explore the historical significance of the play.
Prompt #2: Discuss the role of the supernatural beings in the play…this includes not
only the witches, but also Banquo’s ghost and the evil spirits Lady Macbeth prays to.
What is their purpose in the play? How does Shakespeare use them to reinforce an
adherence to Christian theology?
Prompt #3: Discuss the role of gender in the play. How does the play define both
masculinity and femininity? Which characters defy the traditional gender roles and
which adhere to them strictly? Also, what happens to those who do not observe
traditional gender roles? Are they rewarded or punished?
***P.S. I NEED NOT REMIND YOU THAT VERY
BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO PLAGIARISTS!!!***