Macbeth
Part I
Final Quiz
- “Tomorrow and Tomorrow” speech
Name:_____________________________
Please complete the lines:
Tomorrow_________________________________________________________________________
Creeps ____________________________________________________________________________
To ________________________________________________________________________________
And _______________________________________________________________________________
The________________________________________________________________________________
Life’s _______________________________________________________________________________
That ________________________________________________________________________________
And ________________________________________________________________________________
Told________________________________________________________________________________
Signifying ___________________________________________________________________________
Please paraphrase and explain what Macbeth is saying in this speech here, making sure to quote *the
speech at least twice in your explanation.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
* Think about says/means/matters here – “When Macbeth says “…” he means “…,” which shows (or
suggests, implies, reveals, demonstrates, etc.”
PART II – Short Answer Questions
Can’t show those to you now!!!!!
Macbeth Mini –Essay
Please respond to 1 of the following prompts in a brief (500-650 word) essay.
1. If a Tragic Hero is “ a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for
downfall, suffering, or defeat in pursuit of his or her dreams as a result of a character flaw or
error in judgment and who learns something about him/herself or about life as a result of his or
her downfall,” does Macbeth seem to fit this definition? If so, please explain how and why he
satisfies this definition; if not, please point to the specific ways in which he fails to meet it.
2. “While it’s easy to see Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as villains in the play, it’s important to
remember that they are victims as well, that while they do terrible things, terrible things –
things that they neither ask for nor deserve – are done to them as well.” Does this seem an
accurate assessment of the Macbeths? As always, what’s most important here is the
thinking/reading that supports your answer, so please point to specific moments in the play in
explaining of your thinking.
3. “Although the play is called Macbeth, his wife, Lady Macbeth, is actually the more interesting,
important and believable character. If we as readers and audience of Macbeth are meant to
learn anything about human nature through the play, the lessons will most likely come through
paying careful attention to the words and actions of Lady Macbeth.” Does this seem an accurate
assessment of Lady Macbeth? As always, what’s most important here is the thinking/reading
that supports your answer, so please point to specific moments in the play in explaining of your
thinking.
4. We’ve spent a lot of time discussing the binary of Appearance vs. Reality in Macbeth. This
question asks you to discuss and explain what Macbeth seems to be saying ABOUT the tension
between the way things seem and the way things are. Be sure to point to and discuss specific
moments and or quotations that illustrate how you’ve arrived at your thinking on this issue.
5. We’ve spent a lot of time discussing the presence of equivocation in Macbeth. This question
asks you to discuss and explain what Macbeth seems to be saying ABOUT the dangers involved
in dealing with half-truths and partial understandings. Be sure to point to and discuss specific
moments and or quotations that illustrate how you’ve arrived at your thinking on this issue.
6. We’ve spent a lot of time discussing the binary between action and consequence in Macbeth.
This question asks you to discuss and explain what Macbeth seems to be saying ABOUT the
tension between our actions and the results of our actions. Be sure to point to and discuss
specific moments and or quotations that illustrate how you’ve arrived at your thinking on this
issue.
See Next Page for Hints and Directions
REMEMBER: Your answer is less important to your audience than how you have arrived at it. With this
in mind, you must explain the thinking behind your answer by including and discussing at least TWO
SPECIFIC MOMENTS OR QUOTATIONS from the play that illustrate or support your answer/claim.
These examples will serve as the majority of your supporting information and the heart of your essay, so
choose them wisely and discuss and explain them fully. This means:




Set them up with CONTEXT – page #’s are not helpful; give us the situation in the play in
which the moments occur or lines appear so that we can
INCLUDE all the important words in the Quote so that we can see what’s been said
EXPLAIN what these words mean – paraphrase them for us so that we can understand
how YOU understand them
CONNECT these words and the ideas they express to the point you’re trying to make in
the paper. DON’T ASSUME we’ll see how these words support your answer; you need
to be clear and specific in pointing out how and why these words have shaped your
thinking on the question your paper is addressing.
In short, after you’ve provided CONTEXT for your quotes/examples, remember to follow the
SAYS / MEANS / MATTERS model to get to allow your reader to follow your thinking:
ex. When Lady Macbeth says “Come, you spirits/That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here”
(I, v, 47-48), she means that she wants whatever dark powers exist in the world to make her less
“womanly,” less compassionate, more bloodthirsty and cruel. This is interesting (important,
meaningful, surprising, disturbing; which matters) because it shows how committed she is to
killing Duncan, and that she believes it is not natural for a woman to feel or act this way.
In this sentence, I include then paraphrase and interpret the quote for my reader. In the next
sentence or two, I’d remind the reader how all this ties into/serves/supports the idea I’m
trying to advance about Lady Macbeth.
This paper must be typed and is due on Friday, March 27th.
While I would prefer and recommend that you turn in a hard copy of your paper by the end of the day
on Friday, the paper may be submitted through Google Classroom if you wish, but be warned:
I will be very skeptical of “technical difficulties” as an excuse or explanation for late papers.
Please see me early and often with questions.