Note that student work varies significantly from one assignment to the next, even within the
same mark range. The intent behind providing samples such as this one is to guide
students in recognizing key criteria of assignments and in assessing their own work.
SAMPLE QUOTATION ANALYSIS – SATISFACTORY
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Strengths:
• A clear effort to explain the quotation is evident (thinking).
• Quotation analysis structure is evident throughout (application).
• The sentence structure is sound throughout the analysis (communication).
Tips for Improvement:
• Explain context for the quotation in the first paragraph. You do not need to
mention your points here (knowledge).
• Avoid phrasing such as "this quotation shows" or "this quotation reveals".
Who is showing Macbeth's character in this speech? (thinking)
• Develop details for points of significance accurately. Is Macbeth a good man
simply for complimenting a future victim? (thinking)
• Analyze specific excerpts from the quotation. Integrate segments into your
sentences. When you are quoting, be sure to surround excerpts with quotation
marks (thinking).
• Make more connections between the quotation and ideas in the analysis. Your
foreshadowing discussion is not about a specific murder, so the topic sentence
is somewhat misleading. Keep the focus on Macbeth's awareness of potential
problems (thinking).
• Avoid first person. Rework the foreshadowing point (communication).
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Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels trumpet-tongued, against
The deep damnation of his taking-off;
And pity, like a naked new-born babe,
Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsed
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,
That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself,
And falls on the other. (1.7.16-27)
This quotation happens in Act 1, Scene 7 of the play, Macbeth. In this quotation,
there is significance because it reveals character and foreshadows. It reveals the character
of Macbeth. Macbeth is proven to be a good man and an ambitious man. This quotation
also reveals foreshadowing of murder.
This quotation shows that Macbeth is a good man because he is discussing the
character of Duncan and saying good things about him. He says that Duncan is meek and
that he is a clear king. If you are meek, it means that you are gentle, and if you are clear,
then you are easy to understand. He says that Duncan has borne his faculties so meek,
and has been clear in his office and that Duncan has been a virtuous man. He has been so
virtuous that angels will plead for him and cherubim will tell everyone about Duncan’s
murder. Macbeth clearly demonstrates that he can see Duncan’s good qualities in this
quotation. Macbeth is saying good things about the king, which proves that he is a good
man because he can say good things about the man he wants to kill.
This quotation reveals that Macbeth is ambitious. He reveals that he is ambitious
by what he says in the quotation about why he wants to kill the king. He says that he has
only vaulting ambition to kill the king. Since he doesn’t have any other reason to kill the
king, this proves that he is ambitious.
This quotation is also significant because it foreshadows murder. Macbeth is like a
horse rider, but he only has ambition to use as spurs. This ambition will make him jump
too high and fall, which is like dying. When we fall, we really hurt ourselves, especially
when we are riding a horse, so this foreshadows that Macbeth is really going to be hurt by
his ambition. This clearly shows that Macbeth is going to die since all the great heroes
who fall in Shakespeare also die.
Work Cited
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1999. Print.