SHAKESPEARE
MACBETH - WRITING ASSIGNMENT
HOFFMAN DUE __________________
CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING AND RESPOND TO IT IN A SHORT PAPER
OF TWO TO THREE PAGES USING INSTANCES FROM THE PLAY TO SUPPORT
YOUR CLAIM. CITE YOUR REFERENCES! (MACBETH 3.1 28-34) KEEP IT
SHORT AND CONCISE AND TO THE POINT. PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR PAPER
WORD PROCESSED, IN A 12 POINT FONT, AND DOUBLE-SPACED. PAY PROPER
ATTENTION TO SENTENCE STRUCTURE, MECHANICS, AND PARAGRAPHING.
1. HOW DOES THE PLAY PORTRAY EVIL AS A PERVERSION OF
HUMAN NATURE? SHOW HOW MACBETH AND LADY MACBETH
HAVE TO GO AGAINST THEIR OWN NATURES IN ORDER TO KILL
DUNCAN. TRACE THE EFFECT THE BETRAYAL OF HUMAN NATURE
HAS ON EACH OF THEM.
2. WHAT MAKES MACBETH SUSCEPTIBLE TO EVIL? EXPLORE THE
NATURE OF MACBETH’S AMBITION, AND SHOW HOW IT OVERRIDES
HIS SENSE OF RIGHT AND WRONG.
3. HOW IS MACBETH DESTROYED BY EVIL? TRACE THE PATH OF
MACBETH’S DOWNFALL AND SHOW HOW IT HAPPENS AS A
CONSEQUENCE OF HIS MURDERING DUNCAN.
4. TRACE HOW LADY MACBETH IS DESTROYED BY EVIL. SHOW HOW
SHE RENOUNCES ALL HUMAN FEELINGS IN ACT I AND SEEMS TO
BE SUCCESSFUL. AFTER THE MURDER, FOLLOW HER DOWNWARD
COURSE INTO MADNESS AND DEATH.
5. HOW CAN EVIL BE AVOIDED? MACBETH GIVES INTO TEMPTATION.
TAKE SEVERAL CHARACTERS WHO MAINTAIN THEIR INTEGRITY
AND INVESTIGATE WHAT THE PLAY SAYS ABOUT HOW THEY DO IT.
6. HOW DOES SHAKESPEARE ESTABLISH THE ATMOSPHERE OF EVIL
WHICH PERVADES MACBETH? START WITH THE WITCHES, AND
SHOW HOW THEIR PRESENCE REFLECTS ON ALL THE EVENTS OF
THE PLAY. GIVE EXAMPLES OF HOW THE IMAGERY IN THE
LANGUAGE CREATES A FEELING OF EVIL. ALSO EXAMINE THE
SETTING.

7. SUPERNATURAL EVENTS OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE PLAY.
DISCUSS THEIR DRAMATIC FUNCTION. EACH TIME MACBETH
ENCOUNTERS SOMETHING SUPERNATURAL -- THE WITCHES, THE
FLOATING DAGGER, A GHOST -- HE MOVES MORE DEEPLY INTO
EVIL. LIST THE SUPERNATURAL EVENTS AND COMMENT ON HOW
EACH MARKS A STEP IN MACBETH’S DOWNFALL.
8. HOW DO THE WITCHES’ PREDICTIONS INFLUENCE MACBETH’S
ACTIONS? ANALYZE WHAT THEY TELL MACBETH AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE PLAY. HOW DO THEY WIN HIS CONFIDENCE?
WHY DO THOSE PARTICULAR PROPHESIES HAVE SUCH AN EFFECT
ON HIM? DO THE SAME FOR THE SECOND SET OF PREDICTIONS.
9. HOW DOES SHAKESPEARE ESTABLISH THAT MACDUFF IS A GOOD
MAN? SHOW HOW MACDUFF’S CHARACTER IS REVEALED
THROUGH HIS ACTIONS AND REACTIONS. FOCUS ON HOW HE
HANDLES HIMSELF AFTER DUNCAN’S MURDER AND AFTER
HEARING THAT HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN HAVE BEEN KILLED.
10. DOES MACBETH’S CHARACTER DETERMINE HIS FATE? HOW DOES
MACBETH’S NATURE MAKE HIM A PRIME TARGET FOR THE
WITCHES’ TEMPTATIONS? WHY DOES HE CHOOSE TO IGNORE THE
INNER VOICES THAT TELL HIM NOT TO MURDER DUNCAN?
11. HOW DOES THE IMAGERY OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS WORK
THROUGH THE PLAY? LIST INSTANCES OF CHARACTERS CALLING
UPON DARKNESS TO HIDE THEIR EVIL DEEDS. THROUGH LIGHT-
DARK IMAGERY, TRACE THE CONTEST BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL.
12. TRACE THE THEME OF HONOR AND LOYALTY THROUGHOUT THE
PLAY. SHOW HOW “NOBEL MACBETH” BETRAYS THE TRUST
PLACED IN HIM, AND WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE. DISCUSS
WHY REFERENCES TO LOYALTY AND HONOR DISAPPEAR IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE PLAY AND COME BACK AT THE END.
13. FATE AND DESTINY: WHAT IS MAN’S PROPER RELATION TO
THEM? EXPLORE WHAT THE PLAY IS SAYING ABOUT THIS
QUESTION BY DIVIDING THE CHARACTERS INTO TWO GROUPS --
THOSE WHO TRUST THEIR FATE TO A HIGHER POWER, AND
THOSE WHO TAKE DESTINY INTO THEIR OWN HANDS. WHICH
GROUP FARES BETTER?