Portfolio Reflections: Macbeth
I. Act I, scenes 2-3:
Even though Macbeth is a high ranking Thane in Scotland, he is first and foremost a
man, and like all humans, has his strengths and weaknesses. In the first three
scenes, Shakespeare paints a complex picture of a man blind to his own faults and
unable to see beyond his desires. With this in mind, think about the following
statements and write a one-paragraph reflection on each topic below.
A. Philosophical reflection:
List three character traits exhibited by Macbeth in the first three scenes and discuss
how they help and/or hinder him as a human being and explain why utilizing
examples.
B Literary reflection: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”:
1. In your own words, explain what this paradox means to you. Think of a situation
in the modern world (personal or global) that fits this paradoxical description and
explain why.
II. Act I, scenes 5-7
Unlike Macbeth, the character of Lady Macbeth is illuminated in a much more
straightforward fashion. Look back over LMB’s dialogue when reading the both
letter and the ensuing conversation she has with her husband and write a reflection
addressing the following statements/questions.
A. Philosophical reflection:
How do LMB’s character traits/flaws differ from those of Macbeth? What does they
tell the audience about her marriage to Macbeth?
B. Literary reflection: there are two examples of bird symbolism in this section:
the raven and the martlet. Explain Shakespeare’s association of the raven to LMB
and the martlet to Banquo and Duncan.
III. Act II, scenes 1-2
In these two opening scenes, Shakespeare depicts Duncan’s brutal murder and the
ensuing chaos it creates for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. In addition, the audience is
fully introduced to the sleep motif, which is an important element of the play.
Considering the following questions/statements and write your reflections.
A. Philosophical reflection:
Think about all the elements of sleep that Shakespeare includes in these scenes and
explain the significance of this motif as it relates to Duncan and Macbeth.
B. Literary reflection: “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/Clean
from my hand? No, this my hand will rather/The multitudinous seas
incarnadine, / Making the green one red.
Explain the above quote in your own words and explain the blood symbolism as it
relates to Macbeth.
IV. Act II, scenes 1-4:
These scenes focus on the gruesome discovery of Duncan’s body and the pretense of
innocence that Macbeth and LMB must maintain in front of the King’s men. Think
about how difficult this must be for the pair after killing their King and disrupting
The Great Chain of Being and reflect on the following topics.
A. Philosophical reflection:
At one point in their life, every human being puts on a façade in order to hide their
true feelings and/or nature, whether it is for good or bad intentions. In today’s
world of social media, do you feel like you truly know your friends? Does everyone
on Facebook and Twitter work at maintaining a “mask” they present to the world
like Macbeth?
B. Literary reflection: “Had I but died an hour before this chance, / I had lived
a blessed time, for from this instant/There’s nothing serious in mortality. /All
is but toys. Renown and grace is dead. / The wine of life is drawn, and the
mere lees/ Is left this vault to brag of.”
There is a duality to the above referenced speech made by Macbeth in this scene.
Explain the irony intended by Shakespeare in these lines.
V. Act III, scenes 1-3:
In these scenes, we learn that Duncan’s murder does not bring Macbeth and LMB the
satisfaction they hoped for now that Macbeth is king. Both characters make this
quite clear through their dialogue. Consider this and reflect upon the following
topics.
A. Philosophical reflection:
Think about a time in your life (either past or present) when you achieved an
important goal that required great sacrifices on your part. Did it bring the
satisfaction and happiness you dreamed about, or did you find yourself still
unfulfilled like Macbeth? Explain.
B. Literary reflection:
As demonstrated by Macbeth’s dark intentions for Banquo, there is a shift of power
between the two main characters. Analyze this change in relation to the marriage of
the King and Queen and explain how/why the change occurs.
VI. Act III, scenes 4-5:
Throughout this part of the play, Macbeth continues his journey to the “dark side”
and loses the moral compass he evidenced earlier in the play. Consider the morals
and values he loses and write a reflection on the following topics.
A. Philosophical reflection:
In your opinion, can a morally upright person become evil after committing one evil
act? After you decide, give an example of how this idea is either proven or disproven
in the world today.
B. Literary reflection:
The appearance of Banquo’s ghost at the feast is extremely important in that
Macbeth is the only one that actually sees it. Obviously, it is a manifestation of his
psyche and symbolizes many things. Explain one aspect of the ghost’s symbolic
meaning as it relates to Macbeth’s state of mind at this point in the play.
VII. Act IV, scenes 1-2:
Because of his deep-rooted insecurities about his crown, Macbeth revisits the
witches hoping for confirmation of his past decisions. Shakespeare lets the audience
know early in the play that the “weird sisters” are not to be trusted. Here, the motif
of appearance versus reality becomes highly significant in relation to Shakespeare’s
thematic development. With this in mind, reflect upon the following topics.
A. Philosophical reflection:
What role does appearance versus reality play in the world of global politics and
politicians in the world today? Write you reflection based upon a modern example.
B. Literary reflection:
Analyze the three apparitions and one vision that the witches conjure for Macbeth
and explain their importance in relation to Macbeth’s insecurities. You may simply
list each one and then write your analysis.
VIII. Act IV, scene 3:
In this very important scene, Macduff travels to England seeking military support
from Malcolm in order to overthrow Macbeth and restore the crown to the rightful
heir of Scotland. However, Malcolm has no reason to trust Macduff’s intentions and
does not know whether they are upright and sincere or a treasonous trick. Because
of his misgivings, Malcolm finds an ingenious method to test Macduff’s loyalty. Your
reflection for this scene will be to summarize their conversation in your own words.
As long as you capture the essence and meaning of the dialogue, you may be as
creative as you would like with your words. Begin and end your summarization at
the following lines:
Begin when Malcolm says: “What I believe, I’ll wail;”.
End where Macduff states: “Such welcome and unwelcome things at once/tis
hard to reconcile. Right after this statement, the stage directions say: “Enter a
doctor”.
IX. Act V-final reflections:
In the last act of the play, Shakespeare takes the audience back and forth between
the happenings in Macbeth’s castle and the military maneuverings of Malcolm,
Macduff, and the English/Scottish forces up to Macbeth’s final moments. This final
reflection will encompass your thoughts on the entire play and needs to be a
minimum of two analytical paragraphs with supporting evidence. You may choose
one of the topics listed below. However, you MUST connect your topic/reflection to
a theme evidenced in the play and explain how it is applicable to your life and/or
modern society. DO NOT WRITE YOUR THEME IN THE FORM OF A CLICHÉ!!!
When discussing themes, we avoid clichés “like the plague” (notice, I used a
cliché here, which is what your are NOT to do!
Philosophical reflection topics for Act V:
A. Shakespeare takes great care to end his tragedies with a “restoration of order”. In
other words, the realignment of The Great Chain of Being. Explain why this
restoration of order is thematically important in Macbeth and discuss whether or
not we see true justice in our world.
B. Think about the nature of evil as you perceive it based upon your personal
convictions (religious or otherwise). Do you believe that people are born “evil”, or
does everyone have the potential to commit acts of evil and become blind to their
moral convictions given the right circumstances? Connect your ideas to both a
major theme in the play and explain how it is applicable to modern society.
C. Although a powerful man, and later a king, Shakespeare makes it abundantly clear
that Macbeth is above all, a human being with a complexity of faults and weaknesses
like all of us. Discuss the tragic flaws that bring about Macbeth’s downfall and how
these are demonstrated by people in powerful positions today. Make sure you
connect your analysis to a universal theme.