Macbeth Essay prompts
1. Write an essay about the break between truth and reality in the first three acts of
Shakespeare's Macbeth. Be sure to use examples from the text, including quotes and
paraphrased situations.
2. The three witches told Macbeth his fate. Did the events in Macbeth’s life occur
because of the witches’ prophesy or because of the choices he made? Is it a bit of
both? What caused Macbeth to fall? Did Macbeth suffer because of his decisions?
Explain the role of free will versus fate in the play.
3. Shakespeare makes good use of dramatic irony. An example is Macbeth's lack of
awareness of his new title, Thane of Cawdor. Another is Duncan commenting on the
pleasantness of Macbeth's castle while the audience knows the Macbeths have just
planned his murder to take place there that very night (1.6). Compose an
expository essay that discusses the effects of this element on the audience
or the reader.
4. Pick a theme—such as “appearances can be deceiving”, “the corrupting force of
power” or “the effects of the supernatural on human behavior”—and compose an
essay that discusses how Shakespeare uses literary elements such as imagery,
symbol, or diction, to illustrate this theme.
5. Pick a recurring device (motif) in the play, such as the use of the word “hands”,
“blood”, “sleep” or “Hell”, or the use of weather, washing and water, birds, or
animals and compose an essay that examines the reason Shakespeare
employed this motif throughout the play.
6. Macbeth is about various kinds of murder (among other things). Does the play
distinguish between honourable and dishonourable violence? Can this very
bloody play be seen as a plea for peace and human harmony?
7. Discuss the nature of the three supernatural beings who foretell Macbeth’s future.
What might they be, what clues does Shakespeare provide, and what conclusion (if
any) does he allow his audience to come to? Is it possible that the ambiguity was
necessary to his plot and themes? Relate the 3 witches to other supernatural
forces based on mythology.
8. Discuss the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. How does it change
and why? To what extent is their relationship the engine that drives the tragedy?
9. What is the image of manhood that Macbeth presents? What questions does the play
raise about the soldier as hero? What does the play suggest about gender
equality?
10. A tragic hero is a protagonist, usually of noble birth or high-standing, who brings
about his own downfall by a choice brought on by a character flaw. Tragic heroes
have several other common features: they undergo meaningful suffering, learn from
their mistake somehow, and arouse pity or fear in the audience through their
demise. Is Macbeth a tragic hero? Explain why or why not.
*If you have an idea for a topic that is not listed, please okay it with