Macbeth
William Shakespeare
Literary Seminar
What is a literary seminar?
A literary seminar is similar to a literary essay, except that it is formulated through
media presentation and verbal discussion rather than in written word. You will
present a critical analysis of the piece of literature under study. Much like the
literary essay, there is to be a thesis statement, and it must be proven throughout
the literary essay.
General Requirements:
In groups of 4, you will prepare a seminar based on one of the topics below. The
topics will be first come first served. It is essential that you use both the primary
work and the provided secondary source to prove your thesis statement.
Specific Requirements:
 Tasks must be divided evenly…an outline of each person’s duties and a
list of media resources required must be submitted the day after the topic
is assigned.

There should be at least two media devices used (powerpoint and a model
or elaborate costumes or some other creative component that you’ve
designed.

Do not write the entire discussion on your PowerPoint. You should know
what you are talking about. Be prepared for questions.

The thesis statement should be posted; visible throughout the entire
presentation…not written on the chalkboard!

You are expected to give a phamplet to each member of the class that
outlines your seminar, leaving space for the students to take notes.

There must be some form of class participation---an activity.

You may not be under 20 minutes or over 30 minutes for total presentation
time…including set-up.

All media functions must be tested after school the class prior to your
presentation and saved on the teacher’s computer.

Each member of the group must have a copy of the entire presentation.
Evaluation:
You will be evaluated as a group, thus you will be responsible for ensuring that all
members of your group have completed their portion of the seminar. However, to ensure
your grade is reflective of the effort you put forth, I will only give penalties to those who
are lacking in performance. Your responsibility, then, is to report any member of you
group who is not meeting your expectations. This must be reported to the teacher at
least two days prior to your presentation day.
Each member of the group must have a copy of the entire presentation. If
materials are missing or not working, the entire group will be penalized.
Before beginning, ensure there are four arguments for the thesis…not four
examples, but four arguments. Then, designate one argument to each student.
Topics: See attached rubric
1.Louise robs her children of their sense of self: she deforms their souls and tortures
their psyches, leaving them without hope for resolution. Compare IsabelleMarie’s and Patrice’s experience within this dysfunctional family dynamic.
2.Compare how both Louise and Isabelle-Marie play the role of the ironic mother
and how this shapes Patrice’s experiences in the novella.
3.Examine the correlation between love, beauty, and truth and the role this plays in
two of the following characters’ dissolution: Isabella-Marie, Patrice, Louise.
4.Compare Isabella-Marie’s with Patrice’s loss of innocence and determine
whether, in their attempt to gain self-knowledge, this transformation of the self is
ever fully realized.
5.The black and white motif in the novella represents the dichotomy between good
and evil, and Patrice and Isabelle-Marie.
6.At no time in the novel is relationship allowed to develop, nor is community
allowed to impact the individual. How does Marie-Claire Blais create the feeling
of utter alienation around two of her characters?
7.Could this novella be considered a work of despair, without any catharsis of any
kind? Or, is there a note of hope, proof of the need for God? Discuss either one
of these points of view with reference to two characters.