Macbeth Essay Assignment

Macbeth by William Shakespeare holds many different themes that we have discussed through assignments in class. Some themes inlcude the pursuit of power, power is the root of all evil, it doesn't matter how you got there as long as you reached your goal.  Now I want you to select or produce a theme that you feel holds the most connection to the novel and do a literary analysis essay on the theme of Macbeth. You may use all the notes you have to complete the essay. Remember to follow the five paragraph essay including:

·       Intro and thesis statement (stating what the theme is)

·      Three supporting paragraphs (Chunky paragraphs for each).

·      Conclusion

*Please remember to be thorough in your discussion, using in-text evidence with appropriate citation, strong thesis and a conclusion that has your overall lasting impression on the chosen topic.

Rough Draft due Monday begining of class on blog. 

Macbeth pre-reading work

Macbeth Anticipation Guide

Directions: Read the following statements. Write if you agree or disagree.  Write two sentences and a personal experience to support your thoughts about each statement. There are no right or wrong answers! 

1.     Behind every great man is a great woman (every great man is supported, guided, helped and even pushed by a great woman).

2.     Witches, demons, and evil spirits actually exist.

3.     Sometimes it is necessary to do something wrong to get what you want.

4.     What goes around comes around (karma).

5.     Human beings are easily tempted by things they want, even if it’s wrong.

6.     If someone feels that the ruler/s of his/her country is destroying the country, that person should try to overthrow the ruler/s.

7.     There are circumstances or events that justify murdering someone.

8.     Success is worth any price you have to pay.

9.     Kings are appointed by God, and they rule as His representatives on Earth.

10.  Your astrological forecast (your horoscope) is a good indicator of how your day will go.

11.  Traitors should be executed.

Once you are done with a partner look at the following questions and answer them together. Your answers need to be in complete sentences and you need to provide what you and your partner discussed. PROVIDE AT LEAST A PARAGRAPH PER ANSWER. Please list who your partner is. 

1. Is evil inherent in human nature? That is, are some people just “born evil,” or is evil caused by circumstance or environment? 
2. Are our lives determined by fate, or by the acts of our free will? 
3. Is redemption truly possible? That is, is it possible to commit an act of genuine evil and truly recover from it? 
4. Is it possible to admire or respect a person whom you know has committed acts of genuine evil? 
5. Do “the ends justify the means”? That is, if one uses morally evil methods to acquire a goal, is that goal forever tainted or polluted by the actions one has taken to achieve it? 

PLEASE POST ALL ANSWERS ON INDIVIDUAL BLOG AND LABEL "MACBETH PRE-READING WORK." THIS IS DUE AT THE END OF THE CLASS. 

LC Reader Response #3

This is an individual assignment, but you may discuss the questions with others in your team.  Be sure that whatever answers you come up with are written in your own words.

1. Write 2 thesis statements for which you could write well-supported literary analysis essays. Remember when analyzing the literature we are always trying to determine the meaning of the literature. It is not a summary or you repeating what is already known. So in the thesis you need to tell us something that you can prove through evidence from the book. You need to write two thesis statements based off these literary elements:

1. Theme (i.e., Humanity to many come as a natural habit, in the novel "Night" inhumanity is proven to be something that can never ne justified).
2. Character (i.e., The holocaust is something that is imaginable, for survivor Elie Wiesel he is the true definition of hope and faith in the beauty of life.)

Group Reader Response LC#2

Group Reader Response LC #2:  Dialectical Journal Practice

This is an individual assignment, but you may discuss the questions with others in your team.  Be sure that whatever answers you come up with are written in your own words.

1. Critical Stance:  Wiesel chronicles the gradual dehumanization of the prisoners.
1. First, define “dehumanization”
2. Then, describe the behavior of the various prisoners that shows their gradual transformation from their normal behavior as human beings.
3. Last, describe the behavior of Eliezer, the changes that he notices and his response to them.
2. Dialectical Journal Entries

1. Find quotations for each of the comments you have made in question #1
2. Share these amongst group members so that you each have a complete DJ upon which you can rely for the following weeks’ discussions.