macbeth essay 5
Lee Jamieson describes Shakespeare’s title character, Macbeth, as a complex character who is “overwhelmed with a combination of ambition, violence, self-doubt, and ever-increasing inner turmoilâ€[1].
As the audience watches his downward spiral, we may wonder whether Macbeth’s violent and murderous actions are motivated by misplaced ambition, selfish (or joint) greed, or even by both.
Your task today is to write a five-paragraph essay, persuading me that Macbeth’s motivation is greed, ambition or both. You must also include in your essay what other characters influence him to take certain actions (and how this supports your claim). Finally, you must include how the play shows what Shakespeare’s belief seems to have been of the consequences of how Macbeth obtained the throne. This is a sort of social commentary or message to the audience tied to greed, ambition or both.
As you can see, your task has three distinct parts to it that all need to be addressed in your essay.
Here is how you can unpack your task.
(Each of these three points should be a body paragraph.)
- Decide whether Macbeth is motivated by greed, ambition or both. Find two to three examples from the version of the play I gave you to support your idea (one must be a direct quote). Explain.
- Think about the influence other characters had on Macbeth and how they affected his actions. Find two to three examples of characters influencing Macbeth that appeal to your choice of greed or ambition or both (one must be a direct quote). Explain.
- Think of how the play evolved and ended. Macbeth’s men left him, Lady Macbeth took her own life, and Macbeth himself fell into depression and delusion and died alone by Macduff’s sword. What could Shakespeare be trying to communicate with his audience about his beliefs on the way Macbeth came to power? Did Macbeth get what he deserved in the end? Is he just a poor, noble tragic hero who deserves our pity? Discuss how Macbeth’s character and his motivations might show Shakespeare’s opinion on what happens to those who act boldly (like Macbeth did) in order to rise to power. Include two or three references from the play (one must be a direct quote). Explain.
Important notes:
Use the graphic organizer in GC and the PIE method to organize your thoughts before you begin.
Your introduction should include a hook, background information, and a thesis statement.
You should include three body paragraphs. Each body paragraph should begin with a
point that you intend to support – see the three parts of the task numbered and described above. Next, you should give examples/illustrations, and finally, an explanation of how your examples support your claim/point.
Your conclusion should include a restatement of your thesis (using different words), a
summary of the main points you made in the paper, and a final/general thought on greed and ambition. You could make a comment on their timelessness or any other wise application of these themes to our lives today.
As you turn your organizer into written paragraphs, don’t forget that I am your audience. I have read the play and don’t need you to retell me who the characters are or summarize any of the events. I need you to PIE your specific points.
Your essay must be written in MLA format and submitted through turnitin.com.
Since I gave you the text, you do not need to reference the author when citing, or create a works cited page/bibliography. If you refer to anything at all from other sources, remember to use correct citation.
If our version of the play is the only reference you use – yes, that is allowed and in fact encouraged – please only write the Act, Scene, Line Number of your quote. Ex. Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 5-7 would be cited as (1.2.5-7).
Watch Mr. Decker’s videos on GC for advice on MLA formatting, using the PIE method, and for embedding quotes.
Before you begin, have a look over the task rubric, also posted in GC.
[1]Jamieson, Lee. “Macbeth Character Analysis.” ThoughtCo, Feb. 11, 2020, thoughtco.com/macbeth-character-analysis-2985020.
