Thursday, March 12, 2015

Macbeth Journal #9

Macbeth Journal #9

Respond to one of the prompts below; be sure to cite textual evidence, post, and reply. Don't forget to include your name, the bold-faced title that represents your journal prompt selection, and your class period in the title.
  • Life and Death-In Act I Malcom states, “Nothing in his life/Became him like the leaving it, as he refers to the traitorous Thane of Cawdor. Malcolm also says that this Thane of Cawdor threw away the dearest thing he owned. How might these two statements also apply to Macbeth? Could these apply to people in actual life?
  • Good versus Evil-One of the themes in Macbeth centers on evil, which Shakespeare saw as a force beyond human understanding. Do you think Shakespeare also saw evil as stronger than the forces of good?
  • The Epitome of Sympathy-The philosopher Aristotle argued that a bad man cannot be the principal character of a tragedy. Does Shakespeare keep you from losing all sympathy for Macbeth in spite of Macbeth’s increasing viciousness? If so at what point did you lose sympathy? Why?
  • Strengths are Weaknesses-One critic has observed that part of Macbeth’s tragedy is the fact that many of his strengths are his weaknesses. Explain this paradox.
  • Alternate Ending-Think of a single event that could have averted Macbeth’s tragic end. Write a summary or short script from that moment to the alternate ending.

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Macbeth Journal #8

Macbeth Journal #8

After reading ACT V Scene 5 answer the questions below in your journal response. Don't forget to include your name and class period as the title.

  • Who is Macbeth talking to?
  • What is he saying? 
  • What is the irony of Macbeth’s expression of this sentiment?
  • What is his state of mind at this point of the play? 
  • What is the symbolism of the candle? 
  • Which group provided the most effective portrayal based on what has been discussed in class?
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Macbeth Journal #7

Macbeth Journal #7

Draft journal #7 by selecting one of the prompts below. Be sure to cite evidence, post on the blog, and reply. Don't forget to include your name, the journal title, and your class period at the beginning of your response.
  • The Trouble with Tragedy-  Describe what is happening to Lady Macbeth in scene 1. Why is she so troubled? How has she changed since the beginning of the play? Does he change relate to the theme of ambition in the play? How do you differ from Lady Macbeth?
  • Fit to be King?- In scene 2 Scottish rebels are discussing Macbeth. What is the metaphor they use to describe his role as king? What message does this metaphor get across and is it effective? What does it take to be a good leader?
  • King and Country-In Act 2 Scene 4 we see strange happenings. Now in Act 5 scene 2 the country is described as sick and in need of medicine. Why does this metaphor work? Do the strange happenings or current sickness say anything about Macbeth as king? What does the metaphor say about kingship in general?
  • The Nature of Things-Describe the role of nature in this scene. Does it differ from how we see nature portrayed earlier in the play? Does this tie into the theme everything is not always what it seems? Why or why not?

Please see the discussion board rubric linked below.
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Macbeth Journal #6

Macbeth Journal #6

Post a response to one of the prompts below; you must provide at least two citations from the text to support your position. Title your work with your first and last name, include the bold-faced title below and your class period, and don’t forget to respond.
  • No Man of Woman Born (4.1)-What is the significance of apparition number two?
  • I Just Can’t Wait to be King…(4.3)-Why does Malcolm think he doesn’t have kingly qualities? What inspires him to change his mind? Do the characters in this scene think Macbeth has kingly qualities? What do you think it takes to be a good leader? Would you want to be king?
  • What Makes a Man? (4.3)-Discuss the instances that manhood is addressed in this scene. How is “manliness” a motivator in previous scenes. Based on your discovery compare and contrast the values of being a man in Macbeth to manhood in modern times.  

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Thursday, March 5, 2015

Macbeth Journal #5

Macbeth Journal #5

Directions: Select one of the activities below; title your work the same as the bold-faced title for the activity selected, and be sure to comment on at least two peers' activities.


  • False Friends-Discuss the relationship between Macbeth and Banquo. Is it based on genuine respect and friendship at the beginning of the play? How is it affected by the prophecies of the witches? Does Banquo ever doubt Macbeth’s loyalty to his country, king, and fellow soldiers? What other factors contribute to their increasing distrust of one another? Find evidence in the text to support your answers.
  • Mask Maker-In ACT III Scenes 1 and 2 Macbeth is discussing hiding his true self. First, create a mask illustrating who you are and who you want to be; bring this to class tomorrow. Discuss a time when you weren’t yourself and the results of that situation. Explain whether or not there is ever a time when hiding yourself or your true intentions is acceptable. Support your conversation from evidence based on your prior experience and the text. Conclude your response by sharing what you want your mask to reveal about you.
  • Reigning of the King-Duncan’s death in the previous Act, referred to as a “breach in nature,” has led to a series of unnatural events in Scotland. Trace how nature’s responses to the regicide, the killing of the king, develop through the progress of this act, and in a well-organized essay, explain what the natural phenomena implies about the nature of kingship and legitimate rule.
  • Dear Diary- Write a diary entry from a chosen character’s point of view that provides insight into how they think, act, and feel about the theme of ambition that has been developing in the play. Be sure to incorporate at least two citations to support your response.  

Please see the discussion board rubric linked below.
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Macbeth Journal #4

Macbeth Journal #4

Directions: Select one of the prompts below; title your work the same as the bold-faced title for the prompt selected, and be sure to respond to at least two peers. Remember, your post should be around 150-200 words.
  • Mapping It Out- Detail the major events and conflicts that have occurred thus
         far in the play. Include the setting, characters, their motivations, emerging themes, the tone
         mood and a critique.

  • The Rhetorical Effect- Provide 5 examples of rhetoric that Shakespeare uses in the play and identify the five most important quotes. Infer his purpose for each choice. Each example should be identified, quoted, and cited; rhetorical devices should not be repeated.


See the discussion board rubric linked below.


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Macbeth Journal #3

Macbeth Journal #3

Directions: Choose one of the following bulletined prompts then post and reply on the blog. Title your work using the bold-faced title that matches the prompt that you choose. Remember, your post should be around 150-200 words.

  • Directions: Choose one of the following bulletined prompts then post and reply on the blog. Title your work using the bold-faced title that matches the prompt that you choose. 



    • Macbeth's Psyche-Analyze how Macbeth’s psyche is affected by his hallucinations and the metaphors in Act II.
    • Murder Reaction-Compare and contrast Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeth’s initial reaction to Duncan’s murder. What does this reveal about the characters and the nature of evil when considering gender?
    • Fate or Free Will-Examine whether or not people are destined by fate or their own free will by providing evidence from the text. You might consider if Macbeth murders Duncan because he believes it is already his destiny as the witches’ predicted, or if he believes that it is in his best interest to create his own fate.
    • The Ribald Scene-Explain Shakespeare’s intent in combining in a single, relatively short act, one of the most tense and dramatic scenes in the play, a ribald scene where he refers to sexual matters in an amusingly rude or irreverent way, and a narrative bridge during which the events that transpired over several weeks are summarized.

See the discussion board guidelines linked below.


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Macbeth Journal #2

Macbeth Journal #2

Directions: Respond to one of the prompts below; title your work using the bold-faced title that matches the prompt that you choose. 

  • Tragic Hero- Explain the extent to which the first act succeeds (or fails) to establish Macbeth as a tragic hero. Be certain to support all of your assertions with direct references to the play as well as citations to other reliable literary critics.
  • Casting Spells-The witches’ spells are full of rich imagery of the natural world. What effect does this focus on nature have on the mood of the play?
  • Power of Persuasion-How does lady Macbeth convince Macbeth to kill Duncan? How do you ask for what you want? Does your tactic differ from Lady Macbeth’s?
  • Blank Verse-Some lines in Macbeth are irregular, with fewer feet or with feet that are not iambs. The play even contains some prose passages, indicated by lines that are set in full measure. Scan one major speech by Macbeth and one by Lady Macbeth in Act 1. What variations in iambic pentameter do you find? Why do you think these variations exist? Do the witches speak in blank verse?Why do you suppose Shakespeare wrote their speeches this way? Locate a prose passage in this Act. Why did Shakespeare chose to use it?

Be sure to follow the discussion board rubric guidelines linked below.


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Macbeth Journal #1

Macbeth Journal #1-Macbeth and the Human Condition


Use the seminar discussion along with the knowledge you obtain from the Act I Scene 1 video linked here to write a short essay predicting the themes that you expect to see in Macbeth. Based on your peers comments during the seminar are these themes still relevant today? Explain; cite your peers parenthetically to support your position. Your response should be about 150-200 words and you should respond to at least two peers. Title your work, Your Name-Macbeth and the Human Condition.


Click on the link below to access the discussion board rubric.



See the list of statements that were discussed in class along with those we didn't have time to share:

  1. People will do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals.
  2. Ambition is always a desirable trait.
  3. It is impossible to be ambitious and maintain your integrity.
  4. Ambition, lust, greed, and desire all mean the same thing.
  5. Things are not always what they seem.
  6. Patriotism requires obedience to the government’s leaders at all costs.
  7. Supernatural beings can make people make choices that are not their own.  
  8. Everyone is capable of lying, killing, and betrayal; in other words, of being evil.
  9. The world is just; if you do something wrong you will be punished for it.
  10. Our nature is fixed; try as we might we cannot change who or what we are.
  11. Our fate is predetermined; we cannot alter our own destiny.
  12. If someone kills someone because someone else coerced them into doing it, the person who did the killing is not responsible for the murder.
  13. Loyalty to your family is more important than loyalty to the government or one’s own morals.
  14. Women use their sexual appeal to get what they want and men result to violence.





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