Reference no: EM133719825
Assignment 1
Question 1. In a paragraph, discuss why Shakespeare may have chosen to focus on the Fall of Man, the story of Adam and Eve, as a basis for tragedy.
Question 2. In a paragraph, explain Shakespeare's development of a key theme from the play, referencing at least two specific events or quotations from the text.
Question 3. The relationship between Macbeth and his wife is particularly complex, but in Act I they appear to have a solid partnership. Referencing Lady Macbeth's statement, "What beast was't it then, That made you break this enterprise to me?" write a paragraph detailing how the marriage of Macbeth and his wife is presented in Act I and what it suggests about their relationship and its importance to the play.
Assignment 2
Question 1. What does Macbeth's "dagger soliloquy" reveal about his intentions and his state of mind?
Question 2. In a paragraph compare Macduff and Macbeth as they are presented in Act II. How do you think each of these two characters, particularly with reference to Scene iii, when Duncan's murder is revealed?
Question 3. The Porter discusses the effects of drinking too much in one particularly humorous exchange, suggesting that alcohol both inspires desire at the same time that it makes a person less capable of acting in pursuit of his desires. In a paragraph, explain how this might relate to Macbeth and the central character's inspiration from the witches, followed by his subsequent destabilization. Can you detect a way in which this joke from the Porter may be one of the ways in which Shakespeare is suggesting an underlying problem in the play?
Assignment 3
Question 1. Gender is a theme brought up throughout the play. In a paragraph, discuss some of the key points that are made about gender in Act IV.
Question 2. As Macbeth tries to reassure himself about Macduff, write a paragraph to explain what Shakespeare is suggesting about Macbeth's state of mind.
Question 3. In a paragraph, explain how Shakespeare structures Act V to be particularly dramatic and tense.