Macbeth Act 4

A lot happens in Act 4. Macbeth sees lots of strange, specific ghosts; Macbeth orders Macduff's family to be killed (killing a child and a young mother? A new low for Macbeth); and Malcolm and Macduff engage in clever wordplay in an effort to understand the real motivations of the other (Read 4.3 especially closely. Both men have good intentions, but they aren't sure they can trust each other, so this scene is the test of loyalty and morality).

We have been practicing analysis over and over again. You know that to analyze, you must say something new and revealing. Your job is to help another reader discover deeper meaning.

For this blog post, I would like you to demonstrate your sharpened analytical skills.

Analyze anything/anyone in this scene--it's your choice. Draw some conclusions. Think critically. Discover a deeper way we can think about this text--and then teach it to us.

A few tips to keep in mind:
1. You must support your argument with direct evidence (including correct MLA citations!) from the text. You can explicate a passage or analyze a character or moment in this act--it's up to you. But you must ground your argument in the close reading of the text.
2. Read previous posts before you post! Don't repeat what someone else already said! That said, you are welcome to allude to a previous post as long as you build upon it.
3. Write clearly, concisely. Do not use the words "very" or "interesting" (they were WAY overused in the previous two blog posts). Revise your post before you submit it. Put commas in the correct places.

Posts are due by the start of class on Monday! Have a great weekend!

Macbeth Film Analysis!

Ooooh I love seeing Shakespeare performed--especially because every director/actor/costume designer/set designer/voice coach/tech manager interprets the texts in his/her own way. The challenge for these theatre professionals is to channel their individual interpretations into one cohesive, powerful production. You saw two different productions in class today: the 1971 Polanski production and the 2009 Folger production (directed by Teller and Posner). I am sorry that I couldn't watch the films with you, but I hope they were intriguing and thought-provoking. There are a million decisions that went into the film you saw today, so I hope you left class with an idea of what particular decisions you can now analyze. Your job in this post is to analyze something about either or both of the film versions. You can analyze (and remember, that means to argue something with specific support from the film) Lady Macbeth's purple dress or the vastly different performances of the "What if we fail?...We FAIL" scene or the portrayal of the witches in either or both performances...the possibilities really are limitless. Your goal, though, is to write a clear, eloquent analysis of the film(s) that hopefully helps us understand the repercussions and meanings of the choices made by each director. Please, please, please proofread before you post. I will be grading not just your content but also your style, so be thoughtful and deliberate. If you include citations from the text, make sure you cite them correctly!

Macbeth 1.7 Analysis (10A)

In one well-worded paragraph, analyze EITHER Macbeth's opening speech OR Lady Macbeth's rhetorical strategy in 1.7. You should, as always in analysis, ground your argument in specific references to the text. Remember that your job here is to argue not summarize. Proofread before you post. Include citations.

Macbeth 1.1-1.6 Analysis

In class today we looked closely at Lady Macbeth's two speeches in 1.5. There were many significant elements to both of these speeches--her "unnatural" vocabulary, her strange relationship with being a woman, the fact that she delivers the first soliliquy of the play, the battle imagery, etc.--that make her lines powerful not just in WHAT she says but HOW she says it. Tonight, I would like each of you to locate another passage (at least one line, but no longer than one speech) in 1.1-1.6 that you feel is significant in HOW it is worded and structured. Begin your blog post by copying the line(s) into the comment box, and then write a well-developed paragraph in which you analyze the selection. Remember that we have all read this part of the play, so you don't need to summarize. ANALYZE. Try to help us see your selection in a deeper, more meaningful way than when we read it ourselves initially. Good luck!

Shakespearean Sonnets

So fun! So fun!