Macbeth

English 112 Macbeth Research Essay

Choose ONE of the following topics. Remember, before writing the Macbeth Research Essay, you should complete and turn in Annotated Bibliography 1, which requires you to compile your research for this paper.

1) Discuss Macbeth’s mental deterioration in the play.

· Track his symptoms and diagnose the illness/illnesses he likely suffered from, explaining why with examples from the text and from outside sources.

· Discuss the events/characters who exacerbate his condition.

· Also discuss how the mental illness exacerbated his actions and fate.

2) Examine the role of Lady Macbeth in the play.

· What impact did she have on Macbeth and thus the events of the play?

· What is her mental state and how does it compare with that of her husband? How does it change?

· Is Lady Macbeth more (or less) responsible for the trail of carnage they leave? How/why?

3) Examine the theme of mental illness in the play.

· What is the role that mental illness serves in the play?

· How does Shakespeare allude to mental illness?

· Which characters suffer from mental illness? How does it impact their actions and the plot?

4) Discuss the role of prophecy in the play.

· Was Macbeth’s fall fate or free will?

· Was Macbeth’s prophecy self-fulfilling? Why?

· What role did the witches play in Macbeth’s actions and fate?

· How does prophecy connect with ambition and mental illness?

Directions:

Format: MLA. Essays should use the research compiled in the annotated bibliography and should cite the research in the text and on the Works Cited page. In-text citations should correspond to Works Cited citations. Essays without in-text citations or Works Cited pages will receive significant point deductions. Essays that are missing both in-text citations and Works Cited pages will receive a zero (0).

Word Count: 1000 minimum (it is a good idea to exceed the minimum). Essays short of the minimum will have points deducted off the top. For example, an essay 20% short of the minimum will have 20% deducted for failing to meet the minimum length.

Sources: You include should at least four sources. Two sources should be scholarly—journal articles or books published in academic publications. The other sources should be A, B, or C level based on the Veracity Scale Document. You can also use Macbeth as a source if you would like. If you use the play as a source, be sure to use and cite the text we are using in class (No Fear Macbeth). See the Moodle page for the correct citation. Be sure to use the original verse (not the modern translation). Avoid study aid websites like Shmoop, enotes, Cliffsnotes, UK Essays, etc. Higher quality sources (scholarly articles) will earn higher grades. It is a good idea to exceed the minimum number of sources.

POV: Use 3rd person POV. Avoid 1st and 2nd person. Be sure to use academic language. Avoid contractions and conversational language.

Use the outline posted to Moodle to help organize the essay. Also, review the sample essay on Moodle.

Your paper will be graded on the following points:

· How strong is your thesis statement? Does it make a clear, debatable point that sufficiently relates to the prompt? Does it avoid the common thesis statement fallacies (announcements, questions, 1st person, etc.)?

· How strong are the body paragraphs? Are they written clearly with proper grammar and cohesion, do they discuss the sources in good detail, do they cover everything from the prompt? Does research play a significant role in the development of the essay?

· Your body paragraphs should begin with a strong topic sentence that relates to thesis. Next, they should incorporate quality research that develops your thesis statement. Then, they should provide analysis—in your own words (but not in 1st person) discuss the relevance/meaning of the research you provided in the paragraph and connect with the topic sentence and thesis statement.

· Are your sentences and paragraphs worded clearly, coherently, and eloquently using formal academic language? Do they avoid 1st and 2nd person, conversational tone, and contractions?

· How strong are your sources? Are they ‘A’ level? Did you include at least four? Including non-academic sources will negatively impact the grade.

· Are your MLA citations formatted correctly both in the text and on the Works Cited page?

· Is the rest of the essay formatted correctly?

· Does the essay avoid plagiarism?

· Does the essay follow the directions listed on the prompt?

One way to ensure you receive the highest grade is to send me a rough draft in advance. Rough drafts are not required, and they are not part of the course grading, but they are beneficial for the students who choose to complete them. Also, feel free to email me questions as they arise. See Moodle for rough draft due dates.

The essay is due in the Turnitin link on Moodle. The essay is not considered ‘turned in’ until it is submitted in the correct Turnitin link on Moodle. Once the essay is submitted, it will be run through a plagiarism filter. The plagiarism percentage may not be made available to students.

See Moodle for the essay due date. Be sure you attach the correct file. It is a good idea to mark your final draft as specifically as possible: Macbeth Essay Final Draft. When you submit the essay, you will receive a digital receipt, so you can verify your submission. Note: the digital receipt does not show you the entire document—only a snapshot. Before the due date, you can resubmit the essay three times, so if you realize you forgot to add something or submitted an incorrect file, you can resubmit your paper.