For the World Literature students' first semester final, students had to close read a soliloquy from Macbeth. Before the final, students had an opportunity to practice this kind of essay and get both individualized and general good-of-the-group feedback from me.
Macbeth Close Read Instructions & Rubric
Directions: For this close read you will analyze a short excerpt from the play. You have a choice between two moments within act three. A close read is useful when you have a complicated text (which any Shakespeare text certainly is) and you want to slow down and analyze beyond plot (which is the whole point of writing essays). You should be thinking more about HOW and WHY characters are thinking, saying, and doing things rather than just WHAT. Your final close read should be two (2) pages in MLA format (including a title). You will also be asked to do this in your final exam, so consider this practice.
Ideas for how to structure your short essay:
A short introduction paragraph where you briefly (1-2 sentences) summarize what is going on in this scene and perhaps what happened just prior (if relevant), explain the main purpose of the part of the play you are analyzing, and come up with a thesis statement (maybe how the moment you are analyzing contributes to a theme of the play, shows some sort of conflict, is a turning point, contributes to mood/ tone).
Body paragraphs (the number is up to you and how you want to structure your essay). Here you will analyze elements of the excerpt that support your thesis (small details matter!). Look at literary devices and decide why they were chosen and how they function in the text.
A short conclusion where you restate your thesis, explain briefly how this impacts what’s to come in the play, make final connections between the excerpt and thesis statement.
RUBRIC:
Thesis statement Thesis statement is strong, arguable, and works with the excerpt of text. It relates the excerpt to a larger aspect of the play such as themes, conflicts, mood, or tone.
12345678910 ___________
Writing quality Sentences have varied starts and length. Student uses sophisticated vocabulary. Writing flows.
12345678910 ___________ Insight in analysis
Student is able to make insightful connections to larger ideas and not only notice details such as literary devices but also explain their significance in context.
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Editing, formatting, length Student has created a polished piece that is two pages long and in proper MLA format including a title and header.
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Total: /50 Comments:
Student Exemplar Essay
Macbeth’s Soliloquy Analysis In his soliloquy in Act III, Scene i of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth contemplates his old friend Banquo. Macbeth’s soliloquy both serves as an act of defiance against fate and highlights the contrast between Macbeth and Banquo. While important to the plot (Macbeth resolves to kill Banquo here), it also contributes to the overall theme of fate versus free will and provides details as to how Macbeth and Banquo are foils: both the same and yet opposites. By challenging fate, Macbeth fights for his free will. By making Banquo a static character and Macbeth a dynamic character who changes from good to evil, Shakespeare makes Banquo a foil for Macbeth to emphasize Macbeth’s change. Once crowned King, Macbeth thinks of himself as supreme, with no rivals save Banquo. After the meeting with the apparitions, this heightens further to the point where Macbeth believes himself to be invincible. He even begins to disregard time, pushing events to “tomorrow” as if he has infinite time. In several points throughout the scene, Macbeth uses phrases like “but of that tomorrow,“ and “we’ll take tomorrow” (3.4.34-35). As King, Macbeth now has plenty of time, treating time flippantly and using it as he wishes. His actions show how he believes himself to be so powerful that he controls even abstract notions such as time. In a similar fashion, Macbeth tries to break free of the fate that the Witches foretold of Banquo’s lineage. He even directly challenges Fate in his soliloquy, demanding “come fate into the list.” By personifying Fate, he makes it into a physical opponent to battle. Then there are the two interpretations of the line “and champion me to th’ utterance,” which could either mean he’s challenging Fate to combat, or wants Fate as his champion against Banquo. Either way, Macbeth only follows prophecies when convenient and uses his own free will to try to control his fate. While initially introduced as close friends, Macbeth and Banquo quickly diverge because of the prophecy. Macbeth is extremely ambitious, doing whatever it takes to fulfill the prophecy and become King. On the other hand, Banquo, while hoping “[the Witches’] speeches” could be “his oracles as well” and “set him up in hope,” (3.1.9-10) muses over the prophecy but takes no action to fulfill it, not becoming obsessed like Macbeth. They are alike in that they receive great prophecies, but despite being given an even greater prophecy than Macbeth, Banquo remains passive and loyal to Duncan, while Macbeth takes action and betrays Duncan. Banquo’s soliloquy at the beginning of the scene has a questioning and hopeful tone, while Macbeth’s has one full of rage and hopelessness, further emphasizing their divide. Another major difference is that Banquo is a static character while Macbeth is dynamic. Banquo maintains his cool, steady calm until he dies, while Macbeth continues to descend into guilt, ruthlessness, and insanity. Banquo staying static while Macbeth became dynamic helped the reader see how much Macbeth changed. With this soliloquy, Shakespeare simultaneously develops the theme of fate versus free will and the foil of Banquo and Macbeth. Though Banquo is murdered soon after, his presence as a foil helps the reader to see Macbeth’s insanity. Macbeth’s struggle against fate is also a major theme, and through this soliloquy the reader is able to empathize with Macbeth’s struggle and the hopelessness that his actions brought him.
Group Feedback on Essays
Close Read General Notes:
No personal pronouns in formal essays. I.e. “you” “I” “we” “us” “your”
A strong and clear thesis must come at the end of your brief introduction
You need strong topic sentences. Your topic sentences SHOULD NOT include quoted text.
You must integrate quotes properly (refer to sheet)
Avoid mentioning other moments in the play, except perhaps in the conclusion if you wish to explain how the moment you analyzed foreshadows an event or epiphany that occurs later
Spend all your time analyzing details and essentially no time talking about the plot
Good Thesis Statements
Macbeth’s soliloquy shows his desire to challenge fate when he feels the need to kill his own friend because he cares more about his reign rather than the success of his kingdom.
Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act III, Scene I illustrates the conflict between Macbeth and Banquo that ultimately leads to Banquo’s death.
This soliloquy foreshadows Banquo’s fate and highlights the overall theme that the desire for power will overshadow one’s love and emotions for someone they once held dear.
Good Analysis
She [Hecate] also uses a paradox when she states “And you all know security is is mortals’ chiefest enemy.” Security is known to be a safe and essential but in the text she describes it as a weakness and an enemy. The line means that overconfidence is a man’s greatest weakness and the spell she plans to cast will allow Macbeth to be overconfident as well. This also leads to suspense and results in the reader to be anxious about what will happen next and how her plan will carry out. She may have said this to sound more powerful in front of the witches so they know not to hide things from her next time.
2. “Rather than so, come fate into the list, And champion me to th' utterance. Who’s there?” Shakespeare uses the personification of “fate” as something that Macbeth challenges to battle, while defying the witches’ predictions by planning Banquo’s assassination. This is also is the opposite of Duncan’s murder because previously, Macbeth committed that act to fulfill the prophecy and he is now destroying it. This idea of his shows us that Macbeth tends to cross his limits, no matter how thoughtless or cruel they may be, when it comes to getting what he wants.
3. Macbeth also compares himself to Mark Antony and Banquo to Caesar in an analogy on line 57: “My genius is rebuked, as it is said Mark Antony’s was by Caesar.” (3.1.57) Shakespeare is making a historical allusion in this passage to Octavius Caesar’s defeat of Mark Antony, in which Antony’s guardian angel was said to be weaker than Caesar’s, causing him to be eventually overtaken. Macbeth fears that he, too, will be overtaken and overthrown by Banquo, and decides that he must kill him.
Good Topic Sentences and/ or Good Quote Integration
Towards the middle of Act Ⅲ, Scene I, Macbeth begins to question the future of his new throne. He thinks of his legacy, and how his reign is meaningless without an heir. Macbeth says, “Upon my head, they placed a fruitless crown/And put a barren scepter in my grip,”(Act Ⅲ, Scene I) explaining that upon his head there is no point in wielding this crown for there is no heir to the throne, so it is virtually useless.
2. Macbeth agrees that there is something noble about Banquo which makes Macbeth fear him, and he’s willing to take the risks. In the beginning of the soliloquy, Macbeth says “Reigns that which would be feared: ‘tis much he dares; And to that dauntless temper of his mind, He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour”
3. Macbeth reflects on his mistakes of killing Duncan and the inevitable power of prophecy that he tries to counter.
symbol of me essay
Instructions & Rubric
In this assignment we will combine creative narrative writing with symbolism. In Miss Jane Pittman, Ned’s flint is deeply symbolic to him because of his memories of his mother. Flint also ignites fires, just as Ned ignites fires in those he inspires with his leadership. You all have a significant object like that in your lives. I would like you to choose an object that in some way symbolizes an important feature of your personality or life. I would prefer that you bring in a physical object, but if that is impossible a nice picture will do. Once you bring in the object you will brainstorm how you will craft your story around that object. We will also study ways to make our writing more interesting through the use of grammar brushstrokes. You will learn these methods and implement them in your writing. Word count= 500-700 words
Evaluation
Using all five of the grammar brushstrokes (appositives, adjectives out-of-order, participles, action verbs, and absolutes) . Please underline each brushstroke in your writing.
Total points possible= 20 Points Earned= _____
Symbol is developed, clear, and strong throughout the piece.
Total points possible= 20 Points Earned=_____
Mechanics, polish, word count
Total points possible= 10 Points Earned=_____
Syntax (sentences lengths and starts), diction choices
Total points possible= 10 Points Earned=_____
Total= ___/ 60
Student Exemplar Essay
by: a seventh grade student Taking for Granted “_______, take this.” said my great-grandfather putting a box into my little arms
“What is this, ________?” I asked curiously
“I gave this to your mother when she was four like you are now.”
I slowly opened the small box and pulled out a wooden horse and carriage, carved and exotic, decorated with colorful feathers and paper. I stared at it wondering how someone could give something this delicate to me, filling me with happiness and causing memories to rush back. “What do I do with it?” I asked looking into his light brown eyes.
“You can put it on your bookshelf when you move to America and you will always remember me...right?”
“What do you mean ______? I am the top swimmer on the swim team at my school. I can swim from America every day after school to visit you, ________.”
He just smiled and said, “Yes beta, of course, you can.”
I hugged him and walked away to go show my cousins, and I regret not thanking him or at least spending more time with him.
We went to Vabdah Town, where my mom’s cousins live, and stayed there for three days. On the day we were supposed to go back to visit ________, we figured out that he had passed away that morning and they were planning his funeral for next week. Weeping and reminiscing, I held onto the most important memory I had of him.
It turns out that _______ was right. When we moved from Gujranwala, Pakistan to Houston, Texas, I put the horse and carriage on my bookshelf secluded in my room. However, I wanted to share it with my family and friends, so I put it out on the shelf we have in our living room so everyone could enjoy the handcrafted horse and carriage. Since it is in a part of the house which I see every day, I can reflect on memories and cultural aspects of this simple object. In Pakistan, even today people prefer the more traditional transportation choices such as rickshaws and horse and buggies. I can travel in a car every day, and I take that for granted sometimes. It reminds me to feel thankful for what I have and makes me wish that the less fortunate could have what I take for granted.
On our last trip to Pakistan, holding the wooden horse and all ______’s memories, I went to an orphanage in Pakistan and gave them toys which I bought from here. They were all thrilled. Most of them had been orphans all there life and could not afford any toys, so it felt good to give them something. I found a plastic horse in my basement so I took it with me. I gave it to a little girl who reminded me the most of myself. She shyly smiled and turned away. I was about to get up when I she turned back and gave me a hug. I knew that if _______was here he would have done the same thing that I did right then. I felt as if he was watching me. Feeling proud and saying that I was his great-granddaughter.
Socratic circles
This Socratic Circle was completed by 7th grade students after reading the play 12 Angry Men. Students submitted questions which ultimately became the basis for this Socratic circle. Group ONE What biases do jurors exhibit when they use “us versus them” logic or reference “those people”? How much can a jury rely on details of the defendant's past in order to prove something about that person’s present or determine their future?
Find 4 quotes to support your opinion and cite the page numbers.
Find at least ONE connection between the idea of bias or how a person’s past determines their future and12 Angry Men. The connection can be to another text, something that has happened in your life, or something in society.
Group TWO Why do you think there are 12 people on a jury? Is it ethically right to send someone to death just by a vote? What can we learn about group psychology or the idea of a “hive mind” from this text?
Find 4 quotes to support your opinion and cite the page numbers.
Find at least ONE connection between the idea of a jury’s structure or hive mentality and12 Angry Men.The connection can be to another text, something that has happened in your life, or something in society.
World Literature students participating in a Socratic circle about Macbeth.
Women in stem essay and presentation
World Literature students researched a woman in STEM (living or dead) and created a robust research paper. They then convert their findings into a 3:00-3:30 minute presentation for the class.
This student researched Neri Oxman, a professor at MIT and a biological architect. In the middle photo, she placed silk worms in a template, effectively using them as a 3D printer.
Sejong writing contest
Both 7th grade and World Literature students participated in the national Sejong Writing Contest. The following essay was written by a 7th grader and received second place. She also received $200 in prize winnings!
The Three Gifts
“The value of these things is only as good as your own sense. Use them well.” In the Korean folktale, The Three Gifts, translated by Heinz Insu Fenkl, a poor old father on his deathbed conveys this message to his three sons while he entrusts his only possessions, a millstone, a gourd, a bamboo staff, and a drum, to their care. The sons set out to find their fortune, and using their good sense and their respective items, they each become rich and successful in their endeavors. This is a tale of cleverness, bravery, and cunning. I interpret this story as a representation that no matter your material wealth, intuition and good sense must always surpass it, and to succeed, you must be willing to work hard for your goals.
The importance of this story is how meaningfully it portrays a father wishing the best for his children. The dying father, who is so poor that he can only afford to give his sons four items, tells them that the sons can increase the value of the possessions using their wits. By giving them the items that seem so trivial and meager, the father has also secured his sons’ fortune, knowing them to be clever and sensible. The story also explains how the sons each find their own fortune to show that they all have different adventures, left to their own devices. This symbolizes that each son is clever in his own way, just like everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. The first son uses his millstone to scare robbers and take their loot, the second son uses the gourd and the bamboo staff to trick a goblin, in turn inheriting a fortune, and the third son uses his drum and happens upon a dancing tiger, the pair becoming a singing and dancing sensation. The third son later sells the tiger to a king, his wealth increasing still. Throughout all of these adventures, the sons each used their sense and clever wits to turn their luck around. The character I would relate to the most would be the third son. I am a creative person, and I love music such as singing and playing the violin. The third son not only used his wits but also his creativity and his song. His lively tune is what caused him to discover the dancing tiger. “He ignored his tiredness and sang as he walked, and moved by a particular surge of joy, he beat his drum and danced a happy dance.” This quote also shows that the third son is also positive and innovative in his mindset and attitude. He was exhausted from walking, but was still buoyant and sang his song. Despite the fact that his inheritance was the most meager and useless for a lucrative life, the son still kept high hopes and persevered to be the richest of the three sons. I see myself as a positive person who likes to make the best of what I have. If I was in the third son’s place, I wouldn’t have sold the tiger to the king. While the extra money would be tempting, I would see the tiger as both a stroke of luck and a sign of good fortune, and wouldn’t at all be willing to part with it. I think the third son should’ve kept his unique performance and considerable wealth, instead of trading it for a common performance and extreme wealth.
The message of the story is to always have hope, good sense, and the will to work hard for what you pursue. If the brothers had been sullen and downcast about their father’s meager inheritance, they would have remained in the same melancholy state as before. I believe this story was created to inspire the less fortunate people in this world to never give up and hang your head because of your bad luck. It is a common opinion that people with better fortunes and more opportunities are the most ambitious and successful. However, The Three Gifts contradicts this opinion and argues that while the chances of the brothers’ success were low, the ambition and drive of the brothers helped them rise to fame and wealth. A famous saying goes as such, “You get what you work for, not what you wish for.” The Three Gifts portrays this moral in a charming, heartfelt folktale that puts work before wealth. In conclusion, The Three Gifts is a tale of bravery, skill, and three sons making the best of what they have. Join them as they head out into the world, find their fortune, and honor the last wish of their father. While this story seems self-explanatory at first, three brothers striking it rich with a stroke of luck, it uses this simple facade to convey a deeper message: that no matter who you are and what your fortune is, you should always have good sense and strive to reach your success, whatever it may be. While the folktale itself is little in size, the moral is anything but.
Middle school creative writing camp
Here are some highlights from a summer creative writing camp I designed and taught to six middle school students.
Daily Timed Quickwrites
Students listened to a song and wrote about what they envisioned.
by a seventh grade student The sun beams down on you. Your feet step rhythmically in the sand. A sinister feeling fills the air. You feel like someone is watching you. The wind blows hard. Your feet sink in the burning sand. You stare at the horizon, it seems as it is taunting you. As the wind blows, the sand starts jumping, swirling, flying! As it spins and twirls the sand blinds you. The rhythm of the sand barraging the rocks gets louder. The sun gets hotter. The horizon seems farther. The sand below your feet tries to bury you. You slowly sink into the ground. As the storm ends, the cacti stand frozen in the distance, rooted in the burning sand.
Sijo Poems
Students learned sijo, a Korean form of poetry similar to a Japanese haiku. Sijo poems need an introduction, development, a twist, and conclusion. They also should include a vivid image and some sort of commentary on the human condition.
[1] One has burned; It’s lumber scorched. Animals trapped, their home stolen. Leaves falling, the ground blazing, Locked in, no escape. All hope is lost. Standing by, A dropped cigarette. He watched, ignored, the inferno.
[2] A small peek. Grasping my breath. Candy rainbows A sweet heaven! The sweet walls. The bright patterns. The taffy scent. All made me drool. Sticky chairs Over-priced candy Hard to afford Can’t today
[3] A raging fire Scaring all life Destroying Trees and buildings Bringing terror To the town A Horror film, Making eyes turn A man stares At a stamped out match Disaster just Averted
Fanciful Piece
by a sixth grade student “Ugh”, I said to myself as my paws got stuck in another heap of snow. It was below freezing here in the arctic. Using my tongue, I brushed off the prickly snow from between my nails. The fading light of the day began to envelop us as I could hear the trees whispering. I needed to be back at the cave in less than ten minutes. So, I started my journey back. I came across a handful of animals preying on carcassess which made me taste the leftover blood in between my canines from lunch. When I came back from exploring I greeted my pack. My pack consists of my mom and dad, my brothers, and well me. My brothers were older than me and we never got along. So that leaves me and nothing. I’d been begging my parents for another wolf cub, so I wouldn't be lonely. But they would abruptly say no each time. Soon, I got used to the idea of only having myself to play with. My parents noticed that we were running low on meat, so they said that we could go hunting the next day. The next day came and I could portend the bruising pain of a harsh winter surrounding us. My mom and dad led the pack, I was behind them and my brothers followed. We needed to get some water so we went to the nearest lake that wasn't frozen. When we got there my brothers started teasing me that I couldn't drink water as fast as they could. “Oh yeah, well I bet you can't run as fast as I can!” I said to them.
All of a sudden, my nose started to tingle, it was giving me the sense that there was a fox nearby. Foxes are our friends, we don’t eat them and they don’t eat us. I decided to be brave and follow the smell, as brightness surrounded the snowy jungle. Along the way it started snowing even more. There were little balls of snow accumulating on my calves which was very irritating. But as the smell started growing, I heard cries. “Is a fox in trouble, do I need to help it?!” I asked myself. There was something moving under a heap of snow. I didn't know what it was, so I carefully went over there and dug a little hole above the moving animal. I saw that it had a very thick coat of fur, so it was hard to get out, so I dug even more; after some digging the fox cub finally came out. It was covered in snow so I dusted it off with my paws. The rest of my pack weren't far, so I decided it would be best to call them. I didn’t want the fox cub to be alone so I told it to follow me. When my parents saw the poor cub shivering, they asked what happened and I explained. “Poor thing, where are its parents? ” They questioned. “I don’t know, it was crying for help because it was stuck in a mound of snow!” I replied. They were relieved that I got the cub out safely. We decided it would be best to take it back to our cave and then decide what to do from there. When we got to the cave my parents told me to look for a soft cloth to put around the cub. The cub had a distinguished pearl-colored fur coat, with meaningful light-brown eyes. The first question that popped into my head is if we could keep it? “Mom, Dad could we please keep the fox cub, it has no parents and it could get eaten by an arctic beast?” I asked in my most convincing voice. My brothers were there to back me up because they too wanted the fox cub. “I’ll take good care of the cub, I’ll even teach it how to hunt!” I told my parents in an assuring voice. It felt like an hour before they responded. “Okay fine, we will now raise this fox cub as our own.”At that moment I was thrilled, I was going to have a little sibling!