English 112 Macbeth Research Essay Choose ONE of the following topics. Remember

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.