English Question

Introduction

A paradox is a statement that seems to be contradictory but may actually be true when considered from a particular perspective. Look at the following quotes from Shakespeares Macbeth.

Examples: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1.1.12).

“So foul and fair a day I have not seen” (1.3.39).

“Lesser than Macbeth and greater” (1.3.68).

“Not so happy, yet much happier” (1.3.69).

“This supernatural soliciting / Cannot be ill, cannot be good” (1.3.143-4)

Notice the way MLA internal citations are written. If the author and title have already been mentioned in the text, all that is needed after the quote is the act, scene, and line numbers.

Why would Shakespeare include so many of these paradoxes in his play?

It is simple. It gives him the ability to employ words on a more complex level; the words can have multiple meanings and give the characters more layers. The complexity of characters contributes to the overall meaning of the play. In this lesson, we will be delving into the complexity of the character Macbeth. You may want to use some of these quotes when you discuss Macbeths personality and motivation for his actions

Open the and the .

You have read all five acts of William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth. Now it’s time to think closely about what Shakespeare reveals through one of the main character’s dialog, actions, and thoughts.

Writing a Character Analysis

You are going to write a character analysis. The word analysis is a noun that means a detailed examination of the elements or structure of something. A character analysis looks closely at how a characters beliefs or actions are used by the author to create meaning.

Shakespeare’s Characters

There are several ways that Shakespeare has developed and disclosed his characters for the reader.

• By what the character thinks,
• By what the character does,
• By what the other characters
  say about him/her.

Steps toward writing your character analysis:

Step 1: Choose a character and develop an idea about this character. This will a general statement at first, and then you will focus it.

For example, let’s think back to your first unit with Beowulf.

Beowulf is a hero.

This is a broad statement.

Step 2: Focus your idea into a thesis statement. This is the foundation of your paper, so it is important that you put serious thought into your ideas at this point. This needs to clearly show what you want to express through your paper.

Beowulf’s qualities of strength to defeat his enemies and generosity toward his own people are what make him a heroic character.

Do you see how much more narrowed and controlled this thesis is? If you create a strong thesis statement, it becomes your roadmap to lead you through your paper without taking needless detours.

Step 3: Brainstorm all of the important elements that make this character important and believable in respect to your thesis.

• Describe his or her physical appearance and explain what this reveals about the character.
• Discuss the language that the character uses throughout the work. For instances, does your character speak in paradoxes? How does this affect the meaning of the play?
• Provide details about the background of the character if it is important to the plot.
• Describe the personality of the character. Is this person dynamic or static?
• Does the character act on emotions or reason?
• What values does the character exhibit through words or actions?
• Does the character have goals or ambitions?
• Analyze the relationship that the character has with others in the play.
• Describe the character’s relationships. Does the character lead or follow others in the story?
• Are there internal or external conflicts?
• Is the character ethical? Is he/she trying to do the right thing, but going about it in the wrong way?
• Is the character motivated because of an emotion (love, hate) or a decision (revenge, promotion)?
• Does the character act in a certain way consistently or is the character erratic?

You may use the to record your ideas about the character. This will be useful as you begin writing the body paragraphs.

Step 4: Open the to see how your essay should be completed. The individual paragraphs are described below

• Begin writing your introduction.
• Create a catchy . Then bridge it with your introduction; explain how the hook relates to the story.
• Include the title and author of the play with a brief summary (2-3 sentences) about the play.
• Write your thesis.

Step 5: Begin writing your body paragraphs.

1. Describe your character and trait in the topic sentence.
2. Explain what is happening in the play at this particular point. You want to include a clear explanation of what is occurring in the plot before you show your textual evidence.
3. Next, insert your concrete details. This is your evidence. You can include what the character says, does, or what someone else says about him. Use quotations around the word-for-word textual evidence, and place parenthesis around the act, scene, and line numbers. For example: (1.3.87-8).
4. After your textual evidence, you will want to write two sentences or more explaining in your own words how your evidence proves your character trait.

You will repeat this process for each body paragraph.

Step 6: Begin writing your concluding paragraph.

You are at the final stage of the essay. Restate the character and the trait, which would be your thesis statement. Restating means saying the same thing in a different way. You don’t want to be redundant. Change the word choice, sentence structure, etc.

Explain how the character trait affects the story as in the problem and solution.

Finally, add a one sentence thematic statement closing the essay.

Open the to see how your paragraphs should be formatted.