Research Paper
Dramatic Literature
Looking at Macbeth through Multiple Perspectives
Assignment:
· Research Shakespeare’s life and/or the roles of women in Elizabethan England, and write a four page paper in which you discuss the play from either a feminist of psychoanalytical perspective. Do this by examining the play from either perspective and determining if there is a correlation between Shakespeare’s treatment of characters and his personal experiences.
The Feminist Paper:
Re-read the notes on feminist criticism and determine how the play can be viewed through the feminist lens keeping in mind the following aspects of feminist literary theory:
o Feminist theory asks us to explore the cultural impact of women’s roles in a patriarchical society and determine how the fictional portrayal of female characters reflects the reality of women’s lives.
o Feminist theory explores if female characters reinforce or resist certain social attitudes towards women.
o Feminist theory explores how the gender of the author affects his depiction of the women in the play
· When writing your paper from the feminist perspective you need to examine:
1) The portrayal of the characters, both female and male
2) The attitude of the author
3) The relationship between the characters.
4) The comments the author is making about society as a whole.
The Psychoanalytical Paper:
Re-read the notes on psychoanalytical criticism and determine how the play can be viewed through the psychoanalytical lens keeping in mind the following aspects of psychoanalytical literary criticism:
Psychoanalytical theory asks us to explore:
the three parts to the subconscious (the id, ego and superego) to explain and interpret the characters motivations.
inner conflicts of characters, discrepancies between a character’s view of himself and other characters reactions to them
what the characters reveal about themselves in their monologues
the different kinds of relationships that exist in the work
· Don’t forget to include:
Ø A “Works Cited” page using at least three sources
Ø In-text citations
Library Resources
Online Databases
History Study Center
Periodicals-Masterfile Select
Encyclopedia Britannica Online-Student Edition
World Book Online
Student Resource Center
Websites
Academic Integrity
