November 27, 2013

Essay Related Something

1. Thesis is about inversion - what about the inversion? 

Point 1 - what about your thesis? what is the point? What is the issue that your subject deals with, solves, points out, shows, illuminates, etc? 

Thesis about supernatural? What about it? 

Manipulation from LM - What about it? 

Almost all of the things that you will be choosing as a subject area end with “and can be considered to be key in the downfall of Macbeth and his wife.”

If your thesis is making you write down a list and show that X or Y is in the play, then your thesis isn’t complete. 

1. Thesis is about karma - 

1. If you are stuck for a starting line in your intro - the classic thing to do (Level 3-ish as an opener)  is to start with a definition of terms.
   

A Level 4 open would maybe start with a wider look at the subject area, ie karma, talk a bit about it in some way that leads to talking about the play. 

1. Macbeth is responsible for his actions - the proof is in his own dialogue - he gives arguments for and against the crimes he commits - he shows the audience that he fully understands what he’s doing, why he’s doing it, and what it means to his conscience and to the world - I have no spur but ambition

1. Inversion - once this world is upside down, all the rules are broken - even the rules of nature - the problems in the play literally come as a result of the different elements of life that get turned upside down

1. One thesis - many theses

1. Macbeth is NOT responsible for his actions

• you need to establish that he is not functioning normally, even though he is able to think about what is right and wrong, something is stopping him from following it
• the supernatural powers aligned against him are pushing and pulling him using hallucinations, visions of a future where he has power, and visions of a future that are threatening to his power - they’re manipulating his existing way of thinking with their visions and so on
• his wife is using his emotion for her, his love for her, to manipulate him - she is also attacking his manhood, and he lives in a culture where honor (and one’s masculinity is absolutely crucial to one’s power and sense of self) - remember, females have little to no power. A man is the definition of power
• both cases are using aspects of his character against him
• prove - even though he knows what he’s doing in wrong, he is unable to stop himself - you need to think about why. 

1. Macbeth is not responsible because he is insane - not fit to stand trial, for example

• you need to find some mental disorders in the real world and apply that same criteria to Macbeth, show the symptoms at work in the play, explain how they work and then show that these symptoms make him fit a definition that would get him off scot free
• ie “not guilty by reason of insanity” 
• research - specific mental disorders must be carefully set up and you need to use references, give citations, etc. (this is very provable)
• Bipolar, paranoid schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, psychotic episodes, etc