Macbeth Research Paper
Choose one of the essay topics on the following page and type a research paper exploring the topic in complete detail. Your paper should develop as follows:
· Thesis: your main idea and/or position of the paper, giving it perfect focus and direction.
· Body: this will reflect your research to support your main idea and/or position. This research should examine the following:
· Historical context of the period in which the author lived and created that support your claims.
· Author biographical influences that support your claims
· Knowledge of the play with selected quotations and paraphrased ideas, citing the Act, scene, and line numbers.
· Presentation of other published authorities on literary criticism, which will support your thesis.
As a research project, this paper must include at least three different secondary sources (sources other than the play itself):
1. Historical text and/or biographical text
a. Research that pertains to Shakespeare’s personal life and/or research that pertains to the historical time period.
2. The literary context
a. The play itself
3. Critical analysis
a. Literary criticism from scholarly articles
All sources should be parenthetically cited throughout the paper, as well as on the Works Cited page. The paper and citations should be written in MLA format. We will spend some time in the library in order to provide you with time to do research, however, this is not the only time that should be spent working on the paper. Helpful resources include:
· Reference material on biographies and literary criticisms
· Reference material/texts concerning historical periods
· Literary/scholarly articles
· Credible internet sources
· Books pertaining to the topic
We will spend time in the library doing research; however, you will need to spend additional time on this assignment. I will also be available if you need help.
Suggested time line
Gather research and make notes: ______________
Organize notes and begin composing: ____________
Edit and finalize: _____________
Due Date: March 31, 2010
Possible Paper Topics
1. How does L...
