AP Test Practice Experience

When I first began my study plan, I had to prioritize. Thinking about what I needed the most help on, what I hadn't practiced as much, and what I felt I needed to brush up on, I decided to start with the multiple choice. It had been a while since I had practiced any questions like the ones on the AP test, so I figured, that's where I should start. I downloaded the 2004 Released Questions and got to work. As I read the first passage, I forgot that, compared to the passages on the standardized testing, these passages are actually somewhat entertaining and insightful. I read the passage, taking mental notes on the important aspects of the text, sentences that stand out, and influential diction. As I proceeded onto the questions, they were actually quite easy. Although there is no key for this particular practice test, I feel as though I did pretty well on them. There were a couple questions that contained literary terms that I need to review, but for the most part, I found the questions to be quite clear and fairly easy to answer.

Possible Macbeth Essay Prompts

1. Choose a distinguished novel or play in which some of the most significant events are mental or physiological: for example, awakenings, discoveries, changes in consciousness. In a well-orgnized essay, describe how the author manages to give these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action. Do not merely summarize the plot.

2. Critic Roland Barthes has said, "Literature is the question minus the answer." Choose a novel or play and, considering Barthes' observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers any answers. Explain how the author's treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

3. According to critic Northrop Frye, "Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divine lightning."
Select a novel or play in which a tragic figure functions as an instrument of the suffering of others. Then write an essay in which you explain how the suffering brought upon others by that figure contributes to the tragic vision of the work as a whole.

AP English Literature and Composition Test Study Plan

As the AP test fast approaches, I have an odd calm about me. I'm not all that worried about the test. I am decently confident in my writing abilities and I feel that I can understand and analyze literature decently well. However, decent isn't what I am striving for. I know that I need to brush up on my lit terms (thank you Dr. Preston for quizzing us on them. It really helps me), and I could definitely use some tuning up on my multiple choice methods. Over the next two weeks, while preparing for my three other AP tests and completing various scholarship applications, I plan to spend some time working on the multiple choice questions provided here. I plan to do about half a test every day, going over the answers with friends and discussing why we answered them the way we did. I will also do a couple of practice essays in order to hone in my analysis skills. I will also discuss these with classmates and my parents.

By the time the test comes, I plan to be as prepared as possible. I hope to complete all seven of the multiple choice tests provided and at least three of the free response/essays provided. As I do this, I must budget my time, spending some of this study time on homework given in class, studying for other AP tests, and applying for scholarships that I desperately need for next year. I will do my best to study for this, and my other tests, while balancing my other obligations. It's all about prioritizing, and right now, AP tests and scholarships have the top spot. Let the studying commence!

Macbeth Lecture (Part II)

Lady Macbeth vs. Macbeth

• Lady Macbeth was not completely cut off from her humanity. It ends up consuming her and causes her to kill herself.
• AfterMacbeth is crowned king, he and Lady Macbeth go their separate ways. What was once a relationship with communication and compassion turns into Macbeth's struggle to keep his power, and Lady Macbeth's fight for her sanity.
• "Things bad begun, make strong themselves by ill." -Macbeth
• Macbeth wishes to be detached from his humanity. This desire is the start of his destruction. 
• "She should have died hereafter..." was Macbeth's reaction to his wife's death. Not near as dramatic as Mcduff's reaction to his wife and children's death.
• The witches give Macbeth "permission" to go after the crown in whatever way he wants. He wants the crown anyway.

Banquo

• Banquo completely contrasts Macbeth.
• Banquo represents the connection to community and morality, regardless of the future he is told exists. Doesn't rely on what witches say, goes on living his life the way he was.

Macbeth Soliloquy

Macbeth Soliloquy recorded by Maddie Klusendorf

Macbeth Lecture (Part I)

Introduction:

• Simple theme- the rise and fall of a good man (pretty universal, only thing that differs would be the definition of a "good" man)
• Act I-III- Rise of a "blessed" guy. Starts as a heroic warrior and thane, and pushes his way up to being king.
• Act IV-V- Disintegration of a man/character/life
• Macbeth is a character-driven play. 

Macbeth as a Character:

• Sets up NO relationship with the audience (like in Hamlet). We see the development of his character through circumstance, events, and indirect characterization. (For example the scene with the porter http://shakespeare.mit.edu/macbeth/full.html Act II, Scene iii)
• Critics say Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most compelling characters.
• Macbeth is a perverse example of a tragic hero- starts out with friends, honor, success, wealth, respect, etc. and ends up all alone (emphasized by the enormous army coming to kill him... and just him Act V, Scene iii-viii)
• Macbeth does everything of his own free will. He is an "architect of his own destruction". His death is the ultimate consequence of all the choices he's made. (His wife and the witches might seem to have some influence over him, but really it was Macbeth who ultimately made the decision to kill Duncan and the others, and to pursue his ambitions.)

Macbeth Test

1. Macbeth won the respect of King Duncan by

A. slaying the traitor Macdonwald. (Act I, Scene ii)

B. serving as a gracious host for his king.

C. not pleading for advancement.

2. King Duncan rewarded Macbeth by dubbing him

A. the Earl of Sinel.

B. the Thane of Cawdor him. (Act I, Scene ii)

C. Bellona's bridegroom.

3. In addressing Banquo, the witches called him which of these?

"Lesser than Macbeth, and greater." (I)

"Not so happy as Macbeth, yet much happier." (II)

"A future father of kings." (III)

A. I and II (Act I, Scene iii)

B. I and III

C. I, II, and III

4. When Macbeth said, "Two truths are told / As happy prologues" he was referring to

A. his titles of Glamis and Cawdor.

B. the victories against the kerns and gallowglasses.

C. the predictions made to Banquo and to himself. (Act I, Scene iii)

5. "Nothing in his life / Became him like the leaving it" is a reference to

A. the traitorous Thane of Cawdor. (Act I, Scene iv)

B. Banquo's son, Fleance.

C. Duncan's son, Donalbain.

6. Duncan's statement, "I have begun to plant thee and will labour / To make thee full of growing" is an example of

A. a simile.

B. a metaphor. (Act I, Scene iv)

C. personification.

7. Lady Macbeth characterizes her husband as being

A. "the glass of fashion and the mould of form."

B. "too full of the milk of human kindness. (Act I, Scene v)

C. "a cannon overcharg'd with a double crack."

8. When Macbeth agonizes over the possible killing of the king, which of these does he say?

"He is my house guest; I should protect him." (I)

"Duncan's virtues will "plead like angels" " (II)

"I am his kinsman and his subject" (III)

A. I and III

B. II and III

C. I, II, and III (Act I, Scene vii)

9. Macbeth's statement to his wife, "Bring forth men-children only" signifies that he

A. is proud of his wife's transformation.

B. is concerned over the succession to the throne.

C. has accepted the challenge to slay the king. (Act I, Scene vii)

10. As part of the plan to kill the king, Lady Macbeth would

A. get the chamberlains drunk. (Act I, scene vii)

B. smear Duncan's face with blood.

C. arrange an alibi for Macbeth.

11. Trace Macbeth's transformation from a good man to an evil man.

Macbeth begins as a man with a conscience, a man who knows right from wrong, and who loyally fights for his king and country. Once he is told about his future (to become king), he becomes ambitious, and, with the influence of his wife, starts doing whatever it takes to make sure he gets to that position of power. The more power he gets, the less guilty he feels for what he has done to get there. In the end, he feels no remorse for any of his deadly deeds, just fear of losing his crown

12. What motivates Macbeth to take the evil path he chooses?

Lady Macbeth and ambition are the two driving forces that make Macbeth take the path of evil.

13. What influence do the witches have on Macbeth?

The witches control his mental state and his thoughts. They give him ambition and cause him to do things he would have never done without the thought that someday he would be king. They also confuse and scare him with apparitions and visions, as well as give him a false sense of security by telling him that no man of woman-born can kill him.

14. Contrast Macbeth's response to the witches' predictions with Banquo's.

Macbeth focuses on the content of the predictions, the fact that he and Banquo's son will both become king some day. Banquo focuses on what is behind the predictions, what it will take for them to become true, and the consequences they will bring.

15. Describe the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Trace how it changes over the course of the play.

Lady Macbeth definitely wears the pants in the relationship at the beginning of the play (excuse my colloquialism). She can convince him to do anything and verbally abuses him. She acts almost manly. As Macbeth gains more power, however, she becomes less of an influence, until, finally, she is more or less obsolete. 

PART 2

1. "Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible / To feeling as to sight?" is a reference to the

A. ghost of Banquo.

B. dagger. (Act II, Scene i)

C. bubbling cauldron.

2. Lady Macbeth confessed that she would have killed King Duncan herself except for the fact that

A. she couldn't gain easy access to his bedchamber

B. he looked like her father (Act II, Scene ii)

C. one of Duncan's guards spied her on the to stairway

3. Shakespeare introduced the Porter in order to

A. allow Macduff to gain admission to the castle.

B. remind the audience of the Witches' prophecies.

C. provide comic relief. (Act II, Scene iii)

4. Malcolm and Donalbain flee after the murder

A. because they fear the daggers in men's smiles. (Act II, Scene iii

B. in order to join Macduff in England.

C. lest they be blamed for it.

5. Macbeth arranges for Banquo's death by telling the hired killers that

A. Banquo had thwarted their careers. (Act III, Scene i)

B. if they fail, they will pay with their own lives.

C. he will eradicate all records of their previous crimes.

6. Macbeth startles his dinner guests by

A. conversing with the Ghost of Banquo (Act III, Scene iv)

B. attempting to wash the blood from his hands

C. saying to Lady Macbeth that, "Murder will out."

7. The Witches threw into the cauldron

"Eye of bat and tongue of frog"(I)

"Wool of bat and tongue of dog" (II)

"Fang of snake and eagle's glare" (III)

A. I and II

B. I and III

C. II and III? (Act IV, Scene i)

8. The three apparitions which appeared to Macbeth were

An armed head. (I)

A child with a crown. (II)

A bloody child (III)

A. I and II? (Act IV, Scene i)

B. II and III

C. I, II, and III

9. In Act IV, Malcolm is at first lukewarm toward Macduff because he

A. wasn't prepared to overthrow Macbeth.

B. suspects a trick. (Act IV, Scene iii)

C. wasn't worthy of becoming king, in his opinion.

10. Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane when

A. the witches rendezvous with Macbeth.

B. the camouflaged soldiers make their advance. (Act V, Scene iii)

C. Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to stand and fight.

11. What is the significance of the line "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" (I, i, 10)?

HELP PLEASE???

12. How does Macbeth function as a morality play?

Macbeth represents morality itself. As any other human would, his morality decreases as his amount of power and ambition increases.

13. How does Shakespeare use the technique of dramatic irony in Macbeth?

Shakespeare uses it in order to create a contradiction within scenes and the entire play. For example, he makes sure to have Duncan note the hospitality and comfort he feels when he arrives at Macbeth's castle, right before Macbeth kills him.

14. How does Lady Macbeth overcome her husband's resistance to the idea of killing King Duncan?

She uses verbal abuse and explains what the future could bring if he were to kill King Duncan.

15. Contrast Macduff's response to the news of his wife's and children's deaths with Macbeth's response to being told Lady Macbeth is dead.

Macduff is completely devastated, ready to get revenge. However, Macbeth is much less passionate about it. Instead, he just continues with his plans to protect himself.

Macbeth Notes

Act I, Scene i

·      Witched discussing a battle where they will meet up again. Foreshadowing for the introduction of Macbeth.

Act I, Scene ii

·      This scene presents our first description of Macbeth as a brutal, ruthless warrior. The captain describes how Macbeth mercilessly slaughtered Macdonwald.

Act I, Scene iii

·      The witches describe their ruthless plans as Macbeth is approaching. This gives you insight on the witches themselves, seeing as their purpose in the play is unclear at this time. Banquo also questions their being and their trustworthiness.

·      The witches regard Macbeth as “thane of Cawdor” a title he has not yet been given, but will be soon. They also tell him that someday he will be king. They tell Banquo his kids will be royalty as well.

·      Ross and Angus enter, telling Macbeth that King Duncan has made him thane of Cawdor (just as the witches had said) because the other one is a traitor, and will be executed.

·      Macbeth reflects on the witches’ prophecy and wonders how he will become king (more foreshadowing. He will have to do dark things in order to gain this title).

Act I, Scene iv

·      The former thane of Cawdor is executed. It is made known that Malcolm (Duncan’s son) will be the heir to the throne. Although he had just been praised for his valor in battle and professed his loyalty to Duncan, he realizes that Malcolm cannot be king if he himself is supposed to be king. (IRONY!!!)

Act I, Scene v

·      We are introduced to Lady Macbeth, made aware of her ambition and the things she is willing to do to get to where she wants to be. (She’s nuts.)

·      She presents Macbeth with the idea of killing King Duncan and explains that she is willing to do it herself. (Again, she’s crazy).

Act I, Scene vi

·      Ironically, Duncan finds Macbeth’s castle to be calm and lovely, and Lady Macbeth to be nice and polite. Duncan expresses his love and gratitude for Macbeth. (So much irony it’s ridiculous)

Act I, Scene vii

·      We see the ambitious side of Macbeth coming out, the opportunist. He is given the opportunity to kill the king so that getting his spot on the throne will be easier and he’s willing to risk everything, earthly and spiritually, to get there. However, he does recognize the consequences.

·      When Macbeth decides against killing the king, his wife verbally attacks him and explains her plan. Macbeth expresses his desire for her to only bear male children. (Shows the male dominated society and the hatred of women, a major theme in this play).

·      This scene says a lot about Macbeth as a character. It shows he does know the difference between right and wrong, but isn’t strong enough to stand by his decision when faced with his wife. (An ironic relationship in this play. Lady Macbeth is “wearing the pants” in their relationship, something that completely contradicts the male-dominance theme of the play)

Notes on the background of Shakespeare's Macbeth

Site 2

·      Macbeth shows life at its most brutal and cynical. It’s very violent and gory.

·      It involves witches who manipulate things (weather among other things), to get them the way they want. (Double, Double, toil and trouble…)

·      A lot of irony amongst the characters and the words said.

·      Lady Macbeth is crazy and evil

·      Her and Macbeth plan a murder and it is revealed that Lady Macbeth has strong sedatives, possibly hinting at Macbeth’s violence. They end up murdering a man in his sleep and kill his guards. (Was it Duncan that they killed?)

·      A young boy jokes around with his mother about how there are more bad people than good people in the world. Then, bad men break into his home and stab him to death.

·      Macbeth’s head ends up on a stick.

Site 3

·      The play was written from 1605-1606.

·      It was written as a tribute to Shakespeare’s royal patron, King James I of England, who was also king of Scotland.

·      His principle source was Holinshed’s Chronicles of Scottish History, a loose collection of gossip, tales, and fantasies. Macbeth is flawed form a historical perspective.

·      Macbeth became king in 1040when he killed the previous King Duncan in battle. Macbeth ruled for 17 years and was overthrown by Duncan’s son.

·      Shakespeare makes Duncan seem “saintly”, Banquo seem innocent of any conspiracy against King Duncan, and Malcolm seems like a great friend of England. Shakespeare made the predictions of Scotland’s future come from witches.

·      Shakespeare uses the details of the murder of King Duff by MacDonwald as the details of Duncan’s murder by Macbeth.

Site 5

·      Holinshed’s Chronicles (Macbeth)- Scotorum Historiae was written in 1527 by Hector Boece.

·      Minor sources- Reginald Scot’s Discovery of Witchcraft, Daemonologie written in 1599 by King JamesI, and Colloquia, the memoirs of Erasmus (edition circa 1500).

·      Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a gentle, thoughtful man who can love wholeheartedly, despite the murders he commits. Shakespeare pays particular attention to Macbeth’s conscience.

*Site 1 and the links on Site 4 would not load. 

My Favorite Blogs (within Dr. Preston's AP English class)

Here are my favorite blogs within our AP English Literature and Composition class... they come from this list, if you'd like to check anymore of them out:
    http://drprestonsrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/p/member-blogs_8358.html

1. Katie Enstad- http://kerhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
     What makes Katie's blog so great is that it's up-to-date and easy to read. You can find things with little trouble and she's straightforward and to the point. Her posts show her thought process and the time and work she puts in.

2. Cody Kiniry- http://ckrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
     Cody's blog is amazing. It's up-to-date, creative, and original. Looking at the blog, you don't only get the school work, but you get a sense of who the author is as well. I also enjoy the way in which she writes and the extra things she posts on her blog.

3. Samuel Moon- http://shmrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
     Sam's blog is also up-to-date, and complete with every post that has been assigned. I like Sam's blog because, like Katie's, it is easy to read and right to the point. His posts are complete and easy to understand, yet insightful, just like he is.