AP Progress In Session.

For this weekend's venture in the AP English literature study session, I decided to look at the analyzing essay prompt download. I used this resource as a way to understand exactly what the readers and graders are looking for in this context.


The study guide laid out in great detail how to read and reread a prompt for the right information you need to receive a high grade in the essay portion of the test. It dissected the prompt and told me exactly what it means by "describing" the poem and how to analyze its literary techniques. The guide even gave definitions and examples of literary devices that a grader would be looking out for i.e. diction, rhythm, imagery, metaphor, etc.


The guide later went on the dissect the poem given into parts. It highlighted the rhythm in the stanzas and labeled the syllables in which the rhythm appeared. The next part consisted of giving a brief description of each line and the points to notice within them. The guide even provided two examples of good essays that would easily pass you during the test. I noticed that in the essays, the author is short and to the point. There are not many exaggerated statements and they say it like it is without any sugarcoating it. Even though they have multiple paragraphs, they are all pretty short and broad. They outline all the necessary details and give solid examples but there is no personal outlook in the essay.


What I need to work on based on this study guide is cutting out all of my "Hallmark card" writing. I need to just get to the point fast and state exactly what they are looking for. Even though that kind of writing does not sound interesting, I guess the graders care more about what you know compared to what you think/your personal outlook. If I can get rid of the idea of persuading it in my own light, I think I can easily get an 8 or 9 on my essays.

So It Begins...

AP studying has now commenced. I began my plan by looking through the green student booklets. I read every prompt in the packets once over. From there, I looked at what notes the student made: some underlined certain details, others wrote down literary techniques to discuss, etc. With the hints from their notes, it guided me to see what they saw while addressing the prompt and helped me understand what direction they were aiming towards. After that, I reread the prompts and passages and tried to think about what points I would pick out. If necessary, I thought about what novel I would choose to reflect on for the prompt. 

Even though I won't have the luxury of someone else's notes on my AP exam, I benefit from looking at what they have to point out because they see things I might not be able to identify on my own. With their small hint of guidance, it allows me to understand what language represents which literary technique or what ideas I should be on the look out for. I believe their notes hopefully have a good sense of what's going on because some of them mirrored what I was thinking as I read the poem/passage/excerpt. Next, I will embark on some multiple choice questions to get to know how the writers make the questions.

Macbeth Prompts 123.

Top Three


1972      In retrospect the reader often discovers that the first chapter of a novel
or the opening scene of a drama introduces some of the major themes of the
work. Write an essay about the opening scene of a drama or the first
chapter of a novel in which you explain how it functions in this way.  In
your essay do not merely summarize the plot of the work you are
discussing.


1974 Choose a work of literature written before 1900.  Write an essay in which
you present arguments for and against the work's relevance for  person in 1997.
Your own position should emerge in the course of the essay.  You
may refer to works of literature written after 1900 for the purpose of
contrast or comparison.


1979 Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of
recognizedliterary merit who might, on the basis of the character’s actions alone,
beconsidered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and
whythe full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more
sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.


Close Calls


1982 In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Choose a
work of literary merit that confronts the reader or audience with a scene or
scenes of violence. In a well-organized essay, explain how the scene or scenes
contribute to the meaning of the complete work. Avoid plot summary.


1984 Select a line or so of poetry, or a moment or scene in a novel, epic poem,
orplay that you find especially memorable. Write an essay in which you identify
the line or the passage, explain its relationship to the work in which it is
found, and analyze the reasons for its effectiveness. Do not base your essay on
a work that you know about only from having seen a television or movie
production of it. Select a work of recognized literary merit.

The Game Plan.

So it's a mere two weeks before the AP English exam. Obviously, it's crunch time. Now or never. The final countdown. That all means it's time to crack the books and study like no tomorrow. How do I plan to go about this?


It's simple, really. With all of the new info on the course blog, I plan to use those resources to the best of my ability. Whether it be taking the time to do a full blown released test or just a few questions everyday, I will look at those materials in order to prepare for the set up of the test. I also will review the lit terms so if one of them comes up on the exam, it will be no sweat. Mental preparation is also key. For me, stress is not my deal. If I stress over this test, everything will be worthless. Instead, while I study for these next few days, I'll take it all in stride and not become overwhelmed at the amount of resources I have. Sure, there are tons of things it seems like I need to do. But in this case, I'm going to keep it simple and study until I feel comfortable. I'm pretty confident in the skills I have right now; I just want to brush the dust off the minor details just in case. 


Yeah, the AP test is soon. And it's pretty intimidating in the big picture. But with the materials given and available, everything seems pretty do-able. I'm not worried about my performance at this point (that may change as the day gets closer) and after all the studying is set and done, I think I'll have a pretty good result. 

Soliloquy.

Sorry for the bad quality. My computer hates my webcam at the moment. And me, too.

Macbeth: On To The Next One...

-the plot is basically about a rise and fall of a man due to power and greed


-we quickly know that Macbeth is king (Act III)


-Macbeth never talks to the audience or lets them in on his thoughts like Hamlet does


Macbeth
-one of Shakespeare's greatest characters
-known for his complexities and demise
-ambition is literally the death of him; Macbeth is known for how hungry he is for power
-starts off as a "what can I do for the world" and turns into a "what can the world do for me" kind of guy
-loses his way due to an increase in status/power
-all of the consequences he endured were due to his own choices. No one really ever forced him to do anything and he wasn't being attacked by the Gods for any reason
-audiences appeal to Macbeth because we're only human and certain things make our moral standards change; Macbeth finds power and becomes evil


-Lady Macbeth is the symbol for being pure; even though she is considered evil, she is purely evil and her thoughts are purely sinister


-animus=masculine


-anima=feminine


-daggers terrify Macbeth the most throughout the play


-when Macbeth becomes king, it is his fear and ambition that combine to make him into the evil character he later becomes


-the first murder he commits costs him everything that made him a good man before that


-Lady Macbeth may be sinful but she also has no will power when it comes to the little things


-when everything happens and all the results are basically her fault to begin with, she can't handle the confrontation of what she has done


-Lady Macbeth ends up killing herself when she realizes the violence she has caused

Macbeth Q&A 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.

At the beginning of the play, we see Macbeth as a man who is a strong leader for his country. He knows what he is doing and has a level head upon his shoulders. When the witches tell him his prophecy, it drives him mad with the idea of power. With the additional influence of his wife, he does whatever it takes to reach the high rank he believes he deserves. The power makes him lose his conscience and he becomes obsessed with keeping his crown.

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

Lady Macbeth is the main source of his motivation. She drives him to do crazy things in order to keep his status. Power also motivates him into the evil man he later becomes over time.

13. What influence do the witches have on Macbeth?

The witches basically influence his whole mindset after they let him know about the prediction they hold for him. They strike up a sense of ambition that twists into greed for a high power. They also mix him up and confuse him by telling him false hints to keeping his title.

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

Macbeth depends on what the prediction holds. He listens to the broad version of the prophecy he is told. Banquo, on the other hand, takes it and interprets it beyond the words. He wants to know the meaning behind his prediction rather than just the content.

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

At the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is one of the main influences of Macbeth's newfound ambition. She drives him to become mad with power and basically is in charge of the relationship. She demonstrates the masculinity between the two of them. As the story goes on, her role begins to fade while Macbeth starts to embody what she once was. He starts to take over and ultimately, wears the pants in the relationship as the man typically does for that day and age.

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)?

There are many interpretations of this line because it is so significant in the play. On one hand, it could basically state that things aren't always what they seem. Irony plays a huge role in the outcome of life and foul things being fair or vice versa doesn't seem to hold true despite the reality of most consequences. It could also relate to the fact that the world of Macbeth is skewed and confused. There are so many characters that don't hold up to the name they are supposed to. For example, Lady Macbeth being the "man" of the relationship compared to Macbeth's role in their marriage. 

12. How does Macbeth function as a morality play?

Macbeth, the character, is the definition of the strength of morality. Even though he was a smart man to begin with, he let power get to his head. He lost his moral path when his greedy ambition caught up with him.

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

Shakespeare uses dramatic irony as a source of comparison and contradictions. He takes the irony into a situation and makes it completely different than expected in reality. For example, when Duncan is being invited over to dinner as a cordial event but in return, is killed.

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

She pretty much just makes him feel bad about not doing it with verbal abuse. She ends up just convincing him straight out by making him ponder on about what would really happen if he did kill 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 deeply cares about his family and becomes devastated at the news. He wants to cause harm to whoever set it up or committed such a horrible act of violence. Macbeth, on the other hand, is only upset to a point. He resumes to his old violent ways without really grasping the emotional effects of his wife's passing.