1. Context: In Macbeth, a Scottish Nobleman, Macduff, serves as a rebuke to Macbeth's character and murderous ways. It is he who dislikes Macbeth's reign from the beginning, and it is he who becomes the de facto leader of the crusade to dethrone Macbeth. Similarly, from the very beginning of Serena, McDowell senses something sinister about the partnership between Serena and Pemberton. When Pemberton kills Harmon at the train station, McDowell is intent upon exacting justice, in spite of the Pembertons' powerful position in the community.
Prompt: Write a 750+ word essay that compares Macduff and McDowell. How do they function similarly in the plots of their respective works? How does McDowell mirror Macduff in name, sentiment, and conquest?
2. Context: During the Elizabethan era, it was common for monarchs to keep fools (what we now call jesters) at court as a source of entertainment. While the fool's presence is often one of whimsy, it was he alone who could criticize the monarch, through jokes and witticisms, without the fear of punishment. Likewise, Shakespeare often uses the character of the wise fool to counsel and bring forth words of insight to the events and characters in his plays. Fools of the court wore clothing called "motley," patches of cloth sewn together to make one large garment. In Serena, Snipes can be seen as a fool character. For a peripheral character, Rash pays quite a bit of attention to Snipes, and Snipes has a great deal of dialogue.
Prompt: Write a 750+ word essay that discusses the significance of Snipes's role as the wise fool in Serena. What comparison can be made between Snipes and the fool in his appearance and his function in the novel? How does Snipes bring forth words of wisdom to the loggers in his criticism of the Pemberton's, especially Serena?
3. Context:Much scholarship surrounding Macbeth has concerned Lady Macbeth's role in her husband's rise to power and downfall. Similarly, Serena plays a similar role in the Pembertons' rise to power, the expansion of their logging empire, and eventually Pemberton's downfall.
Prompt: Write a 750+ word essay that compares Lady Macbeth and Serena. How are their characters similar? How do both women exert power of their husbands, their "kingdoms," and their futures? The essay must reference two primary texts.
4. Context: Throughout the semester, the class has been able to make many connections between the plots and characters of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and those of Ron Rash's Serena. There are many similarities between the Pemberton's and the Macbeths, the series of murders that take place, and the ideas of power and empire.
Prompt: Write a 750+ word essay creating 3 parallels between the concepts and/or events of Macbeth and those in Serena. You must reference both primary sources.