117 Macbeth Essay Topics | Literature Tips And Ideas

If you are taking literature in college or university, one of the plays liked by class teachers and professors for assignments is Macbeth by William Shakespeare. For most students, Macbeth related assignments, be they research papers or essays, are tough and it is easy to see why – they require advanced analytical, research, and writing skills.

It is also challenging to identify good Macbeth tragedy essay topics college. However, do not give up because we are here to help you with your essay about Macbeth.

This post takes a closer look at Macbeth to demonstrate what it is about and also highlights the main themes. Furthermore, the post lists 117 hot Macbeth topics you can use for top grades.

A Brief Word About Macbeth:

What is Macbeth’s main idea?

Macbeth (shortening for The Tragedy of Macbeth) is a play believed to have been performed first in 1606. The play dramatizes the damaging psychological and physical impacts of political ambitions on persons seeking power for their selfish gains. In the play, a brave Scottish general, Macbeth, gets a prophecy from witches that he will one day become the king.

The prophecy builds up into a selfish ambition that is further pushed by his wife, Lady Macbeth. The ambition makes Macbeth to murder the King Duncan and then take over the throne. The new king, Macbeth, is taken over by paranoia, which pushes him to commit more murders for personal protection. Ultimately, civil war takes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to madness and death.

The Main Themes In Macbeth

When your lecturer issues Macbeth writing prompts, it is very important to identify the main themes in the play. Indeed, it will be a great idea to grasp the themes when preparing any Macbeth paper or Macbeth fate essay for comprehensive analysis. So, here are some of the themes:

Ambition

Appearance and reality

Supernatural

Guilt

Senselessness

Femininity and masculinity

Fate and free will

Special Tips For Analyzing A Piece of Literature

When writing an essay on Macbeth, you can only be sure of top grades by starting with comprehensive analysis. This makes it easy to answer any Macbeth essay question and stand out in your class or school. So, here are some expert tips for analyzing a piece of literature:

Understand the genre of the piece of literature. Is it a comedy, tragedy, history, or later romances? In the case of Macbeth, it is a tragedy.
Read the text multiple times to understand it. For example, what is the central idea/ theme of the play, Macbeth? This is the main idea used to develop the plot of the play.
Identify other supporting themes used in the play. In most cases, these themes are interrelated to the main theme to provide flow from the start to the end.
Identify the characters and their roles in the play. Remember that every play must have the main character and supporting characters.
Identify the literary devices used in the play. For example, Shakespeare uses different devices, such as imagery and figurative language and reversal of characters.
Review the ending, and determine whether the author achieved the targeted objective. You might want to compare the play with others of the same genre.

Best Macbeth Essay Ideas

Next, we will highlight some awesome Macbeth narrative essay ideas you can use to prepare top-rated papers or any type of best english essays. Go ahead and use them as they are, or tweak a little to fit your preference.

Macbeth Argumentative Essay Topics

Macbeth is a moral play by Shakespeare.
Duncan’s death: Who is to blame?
Is Macbeth a more tragic hero compared to his wife?
Macbeth’s betrayal of King Duncan or his friend: Which one is worse?
Should Macbeth be considered guilty?
Who should be blamed for Duncan’s death?
Why was morality unable to starve off the lust for power in Macbeth?
In all Shakespeare’s works, Macbeth is the most tragic hero.
Understanding manipulation of families in Macbeth.
Without the influence of prophecy, would Macbeth have become the king?
What role do witches play in Macbeth?
Banquo, Macduff, and Macbeth are the same version of the same person.
At the end of Macbeth, justice was not served.
In the play, Macbeth, is blood a symbol of something else?
Do minor characters in Macbeth play a bigger role?
The witches’ prophecy to Banquo: Did it play any role in his character development?
Macbeth’s actions: Are they inspired by supernatural or fear?
Historical liberties taken by the author: Did they help to enhance the story?
What role do Macbeth’s hallucinations play in the development of his character in the play?
King Duncan’s contribution to Macbeth’s play.

Best Comparative Macbeth Essay topic Options

Compare and contrast Banquo and Macbeth after hearing the prophecy.
Compare downfalls reported in Macbeth by William Shakespeare with Jack from Lord of Flies by Golding William.
Comparing and contrasting gods in Iliad with witches in Macbeth.
The roles of soliloquies in Macbeth and Hamlet: A comparison.
Comparing the heroes from William Shakespeare’s works, Macbeth and Richard II.
The role of phantoms in Macbeth and Hamlet: A comparison.
Comparing the endings of the Lord of Flies and Macbeth.
Can you compare and contrast the support that Piggy gave to Ralph in the Lord of Flies with the support that Lady Macbeth gave to Macbeth.
What roles does the evil play in Macbeth and Lord of Flies
Compare the external conflicts in Macbeth with another play by the author of your choice.

Interesting Macbeth Research Paper Topics

What is the meaning of blood in Macbeth?
Macbeth is an antihero in the book.
A closer look at the theme of sleep in Macbeth play.
Senselessness of life is the main theme in Macbeth.
How is remorse represented in the play Macbeth?
Macbeth tragedy: A closer look at the theme of free will.
Can you identify and review Aristotle’s archetypes in William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth.
Analyzing the literary devices used by Shakespeare to highlight the deterioration of Macbeth.
Mythological elements in Macbeth: How do they help in the development of the plot in Macbeth?
Factors that drive Macbeth’s own ambitions.
The presentation of the theme of deception in Macbeth.
Macbeth becomes the king of Scotland: Is Macbeth responsible for the ascent?
A closer review of how witches influence the actions of Macbeth’s actions throughout the play.
Explore Shakespeare’s use of elision technique in the play Macbeth.
At the end of the play, what is your attitude towards Macbeth?

Thought-Provoking Macbeth Research Topics

Macbeth is not heroic or loathsome, but a sort of a combination of the two: Discuss.
Banquo is as important alive as dead: Discuss.
Macbeth is fighting a battle he cannot win against the supernatural: Do you agree?
The relationship between Macbeth and his wife stands only as far as they have a common objective.
“Let fall thy blade on vulnerable crest; I bear a charmed life, which must not yield to one of woman born.” Discuss this statement.
What roles does Porte Science in Act II, Scene III have in the play Macbeth?
Why is the ghost scene so important in the play?
If there were no witches in the play Macbeth, what would be missing?
Macbeth is a complex character: Discuss the different roles that he plays in the book Macbeth.
What roles do children play in the novel Macbeth?
Shakespeare is above all writers: Do you agree with this statement? Demonstrate using Macbeth.
Are the characters Lady Macduff, Macduff, and Malcolm really necessary in the play Macbeth?
Analyzing the main reasons why Macbeth failed.
The theme of loyalty to country and king as presented in Macbeth.
“Macbeth is no common ruthless butcher.” Discuss this statement.

Gender in Macbeth Essay Topics

The evilest woman in the play, Macbeth, is Lady Macbeth.
What were the main impacts that Lady Macbeth had on her husband during the play?
Can you conclude that Lady Macbeth is the typical 1600 woman?
How is the character of Lady Macbeth revealed in the play Macbeth?
Women characters in the play Macbeth: Are they the sign of Macbeth’s fate?
From the play Macbeth, what is Shakespeare’s view of women?
Review Shakespeare’s ideas on feminism after reading the play Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth is a perfect wife for Macbeth. Discuss.
What does Lady Macbeth mean when she asks the spirits to unsex her?
Select two minor characters and demonstrate how they help with the plot development in Macbeth.

Macbeth Essay Thesis Ideas

A Review of morality and its role in the play Macbeth.
What influence do phantoms have on Macbeth’s sanity?
A thematic review of the role of dreams in Macbeth.
Analyzing the conflict between reality and appearance in Macbeth.
What are the different types of masculinity in Macbeth?
Language and gender in the play Macbeth: How are they connected?
Fear was the main reason for Duncan’s murder: Explain.
The central driver of the plot used in Macbeth is greed for power.
The supernatural theme in the play Macbeth.
A review of the relationship between Banquo and Macbeth.
The play Macbeth is built on crime and punishment.

Literary Analysis Essay Topics For Macbeth

A deeper look at men’s descent into madness because of greed and dishonesty.
The way witches shape the play’s title and the future of characters.
The political ambition in Macbeth and modern day real-life scenarios.
How does imagery help to advance the main story in the play, Macbeth?
Structural analysis in Macbeth: How do the title characters develop in the entire play?
The use of suspension in the play Macbeth.
Analyze the use of figurative language in the play Macbeth.
Reversal of characters in relation to Lady Macbeth and Macbeth.
Compare the use of elision in the play Macbeth to other Shakespeare’s works.

Essay Prompts Macbeth

What is the role of social hierarchy in the novel Macbeth?
Different powers as brought out by Shakespeare in his play, Macbeth.
Why is dream so significant in Macbeth?
Obsession with murder in the play Macbeth.
After reading the play Macbeth, give your own impression of a king.
Macbeth, the main hero of the book, is a psychopath: Discuss.
A closer look at the main types of sins in the play Macbeth.
Prepare a narrative essay from Lady Macbeth’s viewpoint after Macbeth became king.
Comparing Hitler to the main character in the play Macbeth.
How are superego, ego, and id depicted in the play Macbeth?
Reviewing the character of Macbeth as an astounding leader.
If Macbeth was to reemerge in the current society, would he be successful?
How is the tragedy of Macbeth connected to that of Greek myths?
A closer look at Macbeth’s mental status: What symptoms of mental illness does he depict?
Promise of power or power itself: What corrupted Macbeth more?

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