Writing a Text Response Essay

Text response is always explored via an essay question, and often, despite detailed and complex text knowledge, students do not score well because they do not understand how to work the question.  Key to this task is entering into a conversation with the question: not being fearful of it, but challenging its presumptions, defining and redefining terms and responding with your considered view of the text.

Below in blue is an extract of the “Text Response Guide” that you should have in your notes. I have added annotations in rusty red.

All essay questions are designed to encourage you to:

• demonstrate your ability to construct a relevant and thoughtful response to an unseen topic
• demonstrate your ability to argue with a topic
• discuss your view of the text in relation to the topic
• illustrate your detailed and perceptive reading of the text
• flaunt your writing skills

There is no purpose in trying to borrow an opinion of the texts, nor is there any benefit in telling all you know about a text without regard to the question.  The best way to score well is to KNOW the text intimately, be able to read the question and INTERPRET THE TOPIC and finally, write FLUENTLY and with ACCURATE EXPRESSION.

STEP ONE: understand the question

 “After the murder of Duncan, neither Macbeth nor Lady Macbeth evokes pity or even sympathy for the rest of the play.”    Discuss.

 What are the key words? (underlined above)

Look them up in a dictionary to really thresh out their meaning. Sometimes this involves you in thinking about what a word doesn’t mean or the fine difference between what the question states and what you believe. Doing this helps you discover what the question is really asking. 

• this suggests that there is sympathy/pity before Duncan’s murder
• neither – could argue that one evokes more sympathy/pity than the other and then explain when and why…
• pity = sorrow, compassion, regret and disappointment… sympathy = condolences, sorrow, compassion, understanding between people, connection with others.  Difference?  sympathy more about empathy and pity is more about compassion from a more comfortable space…
• rest of the play – when does the sympathy occur? does it ever? are there other emotions that are evoked instead of sympathy/pity – anger, frustration…

What precisely is the question asking?

Make sure that you answer all aspects of the question. Always be on the look out for ‘and’ or ‘also’ as this usually indicates another area in the question to address.

Do you ever feel sympathy or pity (or is it another emotion) toward Lady Macbeth and Macbeth after they have murdered Duncan?

What is your view of the question? (totally agree? Totally disagree? = very unusual and not very complex Agree in part? = this is it – it requires explanation and nuanced discussion)

Part of your ability to answer requires you to have considered opinion on the issues presented in the question.  Inherent in this the question “Is that all?” – if you can ask this then you will be able to respond that the question in a more complex way. 

Answer that rephrased question in point form:

• Before Duncan’s murder, empathy for Macbeth’s ambition, but after Duncan’s murder, reaction – change to revulsion b/c  M orchestrates murders – Banquo, and Macduffs. But  act 5, more sympathetic, particularly when LM dies, however – frustration b/c M can see he causes his guilt – he could avoid this and doesn’t.
• Before Duncan’s murder – Lady Macbeth (LM) – no sympathy, instead = awe, fear b/c she = cold, calculating but so loyal to Mac. After murder, some begrudging admiration – b/c so good at manipulation but act 5, more pity b/c she = desperate – ironically caused by her own actions – feel frustration toward her too

Step 2: Explain your view

 In order to do this you have to brainstorm – write everything you know that is relevant to the question.  This may be quotes, facts about a character, events in the text, single words, ideas….  At this stage this is not ordered, but just you threshing out the implications of your response to the topic.  See above

Step 3: Order 

Now you are ready to plan your response: basically this means giving order to your rambling thoughts. Using numbers, order your ideas in a way that enables a logical flow starting with what you see as the most crucial argument.  Remember that this is an argument!  

Plan…  Contention – Feel less sympathy for Macbeth because he commits other murders whereas LM doesn’t murder anyone. Feel pity later b/c they have insight into the enormity of their crime.  Para 1= Macbeth – awareness of “sin” but does it anyway – neither sympathy or pity, just frustration.  Para 2=  Diff b/w murder of Duncan,  Banquo and Macduff – M changes b/ms more brutal and cold – no pity or sympathy – anger b/c he knows.  Para 3= LMacbeth – directly involved in D’s murder & like Macbeth knowingly “sins” but b/c doesn’t actually kill Duncan therefore less culpable. Para 4 = At the end, pity for both because of their insights into their conscience through use of symbols (dreams, blood) & soliloquies etc creates human connection but not sympathy.

In order to prepare for the exam you need to have  strong knowledge of:

• characters – both major and minor characters
• themes and symbols
• construction elements = awareness of how Shakespeare has ordered and built the narrative, drama and meaning

Reviewing and rewriting your notes is a crucial first step.

Whilst using others’ quotation lists is useful, you must select the quotations that will enable you to substantiate your discussion in any essay.  Choose quotations that can be used to discuss more than one element: for example; “I am in blood steeped so far, that I should wade no more” (Act 3, scene 4, 142) can be used to discuss the theme of guilt, one of many recurring images of blood, and obviously Macbeth’s mindset after the murders of Duncan and Banquo.

This link below is an interesting site called VCE Help and this is a link to a page produced with quotations that have been sorted into categories.

Once you have reviewed  notes, selected quotes and considered the themes and how they link to quotations, then you are ready to write an essay.