Character Disintegration Assessment
Directions for Writing:
The character disintegration of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth could be blamed on tragic flaws, like
excessive ambition or hubris. It could also be blamed on external forces, like peer pressure,
relationships, or the convincing words of others.
From the perspective of either Macbeth or Lady Macbeth, write an 8-10 sentence paragraph in
which you explain whether the cause of your character disintegration or downfall was due to
internal or external forces. Your paragraph should:
• place clear blame on an internal or external for why the character made the choices they
made (was it their fault of someone/something else)
• use the first person point of view ("I" statements)
• cite three examples of textual evidence from the play to support your character's
perspective and response
• explain the evidence from your selected character's point of view
Example (from the perspective of one of Cinderella's stepsisters): From the recesses of my heart, I cannot help
but share our perspective on the unfortunate events. It wasn't my fault! I was but a victim of my circumstances,
molded by a mother who only valued appearances. Our actions, though unkind, were born from the desperation
to earn her love and secure our future. With her beauty and kindness, Cinderella was a constant reminder of my
inadequacies in my mother's eyes. My laughter and mockery of Cinderella was a weak attempt to shield myself
from the pain of rejection. I made her do "all the drudgery of the house" because my mother made me make her
do our chores. I hid the invitation to the ball from Cinderella only because I wanted some time in the spotlight. I
clearly yearned for the prince's love, too, because I "begged for a long time" to go . When the prince came to
my house to find the owner of the glass slipper, I only locked Cinderella in her room to give myself a chance. I
was "wild with delight" at the chance to look the prince in the eye. Blame should not be placed upon me;
instead, the unforgiving expectations of parental and societal pressures shaped me into the wicked stepsister I
became. Ultimately, I was a victim of a materialistic and superficial world that offered little compassion or
understanding.
My downfall stemmed from internal flaws: excessive ambition and a lust for
power. The witches' prophecy ignited a burning desire to be queen, driving
me to manipulate Macbeth to murder. "Look like the innocent flower, but be
the serpent under't," I urged, showing my manipulative behavior. My
ambition blinded me to the consequences, revealing my ruthlessnes. Guilt
and madness consumed me, culmination in sleepwalking; my inner turmoil
Character Disintegration spiraled out of my control. Ultimately, my ambition and hunger for power
Response sealed my tragic fate.
Character Disintegration Rubric
On Target Almost There Needs Improvement
30-24 points 23-21 points 20-0 points
• The response • The response attempts • The response is not
insightfully reflects to reflect the written from the point
the perspective of perspective of Macbeth of view of Macbeth or
Macbeth or Lady or Lady Macbeth, but Lady Macbeth.
Macbeth and is the voice and • The response does not
written in first-person perspective may be clearly state which
point of view. unclear or force is responsible for
• The response clearly undeveloped. the character's
states whether internal • The response may not disintegration or the
or external forces are clearly state which topic is not addressed.
responsible for the force (internal or • The response does not
chosen character's external) is responsible include evidence and
Character disintegration. for the chosen elaboration from the
Perspective • The response includes character's play to support the
Response at least three pieces of disintegration. character's response.
textual evidence and • The response includes • The response is less
elaboration from at least two pieces of than six sentences in
Macbeth that support evidence and length.
the chosen character's elaboration from
reason for character Macbeth that support
disintegration. the chosen character's
• The response is at reason for
least eight sentences disintegration.
in length. • The response is at least
six sentences in length.
5 points 4-3 points 2-0 points
Spelling,
Grammar, There are virtually no There are a few spelling, There are several
and spelling, punctuation, or punctuation, or spelling, punctuation, or
Punctuation grammatical errors. grammatical errors. grammatical errors.
