English 5 IB HL / Northwestern High School
Part 2, Detailed Study: Individual Oral Commentary and Discussion
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Bronte, Jane Eyre:
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What character did you find most interesting? Why?
How would you describe the structure of the novel? Why does Bronte choose it?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the point of view Bronte uses? Give examples.
Describe a descriptive passage that impacted you and explain why?
How does the language of the novel support themes and ideas?
What are some important motifs?
How effective is Bronte’s use of symbolism and imagery? Provide examples.
What do you think are Jane’s best attributes? How does Bronte reveal them?
In what ways did the setting of the novel contribute to its meaning?
Did you find the ending satisfying?
What were your opinions of the novel after the first fifty pages? Did they change?
Do you think this is primarily a love story, or a social commentary?
What are some adjectives that come to mind when you think of Rochester? Explain.
How are the religious figures in the novel depicted? Is Bronte making a point here?
In what ways are the men in Jane’s life similar and different? What might Bronte be saying here?
How are Romantic ideals expressed in the work? Do you find this novel timeless, or time-bound?
For you, is Jane an ideal woman?
What differences, if any, did you perceive between the film and your understanding of the book?
Shakespeare, Macbeth:
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The play clearly focuses on Macbeth; do we learn anything from any of the other characters?
Is knowledge of the historical context of the play necessary to understand it?
How is the dialectic of order and disorder expressed?
What motifs or symbols stand out to you?
Why are the asides so important?
How does Macbeth’s language reinforce meaning?
When does Shakespeare use prose instead of blank verse, and why?
Do you like Macbeth? Do you have sympathy for him? If so, how does Shakespeare create it?
What’s going on in the opening scene?
How does Shakespeare use paradox to make the play relevant to his own life and time?
Is Macbeth primarily a political or psychological drama?
Do you see Macbeth as a victim of the witches’ manipulations, or is he fully responsible for his actions?
How does Macbeth rationalize killing Duncan?
How does Shakespeare effect Macbeth’s association with the witches?
How does Shakespeare use dramatic irony to foreshadow the conflicts in the story?
How are Macbeth and Banquo different?
How would you characterize the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth?
What is the main point, if any, that Shakespeare is communicating in the play?