EN10 Oral Commentary Guide on a Play: Macbeth

EN10 Oral Commentary Guide on a Play: Macbeth

Revised EN10

EN10 Oral Commentary Guide on a Play: Macbeth

A commentary is really just another (IB) name for a literary analysis or “a personal response to literature”, which is essentially a close study or deconstruction of the literary elements that contribute to the success, or otherwise, of a work of literature. This is will usually involve magnifying the details and language in order to discover the more about the text and/or examining the writer’s intent by digging deeper and “reading between the lines” – sometimes it is what the author does not say that is most interesting!

Good commentaries have a confident voice, but will still be reflective and open to exploring the uncertainties of all art forms, the writer’s intent and other interpretations, as well as the personal impact of the piece.

Commentaries are open ended in so far as you are determining the merit of the work or passage and the nature of the analytical focus. However, it is not like a focus essay or presentation in which the scope of your exploration is more “focused” either on a prescribed topic or on a thesis which you have determined. Although you must develop focus in commentary, this focus is on a close examination of the critical incident that the passage addresses by exploringa variety of literary elements and devices both on the “matter” (the what) and “manner” (the how) of the work, thus demonstrating the breadth of your understanding of literary piece

COMMENTARY TIPS:

Think: what does the piece “do to you,” the viewer/audience/reader; what impact does it have on you; what impact does that have on meaning or interpretation; how does the use of language have an impact on you?

Think: what literary elements are used and what are their effects (putting yourself in the literary box); how do the effects lead to meaning, understanding, interpretation?

Things to remember in the paragraphs above…

  • WORD CHOICE/DICTION: Words are the basic building blocks of literature. Word choices are deliberate. Words lead to word combinations (simile/metaphor, etc)
  • IMAGERY: These combinations can lead to imagery.
  • LITERARY TERMS: Use them.
  • INTEREST: Try to talk about something you find interesting.
  • DON’T ‘DUMB IT DOWN’: Assume an intelligent audience who haveviewed/read the material (though they'll need reminders).
  • USE A PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIC REGISTER.
  • KEEP IT SIMPLE: Keep your tone straightforward and your explanations concise. Write as directly and clearly as you can, but remember that "simple" does not mean "simplistic."
  • DON’T SUMMARISE. Don’t retell the passage. Use plot only to provide context for your point.
  • BE CLEAR. Explain your arguments thoroughly and patiently. Don't expect the reader to grasp your claims easily.
  • FOCUS. Organise your presentationin chunks. Focus on one element at a time. Don't try to say everything you've figured out about the work in one response. Select only those quotations/examples that advance and support your ideas. Set up quotations with a brief reminder to readers of what is happening in the text at that point. Integrate quotations into your response so that everything sounds coherent. Keep quotations as brief as you can.
  • MAKE COMNNECTIONS. Use transitions to show how sections are logically connected to each other and to your thesis. This is crucial. The reader must be able to see how each of your ideas builds upon the previous one.
  • USE PRESENT TENSE: Use present tense to show that literary works and the issues they raise are still alive. Not "Shelley was..." but "Shelley is...." You should use the past tense only if you are referring to a contextual point that took place in the past.

ORAL COMMENTARY DECONSTRUCTION GUIDE: MACBETH

IDENTIFY: Begin by identifying the piece (where is it from). What work is this passage from? What is the title? Who is the writer? Who is the speaker? Narrator?Character? (if known)

GIVE CONTEXT & CRITICAL INCIDENT: Put the passage in context. When, in the plot line, does it take place? Why is it important or significant? (It would not be chosen as a passage for a commentary if it were not important or significant). Is it a ‘critical moment’ when a character faces a dilemma? Is it a ‘critical moment’ when a character has an ‘epiphany’? Ask yourself the question—without this passage, would there be a change in the entire novel/play?

Move to the writer’s probable intent in including this passage. The above questions help you to do that. Is the writer moving the plot forward? Is the writer highlighting the conflict in the text?

MAIN IDEAS: Consider the main ideas in the passage. What are they? Articulate them clearly. You are not necessarily dealing with themes here; you may simply be dealing with the ideas which the character/narrator/speaker is presenting. Is there a structural pattern?

CHARACTER: Consider a focus on the character(s) and explain why this passage is important for characterization or character development.

THEMES(s): Discuss the theme(s) in the passage and/or how this passage relates to the overall themes in the entire text.

SETTING: Consider a focus on setting if relevant and how it influences our appreciation of this passage; how does it add to plot, character or theme?

STYLE -- IMPACT OF LITERARY DEVICES: Look at the ‘craft’ involved in the creation of this passage. Here you are looking specifically at the literary elements. Is imagery(metaphorical and sensory) or word choice (connotations) important? How is it achieved? What can you say about its impact on the charater, plot, theme or setting? You might look at the impact of other literary devices such as:

  1. Motifs/symbols
  2. Paradox
  3. Tone
  4. Register
  5. Syntax
  6. Allusions
  7. Sound devices

CLOSING: Revisit the critical incident focus for the commentary. End by showing that you were ‘engaged’ by the passage. One good way is to say, “This passage made me…” or “The ideas in this passage…”, or “This passage made me think of…”. Do not go overboard.

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