1. Final Macbeth Revision
Macbeth – The Exam Essay

2. What will the Question look like?
Read this extract taken from …….. where……
Starting with this extract, explore/explain/consider……….
Write about:
• how Shakespeare presents…………. in this scene
• how Shakespeare presents…………. in the play as a whole
Extract from the play

3. Macbeth Questions that have been used by AQA so far….
The question may have a character focus, a thematic focus – or, most likely it will combine both.
Starting with this moment in the play, explore how Shakespeare presents the attitudes of Macbeth and Banquo towards the supernatural.
Starting with this speech, explore how Shakespeare presents ambition in the play.
Starting with this moment in the play, explore how Shakespeare presents the marriage between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Starting with this speech, explain how far you think Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a hero. (Bravery)
Starting with this speech, explain how far you think Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as a powerful woman. (Power)

4. Look at the Exemplar Essay on the Character of Macbeth
Starting with this extract, explain how far you think Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a brave man. Write about: • How Shakespeare presents Macbeth in this extract • How Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a brave man in the play as a whole

5. Explore how far Shakespeare presents Macduff as a good man?
BIG PICTURE IDEAS:
Shares many similarities with Macbeth
Equal Status of nobility to Macbeth
Brave and loyal to the King
Devoted to his family
Willing to kill to secure their futures
Also significant differences
Macbeth selfishly wants to secure his own future
Macduff selflessly wants to secure the future of Scotland
Not seen much in first half of the play – as his appearance increase, so does Macbeth’s presentation as a villain increase and Macduff therefore is seen more as a hero.
The fact that the King has asked Macduff to awake him reflects his trust in him as a good, loyal man. (Link to context)

6. how Shakespeare presents Macduff in this scene
Unnatural repetition and exclamation highlights Macduff’s total shock.
[Re-enter MACDUFF] Macduff. O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart Cannot conceive nor name thee! Macbeth. [with Lennox] What's the matter. Macduff. Confusion now hath made his masterpiece! Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence The life o' the building!
His innate goodness means that he cannot even pronounce the word ‘murder’ to start with.
This adjective ‘sacrilegious’ and reference to the ‘Lord’ emphasises his religious stance and reinforces the idea that the murder of a king goes against God.

7. Macbeth. What is 't you say? the life? Lennox. Mean you his majesty?
The negative imperative connotes how appalled he is at the murder; he cannot bring himself to describe what he has seen.
Macbeth. What is 't you say? the life?
Lennox. Mean you his majesty?
Macduff. Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight
With a new Gorgon: do not bid me speak;
See, and then speak yourselves.
[Exeunt MACBETH and LENNOX]

8. Ring the alarum-bell. Murder and treason!
Several short and rapid exclamations convey his genuine emotion at the death of the King.
Awake, awake!
Ring the alarum-bell. Murder and treason!
Banquo and Donalbain! Malcolm! awake!
Shake off this downy sleep, death's counterfeit,
And look on death itself! up, up, and see
The great doom's image! Malcolm! Banquo!
As from your graves rise up, and walk like sprites,
To countenance this horror! Ring the bell.
awake!
Imperatives in his dialogue reflect his ability to act like a leader.

9. Lady Macbeth. What's the business,
[Bell rings]
[Enter LADY MACBETH]
Lady Macbeth. What's the business,
That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley
The sleepers of the house? speak, speak!
Macduff. O gentle lady,
'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak:
The repetition, in a woman's ear,
Would murder as it fell.
Macduff demonstrates humanity and respect for Lady Macbeth. His words reflect the historical considerations of women as being weaker than men.
His words create dramatic irony as the audience know of Lady Macbeth’s part in Duncan’s murder.

10. how Shakespeare presents Macduff in the play as a whole
He is the first to question what Macbeth killed the guards: ‘Wherefore did you so?’ – suggests good instincts and an initial distrust of Macbeth.
When talking to Ross and the Old Man, Macduff tells them that he will not be going to Macbeth’s coronation: ‘I'll to Fife.’ – Shakespeare could already be signalling to the audience that Macduff is distancing himself from Macbeth, which therefore also distances him from evil in the eyes of the audience. It is interesting that he also describes the supposed murderers as ‘Those that Macbeth hath slain.’ – suggesting that he is still suspicious about this turn of events.

11. When Lady Macduff complains about her husband leaving his family at such a dangerous time, Ross reassures her that Macduff is : ‘He is noble, wise, judicious’
Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty by pretending that he would make a bad king himself, due to his greedy and corrupt past. He wants to see whether Macduff will say anything to please him – just to get him to return to Scotland so that Macbeth can kill him. However, Macduff’s true goodness is revealed when he says ‘Bleed, bleed, poor country!’ and ‘O Scotland, Scotland!’ at the prospect of another corrupt king.
Shakespeare shows Macduff’s extreme grief when he hears the news of his murdered family: ‘I could play the woman with mine eyes’
It is significant that Shakespeare has Macduff finally kill Macbeth because it draws on the parallels between them. Macbeth killed a king so that he could become king but Macduff kills a king so that Malcom can become King and Scotland can be great again. As he enters the stage with Macbeth’s head, he says: ‘Hail, king!’ – words which sum up his honourable and loyal nature.

12. Which Character? Macbeth
Choose a Quote – Write it on a post-it – write down what themes it links to - Identify a method used in the quote
Which Character?
Macbeth
“brave Macbeth” “unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps” “O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!” “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” “too full o' the milk of human kindness” “Vaulting ambition” “Art thou afeard…?”- “If we should fail?” “False face must hide what the false heart doth know.” “'Sleep no more!”
“I shame // To wear a heart so white.”
“make our faces vizards”
“Avaunt! and quit my sight!”
“answer me”
“black Macbeth”
“devilish Macbeth”
“I'll fight till from my bones my flesh be hack'd”
“I have almost forgot the taste of fears;”
“this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen,”
“So foul and fair a day I have not seen”
Deceit, appearance and reality
Use of Juxtaposition
Who can complete the most post-its?
How many quotes can you remember at the end of the activity?

13. What other parts of the play would you explore for this question?
Starting with this scene, explain how Shakespeare presents the change in Lady Macbeth’s character.
Doctor : What a sigh is there! The heart is sorely charged. Gentlewoman : I would not have such a heart in my bosom for the dignity of the whole body. Doctor : Well, well, well,-- Gentlewoman : Pray God it be, sir. Doctor : This disease is beyond my practise: yet I have known those which have walked in their sleep who have died holily in their beds. LADY MACBETH : Wash your hands, put on your nightgown; look not so pale.--I tell you yet again, Banquo's buried; he cannot come out on's grave.
LADY MACBETH : Out, damned spot! out, I say!--One: two: why, then, 'tis time to do't.--Hell is murky!--Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?--Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him. Doctor : Do you mark that? LADY MACBETH : The thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now?-- What, will these hands ne'er be clean?--No more o' that, my lord, no more o' that: you mar all with this starting. Doctor : Go to, go to; you have known what you should not. Gentlewoman : She has spoke what she should not, I am sure of that: heaven knows what she has known. LADY MACBETH : Here's the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!
What other parts of the play would you explore for this question?
Questions
Exclamations
Lexical Field of
More feminine words
Showing the reactions
Of other characters
Very quickly, annotate three points you can make about this extract.
Identify the METHOD and link it to the question
Symbolism