how to structure a macbeth essay gcse

Macbeth Essays

There are loads of ways you can approach writing an essay, but the two i favour are detailed below., the key thing to remember is that an essay should focus on the three aos:, ao1: plot and character development; ao2: language and technique; ao3: context, strategy 1 : extract / rest of play, the first strategy basically splits the essay into 3 paragraphs., the first paragraph focuses on the extract, the second focuses on the rest of the play, the third focuses on context. essentially, it's one ao per paragraph, for a really neatly organised essay., strategy 2 : a structured essay with an argument, this strategy allows you to get a much higher marks as it's structured to form an argument about the whole text. although you might think that's harder - and it's probably going to score more highly - i'd argue that it's actually easier to master. mainly because you do most of the work before the day of the exam., to see some examples of these, click on the links below:, lady macbeth as a powerful woman, macbeth as a heroic character, the key to this style is remembering this: you're going to get a question about a theme, and the extract will definitely relate to the theme., the strategy here is planning out your essays before the exam, knowing that the extract will fit into them somehow., below are some structured essays i've put together., macbeth and gender.

how to structure a macbeth essay gcse

Macbeth: Essay Plan Examples

A* and Level 9 essays are always properly planned before they are written. But how should you plan a Macbeth Essay?

Here is a list of practise plans and notes that students have completed for a range of essays on Macbeth. Some are focused on ideas, and others on structuring. To get the best out of your plans, you should try to keep a balance between both of these.

Always plan a thesis before writing — this is your main argument, the main answer to the question that comes in the intro of your essay. The rest of the essay should then explore and argue on this thesis.

This page is suitable for students aged 14–18 (GCSE — A-Level), particularly those studying the following exam boards: CIE / Cambridge, AQA, OCR, WJEC / Eduqas, CCEA, Edexcel.

Thanks for reading! If you find this resource useful, you can take a look at our full online Macbeth course here . Use the code “SHAKESPEARE” to receive a 50% discount!

This course includes: 

  • A full set of video lessons on each key element of the text: summary, themes, setting, characters, context, attitudes, analysis of key quotes, essay questions, essay examples
  • Downloadable documents for each video lesson 
  • A range of example B-A* / L7-L9 grade essays, both at GCSE (ages 14-16) and A-Level (age 16+) with teacher comments and mark scheme feedback
  • A bonus Macbeth workbook designed to guide you through each scene of the play!

For more help with Macbeth and Tragedy, read our article here .

PRACTICE ESSAY 1:

Explore how Shakespeare discusses the theme of deception in Macbeth.

Trickery begets trickery — Macbeth deceives Duncan at the start, Banquo shortly after, he himself is deceived by the Witches > negative comment on deception.

Feudal system / divine right of kings vs New Politics / Machiavelli.

Deception creates temporary power, but the order of the world will be restored.

God ignores the castle — sinful behavior causes God to turn away.

Thesis: deception is evil and creates more evil and chaos, both for the individuals who deceive and the kingdom as a whole. For the human characters, it leads down a path to insanity, Shakespeare is drawing a parallel between deception and evil to show that it is ungodly and sinful.

P1 — Intro — Shakespeare discusses the theme of deception in Macbeth by exploring Macbeth’s insanity, showing the Macbeths covering their tracks and the temporary success with long term failure that deception brings.

P2 — Macbeth’s insanity — “oh full of scorpions is my mind”, “could not I pronounce Amen” “Is this a dagger I see before me”.

P3 — Showing the Macbeths covering their tracks — creates a climate of panic and paranoia — “I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal”.

P4 — demonstrates the religious messages of Macbeth — don’t commit sinful behavior.

P5 — demonstrates Shakespeare’s political beliefs — his faith in the Feudal system / his mistrust of New Politics.

PRACTISE ESSAY 2:

How does Shakespeare make this scene particularly terrifying?

500–600 Words essay.

5 Paragraphs:

  • Intro — 50 words — Go over points quickly > thesis at the end
  • Paragraph 1 (PEAL) — 165 words
  • Paragraph 2 (PEAL) — 165 words
  • Paragraph 3 (PEAL) — 165 words
  • Conclusion — Recap strongest points quickly > Link back to the thesis

Paragraph plans

  • Shakespeare makes this scene particularly terrifying by… (religion)
  • Furthermore, the scene is particularly terrifying due to … (fear)
  • Another way that Shakespeare has made this scene particularly terrifying is… (supernatural)

PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE:

Point — 1 Sentence

Evidence — Quotation (no longer than 7 words).

Analysis — Identify techniques, language features, vocabulary, and dramatic devices ‘how / why’ something works in a certain way.

Evaluation — assessing the importance/significance of something.

Link — Link back to text and thesis.

Thesis: The significant turning point for Macbeth in the play as he realizes that he is unable to say amen and might be haunted due to his deed. Macbeth is a dynamic character, a tragic hero who undergoes a tragic fall, and this moment demonstrates the point at which his mind begins to disintegrate and he is abandoned by God, which would be very terrifying for a Shakespearean audience.

Top Level Mark Scheme:

  • Answers in this band have all the qualities of Band 2 work, with further  insight, sensitivity, individuality, and flair.  They maintain a  sustained engagement  with both text and task.
  • Sustains a perceptive, convincing and relevant personal response
  • Shows a clear critical understanding of the text.
  • Responds sensitively and in detail to the way the writer achieves her/his effects (sustaining a convincing voice in an empathic task).
  • Integrates much well-selected reference to the text

‘Make’ > understand and discuss dramatic devices

‘Particularly’ > evaluation word

Thesis: ‘what we think/feel/realize’

Shakespeare makes this scene particularly terrifying through the implicit meanings in the text. He uses varying vocabulary and language features such as allegory and allusion, which are seen throughout the text, to create a frightening atmosphere. This mainly revolves around Macbeth, a dynamic character, whose insight to murder has changed. We realize that Macbeth is unable to cope with his past actions due to his current actions.

QUOTES/IDEAS:

“ Didst thou not hear a noise ?” — Macbeth builds tension/suspense, a small amount of fear, later layers up into terror.

“ The owl scream ” — Lady Macbeth, possible link to Duncan’s death, possible horror sound, ‘scream’ > personification.

“ As I descended ?” — Macbeth, descent downstairs, but also perhaps signifies hell/degeneration into evil + madness.

Disjoined / lack of connection between characters — Macbeth is jumpy. They disagree. Macbeth is empathetic towards Donalbain > ‘ sorry sight’, Lady Macbeth is cold and says he is ‘foolish’.

“ There’s one did laugh in’s sleep, and one cried ‘Murder !’,” > terrifying, because two random people woke up during Macbeth murdering Duncan, they have a premonition or some sort of awareness.

“ I had most need of blessing, and ‘Amen’/ Stuck in my throat. ” > he’s under the influence of evil, so God has abandoned him, he’s past the point of redemption, perhaps the turning point where he realizes he can’t go back, psychological?

“ It will make us mad ” > Lady Macbeth feels that the two of them will be mad if they dwell on their deeds in a negative way.

“ Macbeth does murder sleep ” > this is particularly terrifying as sleep also means rest and peace. Not only is Macbeth murdering sleep, but he is murdering rest and peace which he will not get as he will be haunted by the murder. ( personification )

“ Smear / The sleepy grooms with blood ” > the fact that they can pass the blame so easily and effectively is terrifying, what else can they pass the blame for if they can pass the blame for the murder.

“ Painted devil ” > the image of a dead body is likened to a painted devil seen by a child. They are just images that are feared.

“ Clean from my hand? No ” > No amount of water will be able to wash the blood off of Macbeth’s hands. He will never be able to forget about the blood on his hands, in a metaphorical sense.

“ Making the green one red ” > His hands will turn the sea red. That is the amount of blood which he bears.

Foreshadowing Lady Macbeth’s ‘out damned spot’:

“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?” >  5.1, just before she commits suicide, a descent into madness — she sees spots of blood on her hands, paralleling Macebeth’s visions of blood.

Motif – recurring element of a story (lack of sleep/blood on hands).

ESSAY PLAN 3:

In what ways does Shakespeare make the relationship between Macbeth and Banquo so compelling?

P1 — Intro — Shakespeare makes the relationship between Macbeth and Banquo so compelling through the exploration of the themes of deception, death, and good versus evil. The discussion of such themes leads us, as the reader, to come to the conclusion that Macbeth is a sinister character who has somehow managed to befriend an honest, decent man, Banquo which leads to a relationship filled with tension.

P2- Deception- “I fear thou have played most foully for it” “fruitless crown” “I wish your horses swift and sure of foot”

P3 — death- “Banquo, thy soul’s flight…find heaven”  Enter the Ghost of Banquo and sits in Macbeth’s place  (stage directions)

P4 — good versus evil- juxtaposing of characters

Conclusion — strongest points again

ESSAY PLAN 4:

‘Macbeth is not an evil man, but one led astray by those around him’.

To what extent do you agree with this view?

You should write 500–600 words.

Thesis — I believe that Macbeth is an evil man and is responsible for his own actions. His sheer greed for power is what has led him astray and it was his choice to kill Duncan and have Banquo and Fleance as well as Macduff’s family killed. He has shown throughout the play that his greed, not those around him, has led him astray.

Paragraph 1: — Intro- include thesis and quick overview Paragraph 2: — Disagree paragraph Paragraph 3: — Disagree paragraph Paragraph 4: — Agree paragraph (counter) Paragraph 5: — Conclusion (quick overview of strongest points, thesis)

Point -main point

Evidence -quotation

Analysis -why/how does it relate to argument

Context -context to shakespearean times

Alternative interpretation -alternative view

Link -back to thesis

  • Told by the witches that he will be king.
  • Pressured by Lady Macbeth to kill Duncan.
  • Witches tell him that Banquo’s descendants shall be king, incites Macbeth. Witches may have known that this would have riled Macbeth up.
  • Witches told Macbeth he will be king so he could have waited until he became King the right way.
  • Macbeth could have stood up to Lady Macbeth and told her no.
  • Macbeth felt the need to have Banquo and Fleance killed, nobody pressured him to do so.
  • Macbeth had Macduff’s family killed for no good reason.
  • Macbeth acted on his own accord.

If you’re studying Macbeth, you can click here to buy our full online course. Use the code “SHAKESPEARE” to receive a 50% discount!

You will gain access to  over 8 hours  of  engaging video content , plus  downloadable PDF guides  for  Macbeth  that cover the following topics:

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  • Plot summaries
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Macbeth ‘Power’ Essay [Draft]

How does one get an essay done from the entire play? The answer lies in taking key scenes, getting them into a Word document and then highlighting, in yellow, the relevant short quotes that fit the need of the essay when it is done. Once you have the highlighted quotes, you then delete the rest, leaving gaps between the quotes, so you can develop links between the words spoken by one character or another.

I did this and then put an essay together for you, to show you how it is done, but being the creative writer and thinker that I am, ended up with nearly 1300 words. I think it was 1296 words to be precise. So, I had to edit the file and take out relevant bits. What began by using 3 key scenes, then became an essay using 2 key scenes, leading to an essay of 840 words. Now technically, that is 15 words over the 10% limit AQA sets for Controlled Assessments, but if that happens to you, fear not.

Here is the essay in its fullness……..enjoy and try to emulate this.

Explore the ways that power is presented in Macbeth, with reference to the power that Lady Macbeth has over her husband.

Power exists within all relationships and is usually portrayed in fiction as patriarchal, but what the Bard is famous for as a playwright, is subverting the accepted norm and bringing to the attention of the public new ideas relating to the power relationships that exist. His play, Macbeth, about the Scottish tyrant King who is affected by witchcraft and the inward desires of his own wife’s evil intentions, is a good example of this power that exists in such relationships, even regal ones.

In Act 1, Scene 5, after Macbeth has been visited by the three witches on the heath, he writes a letter to his wife back at his castle. When she receives it, the audience begin to see where the power lays in their relationship. When she says “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promised” she is expressing her desires to see her husband crowned King, but there is a problem; the present King, Duncan, is alive and well, so she begins to plot his demise. But as she does so she knows that her husband is a man who is “too full o’ the milk of human kindness” to undertake such a task as killing the King.

Shakespeare is using the language of kindness to describe Macbeth but follows this up with Lady Macbeth summoning evil spirits to aid her in her quest for her husband to become King. She says “come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty!” Never could words uttered by any character in fiction be any more powerful than these, for she is asking for evil spirits to appear before her and make her utterly evil in every way. She wants to kill the King and feel no remorse. She wants to direct and urge her husband in the act of murder and treason because of her lust for power.

When Macbeth returns to the castle and is unsure of the plan to take over the throne, it is Lady Macbeth who tells him to “bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t” when the King arrives. She is telling Macbeth that he must appear to the King as friendly and unassuming; deceptive so as to gain power. What becomes evident is that power does corrupt, even if it is in the sense of the chance of power corrupting someone who is vulnerable to temptation.

Later, in Act 1 Scene 7, Macbeth doubts if he can murder the King. His soliloquy, spoken to the audience, leaves them in no doubt at all about his state of mind. He knows that he is the King’s “kinsman and his subject,” that he is related to the King as well as fond of him and this makes the act of murder harder for Macbeth to endure. He knows that Duncan “hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office” and so, says that he “will proceed no further in this business.”

At this point, Macbeth is withering under the pressure of his wife’s plan, so she has to control him. She has to be the driving force in the relationship and asks “art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour as thou art in desire?” This shows the difference between Lady Macbeth and her husband, for just as much as he is unwilling to commit murder, she would take her baby and “while it was smiling in [her] face, have pluck’d [her] nipple from his boneless gums, and dash’d the brains out” in order to summon up the will to kill the King.

Clearly, Lady Macbeth is being controlled and is also the controlling influence over Macbeth in this play. This is further worked out as she then tells him to “screw [his] courage to the sticking-place,” so that they [will] not fail.” At this point the audience hear and see that Macbeth has been persuaded to kill, which will ultimately bring about the downfall of himself and his wife, through tyrannical leadership and revenge from Macduff and the breaking of Lady Macbeth’s mind, leading to suicide.

What is evident throughout this play is the way that Shakespeare subverts the role of the woman, creating a woman who is manipulative of her husband, in complete control of him and someone who can drive him forward, through the depths of temptation to the most hideous act of all; murder. The act of regicide becomes the catalyst for the play to continue through the reign of Macbeth, the tyrant King, to his demise at the hands of Macduff and the subsequent crowning of the next King, Malcolm of Scotland. What Shakespeare has done here is merge history with tragedy; the tragic loss of power and control and the tragedy that awaits anyone in power, for as the saying goes, “power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

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Part of English Literature

Plot summary - Eduqas

Macbeth by William Shakespeare tells the story of one man's violent rise to a position of power as king of his country and of his even more violent downfall.

how to structure a macbeth essay gcse

Characters - Eduqas

Macbeth has a small cast of characters. Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth have the main roles and their ambition and eventual downfall is key to the storyline.

how to structure a macbeth essay gcse

Themes - Eduqas

Macbeth introduces us to the savage and superstitious world of medieval, feudal Scotland. However, some of the themes that Shakespeare highlights are still relevant in the 21st century.

how to structure a macbeth essay gcse

Form, structure and language - Eduqas

Understanding how Shakespeare uses form, structure and language in his plays helps us to identify the devices used to create tension and pace within the drama.

how to structure a macbeth essay gcse

Dramatisation - Eduqas

William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, was intended to be performed, rather than read. There are many factors that need to be considered when casting, performing and staging a production of the play.

how to structure a macbeth essay gcse

Sample exam question - Eduqas

The sample question on William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, explains how to set about constructing a good written answer to a typical exam question.

how to structure a macbeth essay gcse

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Notes || Exam Prep || Character Profiles || Themes

This topic is included in  Paper 1 . You can find notes and guides for it below.

  • Brief Overview
  • Glossary of Key Terms
  • Key Terms Flashcards
  • Guide to Paper 1 - AQA English Literature GCSE
  • Guide to Paper 1
  • How to plan and write a top mark essay - English Literature GCSE
  • How to plan and write a top mark essay

Character Profiles

  • Lady Macbeth (Brief)
  • Macbeth (Brief)
  • The Witches
  • Abuse of Power and Kingship
  • Appearance vs Reality
  • Guilt, Innocence and Paranoia

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‘Macbeth’ Grade 9 Example Response

Grade 9 – full mark – ‘Macbeth’ response

Starting with this extract (from act 1 scene 7), how does Shakespeare present the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth?

In Shakespeare’s eponymous tragedy ‘Macbeth’, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship is a complex portrait of love, illustrating layers of utter devotion alongside overwhelming resentment. Though the couple begins the play unnaturally strong within their marriage, this seems to act as an early warning of their imminent and inevitable fall from grace, ending the play in an almost entirely different relationship than the one they began the play with.

In the exposition of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth initially appear immensely strong within their marriage, with Macbeth describing his wife as ‘my dearest partner of greatness’ in act 1 scene 5. The emotive superlative adjective ‘dearest’ is a term of endearment, and acts as a clear depiction of how valued Lady Macbeth is by her husband. Secondly, the noun ‘partner’ creates a sense of sincere equality which, as equality within marriage would have been unusual in the Jacobean era, illustrates to a contemporary audience the positive aspects of their relationship. Furthermore the lexical choice ‘greatness’ may connote ambition, and as they are ‘partner(s)’, Shakespeare suggests that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are equal in their desire for power and control, further confirming their compatibility but potentially hinting that said compatibility will serve as the couple’s hamartia.

However, the strength of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship falls into a rapid downward spiral in the subsequent scenes, as a struggle for power within the marriage ensues. This is evidenced when Macbeth, in act 1 scene 7, uses the declarative statement ‘we will proceed no further in this business’. Here, Macbeth seems to exude masculinity, embracing his gender role and dictating both his and his wife’s decisions. The negation ‘no’ clearly indicates his alleged definitive attitude. However, Lady Macbeth refuses to accept her husband’s rule, stating ‘when you durst do it, then you were a man’. She attempts to emasculate him to see their plan through. The verb ‘durst’ illustrates the risk taking behaviour that Lady Macbeth is encouraging; implying an element of toxicity within their relationship, and her harsh speech makes the cracks in their relationship further visible to the audience. It is also probable that a contemporary audience would be made severely uncomfortable in the presence of Lady Macbeth’s unapologetic display of power, and it is possible that Shakespeare attempts to paint Lady Macbeth as the villain of the play, playing upon the audience’s pre-determined fears of feminine power. Though Lady Macbeth appears to be acting entirely out of self-interest, another reader may argue that she influences her husband so heavily to commit the heinous act of regicide, as she believes that he crown may as a substitute for the child or children that Shakespeare suggests she and Macbeth have lost previously, and in turn better Macbeth’s life and bring him to the same happiness that came with the child, except in another form.

As the play progresses, Shakespeare creates more and more distance between the characters, portraying the breakdown of their relationship as gradual within the play but rapid in the overall sense of time on stage. For example, Lady Macbeth requests a servant ‘say to the king’ Lady Macbeth ‘would attend his leisure/ for a few words’. Here she is reduced to the status of someone far lesser than the king, having to request to speak to her own husband. It could be interpreted that, now as king, Macbeth holds himself above all else, even his wife, perhaps due to the belief of the divine right of kings. The use of the title rather than his name plainly indicated the lack of closeness Lady Macbeth now feels with Macbeth and intensely emotionally separates them. This same idea is referenced as Shakespeare develops the characters to almost juxtapose each other in their experiences after the murder of Duncan. For example, Macbeth seems to be trapped in a permanent day, after ‘Macbeth does murder sleep’ and his guilt and paranoia render him unable to rest. In contrast, Lady Macbeth takes on an oppositional path, suffering sleepwalking and unable to wake from her nightmare; repeating the phrase ‘to bed. To bed’ as if trapped in a never-ending night. This illustrates to the audience the extreme transformation Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship undergoes, and how differently they end up experiencing the aftermath of regicide.

In conclusion, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth begin the play almost too comfortable within their marriage, which seems to invite the presence of chaos and tragedy into their relationship. Their moral compositions are opposing one another, which leads to the distancing and total breakdown of their once successful marriage and thus serves as a warning to the audience about the effects of murder, and what the deadly sin of greed can do to a person and a marriage.

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Secondary English teacher in Herts. View all posts by gcseenglishwithmisshuttlestone

9 thoughts on “‘Macbeth’ Grade 9 Example Response”

wheres the context

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It is also probable that a contemporary audience would be made severely uncomfortable in the presence of Lady Macbeth’s unapologetic display of power, and it is possible that Shakespeare attempts to paint Lady Macbeth as the villain of the play, playing upon the audience’s pre-determined fears of feminine power.

Also ref to ‘divine right of kings’

Thank you! This is a brilliant response. Just what I needed. Could you also please include the extract in the question.

We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honored me of late, and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon.

—> until end of scene

She did (Act 1 Scene 7)

Another great resource for grade 9 Macbeth analysis https://youtu.be/bGzLDRX71bs

In order to get a grade 9 for a piece like this would you need to include a wide range of vocabulary or could you write the same thing ‘dumbed down’ and get a 9.

If the ideas were as strong then yes, but your writing must AT LEAST be ‘clear’ for a grade 6 or above.

This is really great, I’m in Year 10 doing my Mock on Thursday, a great point that i have found (because I also take history) Is the depiction of women throughout the play, during the Elizabethan era, (before the Jacobean era) many people had a changed view of women as Queen Elizabeth was such a powerful woman, glimpses of this have been shown in Jacobean plays, in this case Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is depicted as powerful although she had to be killed of to please King James (as he was a misogynist) women are also depicted as evil in the play, such as the three witches, I also found that the Witches are in three which could be a mockery to the Holy Trinity.

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Macbeth GCSE Revision Workbook

Macbeth GCSE Revision Workbook

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

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Last updated

5 April 2024

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how to structure a macbeth essay gcse

This Macbeth Literature GCSE revision workbook is designed to:

  • Provide structure to your revision process.
  • Prepare you to tackle any Macbeth-related question that could arise in your exams.
  • Grant you access to higher-level information that may not have been covered in class.
  • Aid in remembering less obvious terms, context points, and symbols to enable you to discuss Macbeth confidently.
  • Make you aware of areas to focus your revision on in the remaining time leading up to your exams.

This resource includes:

  • Clear and concise historical context to include in your essays
  • A key terms glossary to remind you of some high-scoring terminology to include.
  • Key quotes to memorise and space to add your own.
  • A list of key themes and topics most likely to come up in your exam papers.
  • Information about tragedy, including tragic form and structure for those looking to achieve the top grades at GCSE.
  • Activities to structure your revision and help you feel as confident as possible walking into your exams.

We hope you find it useful!

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  1. How to write a good GCSE Literature Intro

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  2. Macbeth Grade 9 Essay

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  3. Macbeth Essay Plan by izaakha_7

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  4. GCSE English

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  6. awesome How to Write a Macbeth Essay? -- Structure, Steps

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VIDEO

  1. Macbeth GCSE Grade 9 Structure Concept: Does Duncan Betray Macbeth?

  2. Macbeth Act 1 scene 4 lesson

  3. Macbeth in Context Part 1 of 2

  4. Close Reading of a Macbeth Extract (and model exam response!)

  5. Improving Your Macbeth Essay

  6. Macbeth GCSE Lesson Seven = Level 9 Essay on Ambition in Macbeth

COMMENTS

  1. Macbeth: Essay Writing Guide for GCSE (9-1)

    Learn how to plan and structure essay responses to questions on Shakespeare's Macbeth using a thematic approach that meets the criteria of the AQA exam board. This guide from Accolade Press provides seven mock questions, detailed essay plans and notes, and tips from an author with a First Class degree in English Literature.

  2. How to answer a 'Macbeth' question

    Chunk structure: treat the extract as a chunk and other parts of the play as another chunk. Introduction: outline your thesis (e.g. overall argument) in a few sentences. Analysis paragraph 1: paragraph on the extract Analysis paragraph 2: paragraph on the rest of the play, generally with one of the following approaches:. a) Discussion of a similar/contrasting presentation of the theme

  3. PDF Six Macbeth' essays by Wreake Valley students

    Level 5 essay Lady Macbeth is shown as forceful and bullies Macbeth here in act 1.7 when questioning him about his masculinity. This follows from when Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth to be ambitious when Macbeth writes her a letter and she reads it as a soliloquy in act 1.5.

  4. Macbeth

    This is an A* / L9 full mark example essay on Macbeth completed by a 15-year-old student in timed conditions (50 mins writing, 10 mins planning). It contained a few minor spelling and grammatical errors - but the quality of analysis overall was very high so this didn't affect the grade. It is extremely good on form and structure, and ...

  5. AQA English Revision

    Strategy 2: A structured essay with an argument. The key to this style is remembering this: You're going to get a question about a theme, and the extract will DEFINITELY relate to the theme. The strategy here is planning out your essays BEFORE the exam, knowing that the extract will fit into them somehow. Below are some structured essays I've ...

  6. Macbeth

    Take a look at a sample exam question and answers for William Shakespeare's play Macbeth with BBC Bitesize GCSE English Literature (AQA).

  7. Macbeth: Writer's Methods & Techniques

    The structure of a tragedy. Many of Shakespeare's tragedies follow the same five-part structure: Exposition: this is the introduction to the play for the audience, and an introduction to the themes and atmosphere. In Macbeth, it is very significant that we are introduced to witches (the supernatural) in a storm, who claim that "fair is foul and foul is fair" (the natural order is about ...

  8. Macbeth

    Your GCSE Paper 1 requires you to answer two questions in 1hr 45min. That means you have approximately 52 minutes to plan, write and check your Macbeth essay. Paper 1 is worth 64 marks and accounts for 40% of your overall GCSE grade. The Macbeth essay is worth 34 marks in total, because it also includes 4 marks for spelling, punctuation and ...

  9. The Scrbbly Blog

    A range of example B-A* / L7-L9 grade essays, both at GCSE (ages 14-16) and A-Level (age 16+) with teacher comments and mark scheme feedback; A bonus Macbeth workbook designed to guide you through each scene of the play! For more help with Macbeth and Tragedy, read our article here.

  10. Macbeth: Essay Writing Guide for GCSE (9-1)

    This clean & simple new guide from Accolade Press will walk you through how to plan and structure essay responses to questions on Shakespeare's Macbeth. By working through seven mock questions, these detailed essay plans will show you how to go about building a theme based answer - while the accompanying notes will illustrate not only how ...

  11. Macbeth: Essay Planning for GCSE and A-Level

    In this a bit longer video, you'll find four Macbeth practise essay questions - from GCSE to A-level - each one is broken down into a clear process that show...

  12. GCSE English Literature Paper 1: Macbeth

    Complete the activities on these page. 2. Remember to use index cards to write down key quotations to learn. 3. Plan/write answers to the questions at the back of this back. Themes you need to revise. • Ambition.

  13. 'MACBETH' BY SHAKESPEARE

    Check out our 'Ultimate English Language & Literature AQA GCSE Course': https://www.firstratetutors.com/gcse-course

  14. Macbeth 'Power' Essay [Draft]

    In Act 1, Scene 5, after Macbeth has been visited by the three witches on the heath, he writes a letter to his wife back at his castle. When she receives it, the audience begin to see where the power lays in their relationship. When she says "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promised" she is expressing her desires to ...

  15. GCSE English

    Helping you write essays!

  16. AQA English Literature GCSE: How to Write a GCSE Macbeth essay (sample

    This resource aims to demonstrate to students studying Shakespeare's Macbeth at GCSE level how to write/structure an essay in their exam, step-by-step. A sample question and essay plan is also provided in this resource.

  17. Use of structure in Macbeth

    The structure of a text refers to the way in which events are organised inside the play as a whole. In the case of Macbeth, the structure is strictly chronological close chronological The logical ...

  18. Macbeth

    Macbeth. Macbeth by William Shakespeare tells the story of one man's violent rise to a position of power as king of his country and of his even more violent downfall. Macbeth has a small cast of ...

  19. How do I structure a paragraph for Shakespeare (e.g. Macbeth) in

    Example question: Explore the importance of guilt in Macbeth. Start off with a clear point that directly answers the question:Lady Macbeth exhibits an increasing amount of guilt as the play progresses. Introduce the quotation by embedding it in a sentence:Immediately after Macbeth murders King Duncan, Lady Macbeth assures him that 'a little water clears us off this deed'...

  20. Macbeth Essay: A "How To" Guide on Constructing an AQA Macbeth Essay

    Learn how to structure an essay response to Macbeth using advice from AQA, with reference to the original exemplar question on Lady Macbeth. This lesson provides tips on argument, AOs, extracts and whole, and exemplar student and examiner responses.

  21. AQA GCSE English Section A: Macbeth

    Friendly and approachable Cambridge graduate and PhD student, committed to making English accessible to all. £45 / hour. SEND. Graduate. Book Tutor. FINAL PLACES REMAINING on our one-day Macbeth course 12th April and our two-day AQA English Language Course 8-9th April. Book now to avoid disappointment!

  22. 'Macbeth' Grade 9 Example Response

    For example, Macbeth seems to be trapped in a permanent day, after 'Macbeth does murder sleep' and his guilt and paranoia render him unable to rest. In contrast, Lady Macbeth takes on an oppositional path, suffering sleepwalking and unable to wake from her nightmare; repeating the phrase 'to bed. To bed' as if trapped in a never-ending ...

  23. How to structure a Macbeth essay

    21. getting a good structure to your essays is what you'll get better at with practice. you don't need an intro though it can be useful if you just want a general overview of your essay etc. so you're going to need to look at the extract first (ideally) and look for how guilt and conscience is presented, if you can linking it to other moments ...

  24. Macbeth GCSE Revision Workbook

    pdf, 616.68 KB. This Macbeth Literature GCSE revision workbook is designed to: Provide structure to your revision process. Prepare you to tackle any Macbeth-related question that could arise in your exams. Grant you access to higher-level information that may not have been covered in class. Aid in remembering less obvious terms, context points ...