ESSAY 1

By the pricking of my thumbs,Something wicked this way

comes

Check the AS

Check the explanatory notes

Check the exam specification

Analyse how…• Analyse how Macbeth changed from

good to bad.

– Don’t describe the change. (Level 1)– What caused the change?– What were the consequences?

• For Macbeth?• For other characters?• For Scotland?

The nature of his change.

• “Brave Macbeth”• “Valiant cousin,

worthy gentleman”• “A peerless kinsman”• “Worthy Thane”

• “O full of scorpions in my mind.”

• Murderer – D, B, LM• “Usurper”• “Tyrant”• “Hell-hound”• “Acurs’d hand”• “The devil himself

could not pronounce a title more hateful to mine ear.”

Read the notes entitled “Macbeth the man” on pp xxiii – xxvi. Take notes to help you A the Q.

What causes Macbeth to change?

• Ambition. • Lady Macbeth’s influence.• Reliance on the weird sisters’ prophecies.

– A reliance on superstition in general.• Visions – the dagger, Banquo’s ghost

• Unwillingness to face the truth.– Linked with his reliance on the weird sisters’

prophecies.

• Fear and paranoia.• Hubris.

An essay plan

Paragraph Content

introduction

Ambition

influence of Lady Macbeth

reliance on the supernatural

hubris

fear and paranoia

conclusion

Writing the introduction (1)

In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character, Macbeth, changed to become less admirable. He went from being a loyal, brave Thane to a murderous, bloodthirsty tyrant. He changed because of the witches, his wife and his ambition. I think his wife was the most important factor in making him change to become less admirable.

States title and authorUses the language of

the question

Outlines the change in the character

Clearly attacks the question

Shows a personal response

YUK!

How can you make this more engaging?

In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character, Macbeth, changed to become less admirable. He went from being a loyal, brave Thane to a murderous, bloodthirsty tyrant. He changed because of the witches, his wife and his ambition. I think his wife was the most important factor in making him change to become less admirable.

What are THREE things you can do to improve this banal

introduction?

Writing the introduction (2)

• Don’t do the obvious.– Use a quotation.– “Unpack” it.– Attack the question and foreshadow your approach.

• No shopping lists.

– Create a bridge to your first paragraph.

• Don’t use the first person or second person.– Refer to the audience

• Mention the historical context if it is relevant.

Now write ONE paragraph

• Either the introduction or one body paragraph.

• Maybe focus on the influence of Lady Macbeth.

• Go beyond simple SEXY structure.– SEXYXYY for example.– Embed quotations into your own

sentences.

Just scraping through…

Lady Macbeth is important in causing Macbeth to change from being loyal to disloyal. She is the one who encourages Macbeth to take action to make the weird sisters’ prophecy come true. She says to him, “But screw your courage to the sticking place and we’ll not fail.” This shows that she is determined while he has doubts about killing Duncan.

Did you notice the SEXY structure?

Remember the AS descriptors

“convincing” and “insight”

• Lady Macbeth is evil. She refers to hell and sounds a bit like one of the witches.

• Because Lady Macbeth calls on “the dunnest smokes of hell” to conceal her deeds, she alienates herself from the Globe’s audience, which would have been very superstitious as well as religious in Shakespeare’s time. Her dialogue may remind the audience of a call for devilish inspiration that seems like the incantations of the weird sisters: “Come thick night…”

To conclude…

• Don’t write the same introduction that 1000s of other students will write.– “In the drama script Macbeth written by

William Shakespeare…” YUK! YUK! YUK!

• Go beyond simple SEXY paragraphs.– Integrate quotations– Give two examples– Draw more than one conclusion (Y)