gcse english literature-paper 1-macbeth and acc

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and the whole text for ‘Macbeth’ and and the whole text for ‘Macbeth’ and and the whole text for ‘Macbeth’ and and the whole text for ‘Macbeth’ and

‘A Christmas Carol’‘A Christmas Carol’‘A Christmas Carol’‘A Christmas Carol’

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‘Macbeth’‘Macbeth’‘Macbeth’‘Macbeth’

By By By By WilliamWilliamWilliamWilliam

Shakespeare Shakespeare Shakespeare Shakespeare

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‘Macbeth’‘Macbeth’‘Macbeth’‘Macbeth’---- Plot SummaryPlot SummaryPlot SummaryPlot Summary The play opens as three witches plan a meeting with the Scottish nobleman

Macbeth, who at that moment is fighting in a great battle. When the battle

is over, Macbeth and his friend Banquo come across the witches who offer

them three predictions: that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and

King of Scotland, and that Banquo's descendants will become kings.

Banquo laughs at the prophecies but Macbeth is excited, especially as soon

after their meeting with the witches Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor by

King Duncan, in return for his bravery in the battle. He writes to his wife,

Lady Macbeth, who is as excited as he is. A messenger tells Lady Macbeth

that King Duncan is on his way to their castle and she invokes evil spirits to

help her slay him. Macbeth is talked into killing Duncan by his wife and

stabs him to death. No-one is quite sure who committed this murder and

no-one feels safe, but Macbeth is crowned king.

Now that Macbeth is king he knows the second prediction from the witches

has come true, but he starts to fear the third prediction (that Banquo's

descendants will also be kings). Macbeth therefore decides to kill Banquo

and his son, but the plan goes wrong - Banquo is killed but his son escapes.

Macbeth then thinks he is going mad because he sees Banquo's ghost and

receives more predictions from the witches. He starts to become ruthless

and kills the family of Macduff, an important lord. Macbeth still thinks he is

safe but one by one the witches' prophecies come true, Lady Macbeth

cannot stop thinking about Duncan, becomes deranged and dies. A large

army marches on Macbeth's castle and Macbeth is killed by Macduff.

Key TermsKey TermsKey TermsKey Terms

Heinous: Someone who is monstrous and evil.

Immoral: Someone who is corrupt without a moral compass.

Machiavellian: Someone who is cunning, scheming, and immoral.

Manipulative: Someone who is controlling and calculating.

Patriarchal Society: A system where men have power and control.

Soliloquy: Where a character speaks directly to the audience, as if

thinking aloud.

Submissive: Someone who is obedient and subservient.

Tragedy: A story that traces the career and downfall of an individual.

Tragic hero: A noble character you can empathise with, and whose

flaw leads to his demise.

Key ThemesKey ThemesKey ThemesKey Themes Ambition:Ambition:Ambition:Ambition: Perhaps the most obvious subject or theme in Macbeth is ambition and we see this with both Macbeth

and Lady Macbeth. They are tempted by the idea that Macbeth will become king - Macbeth is not sure

what to do but his wife is ruthless in getting what she wants - she views her husband as a coward and

appears ready to do anything. Ambition leads to evil - it makes Macbeth stronger and more determined,

but then destroys his wife - she goes mad. And ambition eventually kills him as well, because he

becomes a tyrant and so loses the support of his friends.

The Supernatural:The Supernatural:The Supernatural:The Supernatural: Another major theme is the supernatural - the idea that there are mysterious forces controlling what is

happening in our lives. The very first characters we meet are the three witches, and their prophecies are

what drives the story forward. In Shakespeare's time belief in witchcraft was very strong and many so-

called witches were burnt at the stake. It is not surprising that his audience would have taken these

ideas seriously and felt that Macbeth was somehow possessed. There are lots of references to this - he is

unable to say 'Amen', he has visions, he is disturbed and even thinks no-one can kill him.

The final battle scene also contains many elements of the supernatural. Macbeth believes he is invincible

because many of the witches' prophecies appear impossible to fulfil - and yet just as the witches

predicted Birnam Wood does indeed move to Dunsinane, and Macbeth is killed by Macduff because he is

not 'of woman born'.

Reality and Appearance:Reality and Appearance:Reality and Appearance:Reality and Appearance: The contrast between what is real and the appearance of something is also used by Shakespeare. The

classic dagger scene, when Macbeth is not sure if he can trust his eyes, is only one of many references to

this theme. For instance, he sees Banquo's ghost at the banquet and Lady Macbeth imagines blood on

her hands.

The contrast between reality and appearance is also shown with all the references to thoughts, dreams

and actions. Banquo talks about the 'cursed thoughts' he has had and his dreams of the witches.

Macbeth talks of the world of thought and dreams and sometimes is stuck there. For instance, Lady

Macbeth is critical of Macbeth's 'foolish thoughts' and talks of him being 'lost' because of this.

Sleep is another theme associated with reality, because characters view it as vital to life, but like death

or being in another world. Macbeth is told he has murdered sleep and will 'sleep no more' whilst Lady

Macbeth thinks of sleep as death, calling it the sternest 'goodnight'.

Loyalty and Guilt:Loyalty and Guilt:Loyalty and Guilt:Loyalty and Guilt: Loyalty and guilt are also strong themes in Macbeth. Duncan clearly values loyalty - he has the first

Thane of Cawdor executed and rewards Macbeth by making him the new Thane. Shakespeare cleverly

uses loyalty as a dramatic device as well - Duncan is in the middle of talking about 'absolute trust' when

Macbeth walks in - we know he's already thought about killing Duncan, but for the moment he talks

about 'the loyalty I owe' and his 'duties' to Duncan.

Loyalty is also very important to Banquo - he will not desert Duncan. Macbeth, however, has an odd idea

of loyalty - he knows he is doing the wrong thing, but he still goes ahead. Early on in the play perhaps it

is his wife who is manipulating him, but later on it is Macbeth who makes the decisions. And later on he

also starts to show he hates disloyalty, threatening his messengers and servants.

Macbeth also shows his guilt - he is unsure before the murder and regrets it immediately after. Lady

Macbeth is the opposite - she seems to show no guilt at the time and even talks about how 'a little

water' cleans away the blood. Her increasing madness later on is a sign of her guilt and she imagines her

hands to be stained with blood.

There may be other topics you can spot, such as violence, destruction and tyranny. It's good to include

something about the basic ideas within Macbeth in your own work. This will help you understand what

the play is about, how it all fits together and how Shakespeare used ideas to frighten, shock and

entertain his audiences.

‘Macbeth’‘Macbeth’‘Macbeth’‘Macbeth’----Key QuotationsKey QuotationsKey QuotationsKey Quotations----

Act OneAct OneAct OneAct One The Witches: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”

Macbeth: “If chance will have me King, why, chance, may crown me/Without

my stir.”

Duncan: (about Macbeth) “I have begun to plant thee, and will labour/ To

make thee full of growing.”

Lady Macbeth: (about Macbeth) “Yet do I fear thy nature:/ It is too full

o’th’milk of human kindness.”

Lady Macbeth: “Unsex me here.”

Lady Macbeth: “That my keen knife see not the wound it makes.”

Lady Macbeth: (to Macbeth) “Look like the innocent flower, But be the

serpent under’t.”

Macbeth: (about Duncan’s murder) “If it were done, when ‘tis done, then

‘twere well/It were done quickly.”

Lady Macbeth: (to Macbeth) “But screw your courage to the sticking

place/And we’ll not fail.”

Macbeth: “False face must hide what the false heart doth know.”


Act TwoAct TwoAct TwoAct Two

Macbeth: “Is this a dagger which I see before me?”

Lady Macbeth: (about killing Duncan) “Had he not resembled/ My father as he

slept, I had don’t.”

Lady Macbeth: (to Macbeth after killing Duncan) “It will make us mad.”

Lady Macbeth: (to Macbeth) “Go get some water,/And wash this filthy witness

from your hand.”

Lady Macbeth: (to Macbeth) “My hands are of your colour; but I shame/To

wear a heart so white.”

Lady Macbeth: “A little water clears us of this deed: How easy is it then!”

Macduff: “Ring the alarum-bell! Murther and treason!”

Macduff: (trying to protect Lady Macbeth) “O gentle lady, ‘Tis not for you to

hear what I can speak.”


Act ThreeAct ThreeAct ThreeAct Three

Macbeth: (about Banquo): “There is none but he/whose being I do fear.”

Lady Macbeth: (about killing): “what’s done, is done.”

Macbeth: (about killing): “We have scorched the snake, not killed it.”

Macbeth: “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife.”

Macbeth (on killing): “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck.”

Macbeth: (on seeing Banquo’s ghost): “The table’s full.”

Lady Macbeth: (after Banquo’s ghost has been seen): “Are you a man?”

Macbeth: “I will tomorrow (And betimes I will) to the Weyard Sisters. More

shall they speak.”

Macbeth: (to Lady Macbeth): “We are yet but young in deed.”


Act FoAct FoAct FoAct Fourururur

Witches (ALL): “Double, double, toil and trouble;/Fire burn, and cauldron

bubble.”

Apparition 2: “For none of woman born/Shall harm Macbeth.”

Macbeth: (about Macduff): “The castle of Macduff I will surprise…His wife, his

babes, and all unfortunate souls/ That trace him in his line.”

Macbeth: (about Killing): “No killing like a fool.”

Macduff: “Not in the legions/Of horrid Hell can come a devil more damned/In

evils to top Macbeth.”

Macduff: “All my pretty ones? Did you say ‘all’? O Hell-kite! All?/What all my

pretty chickens and their dam/At one fell swoop?”


Act FiveAct FiveAct FiveAct Five Lady Macbeth: “What, will these hands ne’er be clean?”

Lady Macbeth: “Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia

will not sweeten this hand.”

Lady Macbeth: “To bed, to bed; there’s knocking at the gate; come, come,

come, come, give me your hand: what’s done, cannot be undone. To bed, to

bed, to bed.”

Macbeth: (feeling confident): “I cannot taint with fear.”

Macbeth: “I have supped full with horrors; Direness, familiar to my

slaughterous thoughts, Cannot once start me.”

Macbeth (about Lady Macbeth’s death): “Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a

walking shadow.”

Macduff (about his wife’s death): “If thou beest slain and wit no stroke of

mine, My wife and children’s ghosts will haunt me still.”

Macduff (about Macbeth): “I have no words: My voice is in my sword, thou

bloodier villain Than terms can give thee out!

Macduff: “Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped.”

‘A‘A‘A‘A Christmas Carol’Christmas Carol’Christmas Carol’Christmas Carol’

By Charles DickensBy Charles DickensBy Charles DickensBy Charles Dickens

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‘A Christmas Carol’‘A Christmas Carol’‘A Christmas Carol’‘A Christmas Carol’---- Plot SummaryPlot SummaryPlot SummaryPlot Summary

1. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge makes his clerk, Bob Cratchit, work in

the cold.

2. He refuses an invitation to his nephew Fred's Christmas party

and will not give money to the charity collectors.

3. At home he is visited by the ghost of his old business partner,

Marley.

4. The Ghost of Christmas Past wakes Scrooge and shows him

moments from his childhood, his apprenticeship and his failed

engagement.

5. The Ghost of Christmas Present takes him to the Cratchit's home,

where he is saddened by the ill, but kind, Tiny Tim. He is also

shown how Fred celebrates Christmas with friends and how

others celebrate Christmas together.

6. The final ghost is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come who

terrifies Scrooge with visions of his death.

7. Scrooge awakes on Christmas Day and is delighted to find he has

the chance to repent of his miserly ways. He buys a turkey for

the Cratchits and attends his nephew's party.

8. Scrooge becomes like a second father to Tiny Tim and gains a

reputation for knowing how to celebrate Christmas.

Key TermsKey TermsKey TermsKey Terms Antithesis: A person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or

something else.

Anti-Sabbatarianism: Not observing the Sabbath (Sunday)

Climax: The most important part of a narrative and the moment of most

tension.

Epiphany: The moment of insight that changes how a character sees the

world.

Foreshadowing: A warning of something that will follow later.

Juxtaposition: Putting two contrasting views together.

Miserly: Being ungenerous, particularly with money.

Misanthropist: A person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.

Novella: A short novel.

Pathetic Fallacy: When setting (often the weather) reflects the mood of a

character or scene.

Protagonist: Main character.

Resolution: The conclusion or ending where all of the elements are resolved.

Key ThemesKey ThemesKey ThemesKey Themes Christmas:Christmas:Christmas:Christmas:

Christmas is a Christian celebration of the birth of Christ, though it also encompasses Greek, Roman and

pagan traditions of giving gifts and feasting around the Winter Solstice. It is a time when families and

friends come together to share food and exchange gifts.

Dickens wrote this novella before Christmas 1843. The story of Scrooge takes place on Christmas Eve and

Christmas Day and uses the ideas of generosity and compassion that we associate with Christmas to

highlight the transformation of the main character. We see Scrooge change from a miserly man,

contrasting with the spirit of Christmas, to someone who is full of joy.

Redemption:Redemption:Redemption:Redemption:

Redemption is the idea of being saved from sin or evil. In Scrooge we see a man who is transformed

from a greedy, selfish miser into a generous and good-natured character by the end.

He is shown the error of his ways by the ghosts that visit him and is redeemed by his own willingness to

change. The moral message of the novella is that all human beings have the opportunity to behave in

kinder ways towards each other.

Social Injustice:Social Injustice:Social Injustice:Social Injustice:

Dickens felt strongly that Victorian society ignored the poverty of its underclass. On the one hand were

the rich who enjoyed comfort and feasting at Christmas, and on the other were children forced to live in

dreadful conditions in workhouses.

‘A Christmas Carol’‘A Christmas Carol’‘A Christmas Carol’‘A Christmas Carol’----Key QuotationsKey QuotationsKey QuotationsKey Quotations----

Stave OneStave OneStave OneStave One

About Scrooge: “As solitary as an oyster.”

“External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge.”

“If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it, and decrease

the surplus population.”

“Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.”

Marley’s Ghost: “Mankind was my business.”

Marley’s Ghost: “I am here to-night to warn you, that you have yet a chance

and hope of escaping my fate.”


Stave Stave Stave Stave TwoTwoTwoTwo

“There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I should like

to have given him something: that’s all.”

About the Fezziwig family: “…shaking hands with every person individually as

he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas.”

Scrooge about Mr Fezziwig: “The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it

costs a fortune.”

Belle to Scrooge: “Another idol has displaced me.”

Belle about Scrooge: “I have seen your nobler aspirations fall off one by one,

until the master passion, Gain, engrosses you.”

Belle’s husband to Belle about Scrooge: “Quite alone in the world, I do

believe.”


Stave Stave Stave Stave ThreeThreeThreeThree

“There was nothing very cheerful in the climate or the town, and yet was

there an air of cheerfulness abroad.”

About the Ghost of Christmas Present: “Sprinkled incense on their dinners

from his torch.”

About the Cratchit goose: “a feathered phenomenon.”

“There never was such a goose. Bob said he didn’t believe there ever was such

a goose cooked.”

About Tiny Tim: “If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child

will die.”

Bob Cratchit: “I’ll give you Mr Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast.”

About Ignorance and Want: “This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware

them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy.”


Stave Stave Stave Stave FourFourFourFour

Scrooge says to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: “I am prepared to bear

you company, and do it with a thankful heart.”

Two Business Colleagues: “It’s likely to be a very cheap funeral,” said the same

speaker; for upon my life I don’t know of anybody to go to it.”

Scrooge to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come: “I see, I see. The case of this

unhappy man might be my own. My life tends that way, now.”

Bob Cratchit about Tiny Tim’s grave: “I wish you could have gone. It would

have done you good to see how green a place it is.”

Bob Cratchit about Fred’s kindness: “It really seemed as if he had known our

Tiny Tim, and felt with us.”

About Scrooge’s grave: “overrun by grass and weeds.”

Scrooge on what he has learnt: “I will not shut out the lessons that they

teach.”


Stave Stave Stave Stave FiveFiveFiveFive

Scrooge: “The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.”

Scrooge: “I am as light as a feather, I am a happy as an angel, I am as merry as

a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man.”

“Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all and infinitely more; and to

Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father.”

“He knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the

knowledge.”

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