'Macbeth' revision AQA
AO1: you know the play really well and you have your own ideas about it
AO2: you can talk about language and structure and that this is a play written for a reason
AO3: you know this is a tragedy and what makes it a tragedy. You can talk about what the play tells us about its context.
AO4: you can spell, punctuate and paragraph accurately.
Make sure you know who is who. Tragedies are always named for the main character - the protagonist.
Macbeth: no matter what the question is about, you need to talk about Macbeth. It's his play. (AO1)
The other main characters, all of whom are dead by the end of the play, are:-
Lady Macbeth: you should develop some ideas about her. Apart from the sleep walking scene, she disappears at the end of Act 3. Why is that? (AO1/2/3) Her death is reported, not shown. Why?
Banquo: Macbeth's brother-in-arms and friend - which doesn't stop Macbeth having him killed at the start of Act 3. Why does he appear as a silent ghost? (AO1/2/3)
King Duncan: killed by Macbeth at the beginning of Act 2. Off the battlefield, this is the only murder Macbeth commits and he immediately feels guilty. Why should this be? (AO1/2/3) This is also the only murder which occurs offstage. Why?
Macduff: a thane who is no fan of Macbeth's and kills him at the end of the play. Macbeth has his wife, children and the entire household killed while Macduff is in England.
Lady Macduff: appears only in one scene in order to be killed.
Malcolm and Donalbain: Duncan's sons. Duncan makes Malcolm his heir after the battle at the start of the play and Malcolm comes back to claim the throne at the end of Act 5.
The Weird Sisters: usually known at the three witches. Like The Porter they are equivocators - saying one thing but meaning another. They don't lie, but the things they tell Macbeth and Banquo can be interpreted in different ways. Macbeth always chooses the version which he likes best.
Seyton: usually pronounced 'Satan' so worth considering in terms of why Shakespeare chose that name. He only appears as a named character in Act 5.
Ross, Angus and Lennox: often confused as all-purpose thanes who comment on the action, but they are more than that.
Angus: is little more than a messenger with a name in Act 1. In Act 5 he is seen fighting with Malcolm. He only has 2 scenes.
Ross: Appears throughout the play, often to comment on the action.He defects to Malcolm after the killing of Lady Macduff, whom he goes to warn.
Lennox: Like Ross he appears throughout the play, but is loyal to Macbeth till the killing of Lady Macduff.
Both Ross and Lennox appear loyal in the banquet scene. Why might this be?
Themes (AO1)
Ambition (2017 question)
The supernatural (2018 question)
Appearance and reality
Fate vs free will
Guilt
Equivocation
For what it's worth, I'm going for 'guilt' as most likely for 2019, closely followed by 'appearance and reality'. Note: I have absolutely no inside knowledge.
Motifs (AO2)
Blood "Blood will have blood" (Guilt)
Clothing: "Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?" (Appearance and reality)
Birds "the temple haunting martlet" (Appearance and reality)
Sleep "Macbeth doth murder sleep" (Guilt)
Visions "No more sights" (Appearance and reality, guilt, the supernatural)
Masculinity "I dare to all that may become a man" (Appearance and reality/guilt)
Children "Pity like a naked new-born babe" (Guilt)
All of these can also be linked to equivocation.
Motifs usually illustrate themes, but don't get them confused!
A quick note on AO3 - context.
Don't worry about it!
Examiners don't want a history lesson or a paragraph on The Great Chain of Being, King James's view on witchcraft or the patriarchal society.
If you focus on the task, you'll cover context. Telling me that 'Macbeth' is a tragedy covers AO3. Saying what is tragic puts you up to higher grades, but telling me about Aristotle when you probably haven't read his definition and explanation of tragedy ain't gonna impress me one bit. In any case, the task is about Shakespeare, not Aristotle.
A quick note on 'literary terms'.
Use language with which you are comfortable - don't shoehorn in terms which you think are impressive for the sake of it. 'Harmartia' used incorrectly does you no favours.
It's a play so terms like 'player' - "a poor player/ who struts and frets his hour upon the stage/ and then is seen no more*" - understanding that an 'audience' hears a play (a spectator watches) and what a soliloquy is for, is far more important and effective than obscure terminology.
(*appearance and reality)
SO:
Think about themes
Think about motifs
Make sure you know the play
Make sure you know who's who and don't confuse your Duncan with your Banquo
Make sure you have your own ideas about the play and the characters
and
Answer the question!
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