Macbeth

1. Macbeth How to answer question expecting analysis of a particular scene.

2. Questions from last three years • Describe a section of a text you have studied that created a strong sense of mood, suspense oratmosphere AND analyse how this mood, suspense or atmosphere was created. • Analyse how the author’s presentation of ONE important section / partchanged your opinion about a character / individual OR issue. • Analyse how techniques were used to strongly affect your emotions in ONE or TWO key sections.

3. Example scene: Act 5 Scene 5 • For ease of analysis we can split the scene into three • Confidence • SCENE V. Dunsinane. Within the castle. • Enter MACBETH, SEYTON, and Soldiers, with drum and colours Reminds us that he’s still king • MACBETH • Hang out our banners on the outward walls; The cry is still 'They come:' our castle's strength Will laugh a siege to scorn: here let them lie • Till famine and the ague eat them up: Were they not forced with those that should be ours,We might have met them dareful, beard to beard, • And beat them backward home. • A cry of women within • What is that noise?

4. General Explanation • Hang out our banners on the outward walls, because the enemy have arrived. The strength of our castle will easily withstand a siege; they will be beaten by famine and disease if they besiege the castle. If the English were not supported by our own fellow Scotsmen, we could have ridden out there and fronted them face to face and beaten them backwards.

5. SEYTON • It is the cry of women, my good lord. • Exit • MACBETH • I have almost forgot the taste of fears; The time has been, my senses would have cool'd • To hear a night-shriek; and my fell of hairWould at a dismal treatise rouse and stir • As life were in't: I have supp'd full with horrors; Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts Cannot once start me.

6. I have almost forgotten what if feels like to be scared. Once I would have been startled by a night owl (like the night when he killed Duncan) or a scary story. Now, however, I have seen and done such terrible things that nothing alarms me now.

7. Re-enter SEYTON • Wherefore was that cry? • SEYTON • The queen, my lord, is dead. • MACBETH • She should have died hereafter;There would have been a time for such a word.To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to dayTo the last syllable of recorded time, • And all our yesterdays have lighted foolsThe way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! • Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage • And then is heard no more: it is a taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,Signifying nothing.

8. I wish she could have died later not now, then I could mourn – or she would have died sooner or later. My life has become boring and repetitive and goes on until the end. Life is short like a candle’s flame - or - her life was too short like a candle’s flame. Life is just a shadow, something lesser and incomplete that doesn’t last and doesn’t get heard of again. Life often involves stress and excitement and worry but in the end doesn’t mean anything.

9. Techniques Stage directions Sound Rhythm-Iambic pentameter Alliteration Imagery Metaphor Extended Metaphor Personification Vocabulary Symbolism Provides us with facts Pleases the ear, Rolls off the tongue Paints pictures in reader’s head, creates mood, atmosphere and tone depending on image. Creates an image linked with something the reader knows well - humanity Emotive words – words with connotations – positive or negative Using an object to represent something else – makes it easier to understand. Question on techniques?Analyse how techniques were used to strongly affect your emotions in ONE or TWO key sections.

10. Annotated extract • SCENE V. Dunsinane. Within the castle. • Enter MACBETH, SEYTON, and Soldiers, with drum and coloursReminds us that he’s still king • MACBETH • Hang out our banners on the outward walls; PrideThe cry is still 'They come:' our castle's strengthPride, confidence, false pride, false confidenceWill laugh a siege to scorn: here let them lie PersonificationTill famine and the ague eat them up: MetaphorWere they not forced with those that should be ours,We might have met them dareful, beard to beard,Alliteration, vivid vocab, ‘beard’And beat them backward home. • A cry of women withinHaunting – gives us facts • What is that noise? • SEYTON • It is the cry of women, my good lord. • Exit • MACBETH • I have almost forgot the taste of fears; MetaphorThe time has been, my senses would have cool'd To hear a night-shriek; and my fell of hairWould at a dismal treatise rouse and stir PersonificationAs life were in't: I have supp'd full with horrors; MetaphorDireness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts PersonificationCannot once start me. • Re-enter SEYTON • Wherefore was that cry? • SEYTON • The queen, my lord, is dead. • MACBETH • She should have died hereafter;There would have been a time for such a word.To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Personification / repetitionCreeps in this petty pace from day to dayTo the last syllable of recorded time, MetaphorAnd all our yesterdays have lighted foolsThe way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!Symbolism – Queen’s life – LifeLife's but a walking shadow, a poor playerPersonifcation Extended • That struts and frets his hour upon the stage Character referring to actingAnd then is heard no more: it is a taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,Signifying nothing.

11. Questions addressed • Describe a section of a text you have studied that created a strong sense of mood, suspense oratmosphere AND analyse how this mood, suspense or atmosphere was created. • Mood – Somber, impending doom – death – heavy – philosophical – contrasting with start • Suspense – What’s happened with wife, how did she die? Dramatic irony – we know that one of the prophesies, concerning Birnham Wood, has come true. How is it going to end? How is his Castle going to be conquered? • Atmosphere – Tense, introspective, heavy. • Setting • Plot • Analyse how the author’s presentation of ONE important section / partchanged your opinion about a character / individual OR issue. • We have experienced Macbeth’s strength, his weakness regarding ambition and ‘manhood’. • We have seen his ruthlessness and his manipulative prowess. • We have witnessed his journey to the dark side and the hardening of his good side. • Now we see over confidence and false pride – delusional? • Now we witness a self absorbed, philosophical Macbeth, who impresses us with his consideration of one of life’s central questions, is it all worth the struggle? His sincere reflection adds new depth to his character. • We also see how his reaction to losing his wife contrasts with Macduff’s reaction. Analyse how techniques were used to strongly affect your emotions in 1or 2 key sections.