G.C.S.E. SHAKESPEARE COURSEWORK

1. G.C.S.E. SHAKESPEARE COURSEWORK ‘MACBETH’

2. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA • You will be assessed for this piece of coursework by giving an oral presentation • You must make sure you fulfill all the criteria • You must provide a written description of the activity.

3. Speaking and Listening: • Speak fluently and clearly • Make significant contributions and listen closely to others • Use Standard English vocabulary and grammar • Show order and clear expression in communicating well-developed significant points and complex ideas • Cross-reference ideas as appropriate and reach a considered conclusion

4. THE SHAKESPEARE ASSIGNMENT: • To achieve a good grade, you must fulfill all the criteria that the assessment guidelines require • You must be critical, analytical and interpretative • You must back up your ideas with textual evidence

5. 1. SOCIAL, HISTORICAL, AND PHILOSOPHICAL CONTEXT: • You must comment on this area in terms of how the play sits within its dramatic genre • How does the play reflect or challenge the values and ideas of the time in which it was written?

6. 2. STRUCTURE: • How does the structure of the play contribute to the development of the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth? • Consider the asymmetrical structure to the play, its parallels, and its reversals

7. 3. CHARACTER: • You must consider character in terms of 3 areas: • Action (what they do) • Dialogue (what they say to each other - and how much they say) • Soliloquies (what they say to themselves). • For the latter two, remember to use linguistic terms (e.g. imperatives and adjectives)

8. 4. THEMES: • You should discuss how different themes and images reflect or suggest the developing relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth • Themes include: night/darkness, sleep, bestial imagery, blood and appearance vs. reality

9. 5. DRAMATIC DEVICES: • Consider the use of both: • Irony • Dramatic irony

10. 6. LINGUISTIC DEVICES: • You should consider Shakespeare’s use of language to develop the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. • What nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs create dramatic effect? • Consider Shakespeare’s use of pronouns. • Do any words recur throughout the play, especially if they change meaning? • How is alliteration used for dramatic effect?

11. 7. POETIC DEVICES: • You must consider Shakespeare’s use of figurative language and imagery, such as: • Metaphors • Similes • Personification • Oxymorons • Can you find any patterns of images used throughout the play? Do they change meaning or create dramatic irony?

12. You should also: • Be perceptive, and consider a range of possible meanings and interpretations • Use detailed references to each area • Develop ideas in detail • Cross-reference as appropriate • Understand how meaning is conveyed and how an audience (both Elizabethan and modern) may respond • Conclude with a personal response, and by drawing together your ideas • You may comment on whether you think the audience retains any sympathy for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

13. The official question: • Explain how the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth develops throughout the play.

14. Finally… • You must consider the following key scenes: • Act 1, Scenes 5 and 7. • Act 2, Scene 2. • Act 3, Scenes 2 and 4. • Act 5, Scenes 1 and 5. • It may help you to consider Acts 1 and 2 together (closeness of the pair, Lady Macbeth’s power and dominance); Act 3 as the pivotal scene (reversal/distancing), and Act 5 as the final result of the irrevocable breakdown of the relationship.