Exam (elaborations)
Grade 9 Essay on the Importance of Macduff in Macbeth
- Course
- Institution
This Grade 9 Essay explores the importance of Macduff within Macbeth. Written for Eduqas but cna be adapted for any exam board.
[Show more]
1 review
By: sigma707 • 2 months ago
Seller
Follow
f4timaha
Reviews received
Content preview
Importance of Macduff EssayYou are advised to spend about 40 minutes on this question.
You should use the extract below and your knowledge of the whole play to answer this question.
How does Shakespeare present the importance of Macduff throughout the play?
In your response you should:
refer to the extract and the play as a whole;
show your understanding of characters and events in the play.[25]
5 of this question’s marks are allocated for accuracy in spelling, punctuation and the use of
vocabulary and sentence structures
Macbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy written in 1606 and based around the
downfall of the Scottish noble. Macduff importance is presented through his
complete dichotomy of Macbeth, presented as patriotic and honourable, unlike
Macbeth’s tyrannical character. He is further involved in the main events of the
play, discovering Duncan’s dead body and murdering Macbeth. Shakespeare
uses him as a symbol of hope and dutifulness in the equivocating and merciless
reign of Macbeth.
Shakespeare effectively demonstrates Macduff importance through his
discovery of the King body. He exclaims: ‘O Horror! Horror! Horror! Tongue nor
heart cannot conceive nor name thee.’ The use of the nouns ‘tongue’ and ‘heart’
show how completely loyal and loving he was toward Duncan, that he is
overcome with shock by the regicide, in significant contrast to Macbeth who
committed the murder. This is further proven through his repetition of the
exclamative ‘horror’, an embodiment of true Scottish patriotism, unable to
consider the regicide with the determiner ‘thee.’ He comments: ‘Most
sacrilegious murder hath broke ope the Lord’s anointed temple…’. The
superlative ‘most’ demonstrates how important the King was to him, the
adjective ‘sacrilegious’ perhaps illustrating how Macduff is on the side of divinity
and the right of kingship through God. The phrase ‘lords anointed temple’ further
proves this idea of his loyalty to Duncan, and his importance and symbolism of a
true loyal patriot in the play, contrasting Macbeth. He contrasts Macbeth further
through his straightforward speech: ‘You’re royal fathers murdered’, highlighting
his honesty and importance in contrasting Macbeth’s equivocal speech and the
deceit in the play. Shakespeare then exhibits his integrity and importance when
suspecting Macbeth. He comments: ‘No cousin, I’ll to Fife.’ This evokes
admiration in the audience towards Macduff as the only character courageous
enough to not support Macbeth, displayed as pragmatic rather than following the
rest of the thanes. He further states: ‘Lest our old robes sit easier than our new!.’
His use of the motif of clothing, particularly the noun phrase ‘old robes’ shows
how Macduff views Macbeth’s claim to the throne illegitimate, alluding towards
his suspicions of him. This further connotes to his remaining loyalty to Duncan –
possibly denoting him as the representation of Duncan after he dies through his
integrity and courage, Shakespeare presenting his importance to maintaining
some goodness in the play after the peripetia.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller f4timaha. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for CA$8.23. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
79223 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now