Here is a list of practice plans and notes that students have completed for a range of essays on “Macbeth”. Some are focused on ideas, and others on structuring. To get the best out of your plans, you should try to keep a balance between both of these from this document.
MACBETH: ESSAY PLANNING
Here is a list of practice plans and notes that students have completed for a range of essays on
Macbeth. Some are focused on ideas, and others on structuring. To get the best out of your plans, you
should try to keep a balance between both of these. Always plan a thesis before writing - this is your
main argument, the main answer to the question that comes in the intro of your essay. The rest of the
essay should then explore and argue on this thesis.
These essay questions and plans are not specific to a particular exam board or student level, so they can
be used to support students from a range of backgrounds who are studying the text - be sure to tailor
your own essay plans to include the requirements of your exam board! For instance, you may need to
also include context points and/or critical interpretations. Each plan has been left in the way in which the
student originally wrote it - with some small corrections of errors. You can use these plans as a template
for your own planning.
For the most basic plan, if pressed for time in an exam, you should use the following structure (and take
no more than 5 mins in total sketching out your ideas):
BASIC PLAN STRUCTURE (FOR ANY ESSAY)
INTRO
• A few key details on the question
• Thesis: your single sentence answer to the question, ideally developed from a basic point
into something more informed and sophisticated.
PARAGRAPH 1
One topic that addresses one aspect of the question
PARAGRAPH 2
Another topic that addresses a different aspect of the question
PARAGRAPH 3
Another topic that addresses a different aspect of the question
(PARAGRAPH 4) Optional
Another topic that addresses a different aspect of the question
CONCLUSION
No need to plan, but this should summarise your key findings and thesis
Note: For argumentative or comparative essay structures you may want to modify this
plan slightly, make sure you know how to write all three types of essay: argumentative,
comparative, discursive.
PRACTICE ESSAY 1
DISCURSIVE QUESTION - THEME
Explore how Shakespeare discusses the theme of deception in Macbeth.
Notes / Ideas: Trickery begets trickery - Macbeth deceives Duncan at the start, Banquo
shortly after, he himself is deceived by the Witches - negative comment on deception.
Feudal system / divine right of kings vs New Politics / Machiavelli.
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