Exam (elaborations)
Grade 9 Essay on the Importance of Macduff in Macbeth
This Grade 9 Essay explores the importance of Macduff within Macbeth. Written for Eduqas but cna be adapted for any exam board.
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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.
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