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Macbeth - Higher Level Essay Writing
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Here are some higher-level style questions and answers for Macbeth. They are tailored towards students aged 16 and above, particularly those aiming for the very top grades.
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MACBETH: HIGHER LEVEL ESSAY WRITINGMACBETH: HIGHER LEVEL ESSAY
WRITING
Here are some higher level style questions and answers for Macbeth. They are tailored towards students
aged 16 and above, particularly those aiming for the very top grades. The difference between a lower
and higher level essay is the amount of detail achieved in terms of knowledge and analysis of the text
- so pay particular attention to how the arguments, language analysis and context or critics points are
developed below.
MACBETH EXAMPLE A* PARAGRAPH:
Here’s a breakdown of how to achieve a high level paragraph of analysis in Macbeth. Note that the
amount of ‘evidence’ given is quite small, whereas the analysis, context points and development form
the larger part of the paragraph. This type of structuring allows you to get the most out of your ideas
and to show off your detailed knowledge, rather than relying too heavily on the story or the words of the
play. Try to never ‘describe’ (retell the story), and instead consistently present your own ideas, opinions
and interpretations.
A Level style question:
‘Macbeth is not an evil man, but one led astray by those around him’. To what extent do you agree
with this view?
Key:
POINT > your idea that answers part of the question
EVIDENCE > quotes and/or references from the text
EXPLANATION > HOW and WHY the evidence proves your point
DEVELOPMENT/ALTERNATIVE ARGUMENTS > go deeper - zoom in / add an extra point or evidence /
look at different angles of interpretation
CONTEXT > background knowledge - link to the question
THESIS/ARGUMENT > the main argument of your essay
It could be said that the witches are the most significant evil influence on Macbeth, as they manipulate
him from the offset and enjoy leading him astray, reappearing at key moments to guide him further into
darkness. In Act 1 Scene 1, they are the first characters that the audience encounters, which foregrounds
their importance in terms of the plot and suggests that they are heavily involved with the outcome
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, MACBETH: HIGHER LEVEL ESSAY WRITING
of the narrative. Furthermore, they speak in paradoxes in order to confuse and manipulate those
around them, suggesting that they have a supernatural power that provides them with superhuman
abilities: ‘fair is foul and foul is fair’. On the surface, this use of chiasmus seems contradictory and
tautological- stating that good is bad, and evil is good. However, if we analyze deeper we can see that
the witches are suggesting that ugliness lies in beauty, or that dishonesty and honesty are connected,
and finally, that evil lies at the heart of goodness. These are central concepts that Shakespeare then
explores throughout the action of the play, commenting further on the duplicity of human nature and its
potential for corruption. The fricative alliteration of the ‘f’ sounds make this line particularly memorable
for audiences and establishes the central themes of the play: the tension between good and evil. In
1606 when Macbeth was written, people believed that witches were a real threat to society and that
they genuinely had evil powers. King James I, Shakespeare’s patron and the new king of England had
famously published a treatise on witches entitled ‘Demonologie’, which educated the general public on
witchcraft and evil. Therefore, it can certainly be argued that Shakespeare intended Macbeth to be evilly
manipulated by their ‘supernatural soliciting’, as this contemporary exegesis would support fashionable
beliefs of the era and also serve to please the reigning monarch. This idea is further demonstrated when
we encounter Macbeth for the first time in Act 1 Scene 3, as he echoes the witches’ words by saying
‘so foul and fair a day I have not seen’. It could be argued that this is an uncanny coincidence, but the
more likely interpretation is that from the offset Macbeth is being used as a puppet by the witches, who
are intent on wreaking ‘toil and trouble’ upon the world. Ultimately, the culpability of the witches in
Macbeth’s downfall can be attributed to Shakespeare’s overall intentions of exposing the corrupting and
evil nature of power and ambition itself.
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