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GCSE English Literature Essay -Write about how Shakespeare presents the attitudes of Macbeth and Banquo in this extract and in the play as a whole?R113,10
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GCSE English Literature Essay -Write about how Shakespeare presents the attitudes of Macbeth and Banquo in this extract and in the play as a whole?
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Course
English
Institution
GCSE
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Macbeth
Write about how Shakespeare presents the attitudes of Macbeth and Banquo in this extract and in the play as a whole?
English Literature Essay
AQA
Written in 2019 (Year 11 Essay)
Macbeth Character Revision and Analysis with Quotes
GCSE Grade 9 ‘Macbeth’(thesis,quotes,analysis)
Macbeth notes
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Write about how Shakespeare presents the attitudes of
Macbeth and Banquo in this extract and in the play as a whole
Shakespeare metaphorically encapsulates the theme of the supernatural in the characters of the
witches alongside the supernatural images such as the bloody daggers, apparitions, and
hallucinations, as well as the reversal of natural order and disruptions in nature seeming to be a
consequence of the witches or any evil actions in the play.
The play straight away establishes the witch's moral ambiguity as they are the main tool that
Shakespeare uses to portray the tone of the supernatural theme and are portrayed as unnatural in
speech and appearance,” withered” and “wild” as well as having “beards.” They also speak in short
rhyming couplets which sound as though they are conjuring spells – which differentiates them from
the other characters who speak in blank verse and are seemingly normal. This links into
Shakespeare’s bigger message that is linked into many times through quotes such as “there is no art
to find the minds construction” and “look like th’innocent flower but be the serpent under’t” which
links to the theme of appearances vs reality, as the witches are foul but speaks truths which
eventually manipulate Macbeth and lead to his demise. Macbeth's hamartia is his “vaulting
ambition” which leads to him being the architect of his undoing as he is too gullible and completely
believes in the witch's words and sees no flaws in them unlike Banquo who is an incredibly intelligent
and wonders if evil can ever speak the truth as he says “to win us to our harm, the instruments of
darkness tell us truths”. This deeply contrasts Macbeth's reaction which signifies to the reader his
belief that the witches represent a final impetus that would drive him to a predetermined end
making the prophecy self-fulfilling. He is clearly greedy and has an immense thirst for power which
his soliloquy straight after the prophecies were told demonstrates as he calls the witches actions as
“supernatural soliciting” as he reasons that the witches cannot be evil as the first prediction came
true and they were speaking honestly and truthfully then - emphasising his gullibility. This image of
the witches completely contradicts the image of cunning and ugly hags that the Jacobean audience
would have placed on the witches, as their sinful acts at the start of the play labels them as religious
traitors who had turned their backs to God and appeal to Macbeth’s greed and pride (two cardinal
sins in Christian theology) - summing them up as evil, supernatural and corrupting forces.
The difference in reception of the witch's words can also be seen much later as Banquo alongside
Macbeth does have ambitions. He reveals that his dreams after the revelation were plagued with
“cursed thoughts” which suggests that he too thought about killing Duncan yet did not due to his
immense loyalty (and he also does not expose Macbeth, though suspects him of foul play), and he
still maintains enough personal integrity to resist such as unnatural and evil temptation unlike
Macbeth, so he demonstrates a man of honour and dignity which would mark him out as a good
man in Shakespeare’s time as he has all the qualities of one mostly due to his unrelenting honour.
Banquo and Macbeth have many similarities which we see at the beginning of the play as when the
prophecies are revealed both characters want to hear about themselves “speak then to me”,
although Macbeth is “rapt withall” as his intrigue reaches a higher extent. Alongside this Banquo
and Macbeth both win in the war against the Norwegian’s yet Banquo’s pains go unrewarded with
no new title, however he is not jealous which demonstrates his place as Macbeth’s opposite due to
his sincerity leading to both characters acting as somewhat of a foil of each other. This is seen later
on in the play Banquo calls for “merciful powers” to help him, while Macbeth calls upon darkness:
“stars hide your fires let not light see my black and deep desires,” highlighting Macbeth’s relation to
the supernatural and evil evermore. Banquo provides contrast to Macbeth due to this as his
character seems to be a portrayal of what Macbeth could have been if he did not have his hamartia
of being an ambitious man with a lack of strength of character so let's himself be easily manipulated
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