Macbeth – A* / L9 Full Mark Example Essay

This is an A* / L9 full mark example essay on Macbeth completed by a 15-year-old student in timed conditions (50 mins writing, 10 mins planning). It contained a few minor spelling and grammatical errors – but the quality of analysis overall was very high so this didn’t affect the grade. It is extremely good […]

AQA GCSE Practise Paper – Macbeth: The Captain’s Speech

Below is an AQA GCSE Practise Paper for Macbeth. The question is from the June 2019 GCSE exam paper for AQA GCSE English Literature. Use it to practise planning and writing, either as a full mock exam in timed conditions – or working through it in your own time and at your own pace. Thanks […]

Macbeth: The Best Key Quotes

Here’s a list of the best quotes for the character ‘Macbeth’ in Shakespeare’s play of the same name. I’ve been teaching Macbeth for years and these quotations are the ones that I find myself returning to over and over again. They have lots of techniques and imagery in them, and they relate to a huge […]

How to Analyse Form (Drama) in Macbeth

Drama is a living, breathing form of writing. It’s meant to be performed, not read in silence like a book. If you’re aiming for top grades, you must treat drama and plays as if they are supposed to be acted out, in front of an audience – consider the way in which an actor might […]

Macbeth Essay Planning: Fear and Weakness

Macbeth: Essay Question Breakdown Below, you’ll find two Macbeth essay questions – each one is broken down into a clear process that shows you how to identify keywords, select information from the extract, formulate a plan and develop a thesis. This process is a generalised process, so make sure to check your own exam board […]

Notes on Religion in “Macbeth”

Below, you’ll find some thoughts, notes and comments on the idea of religion in “Macbeth”. These are intended as a starting point – you should also read essays on the topic, do your own research and develop your own more personal and detailed beliefs about each theme before attempting to write essays! Every essay or […]

Setting in Macbeth

Macbeth is set in Scotland – it’s part of the United Kingdom, but a separate country from England. The country is in the far North, and it is known for dramatic weather and wild landscapes – particularly the moors or ‘blasted heath’ upon which we meet the Witches. The opening of the play begins this […]

How to Read and Understand Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”

Below, I’ll go through some key approaches to help you understand Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” – at any level – to help you get past the fear of reading the text, into the part where you can enjoy it and find it interesting. Everyone knows Shakespeare is hard to read. It’s a fact that puts most people […]

Macbeth and Shakespeare’s Audience

Below, you’ll find a list of the most important beliefs of people (audience) in Shakespeare’s time. Use these to enhance your essay analysis by making deeper connections between the story and its meanings. It’s important to read any Shakespeare play with knowledge of its cultural context. In this case, we need to understand the beliefs […]

Macbeth: Act 1 Scene 6 – Text, Summary + Study Questions

Act 1 Scene 6 is a key scene in Macbeth, even though the tragic hero isn’t in it himself! King Duncan arrives at Inverness Castle with Banquo and a few other lords; he’s greeted by Lady Macbeth. He thinks that the castle is ‘pleasant’, and has no awareness of the fact that the Macbeths are […]