This is the link to the guide.
This essay comes from a grade 9 student who might not get get Grade 9, because they start with the extract.
Starting with this moment in the play, explore how Shakespeare presents the attitudes of Macbeth and Banquo towards the supernatural.
In this extract, Banquo is shown to be wary of the supernatural; a feeling which would be reflected by most people watching the play. Shakespeare uses Banquo to deliver a didactic message to those who didn’t have this fear of the supernatural, explaining how the “instruments of darkness... betray us.”The “instruments of darkness”refers to the witches, who at this point in the play have just been proved correct in their prediction that Macbeth would become the Thane of Cawdor. By using the metaphor of “instruments,” Shakespeare shows that while the supernatural can sound attractive and beautiful, their real role is to betray us to the Devil- the one who controls their movements, and in this extended metaphor “wins” them. The fact that the witches predicted correctly that Macbeth would become Thane of Cawdor, Banquo believes, was only an “honest trifle,” a small trick which in the long term meant nothing, but that could drag those who allowed it to change their perspective of life into doom. This warning reflected the writing of James I, who in “Demonology” warned of the threat that the supernatural posed to people.
In stark opposition to the clear caution that Banquo has of the witches, Macbeth is unsure of the extent of the threat that the witches pose. He says “this supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good.” The anaphora shows his lack of ability to decide how the supernatural should be treated. This would shock a Jacobean audience, who had been brought up to believe that witches were evil and never to be trusted. Shakespeare shows that this doubt as to whether the witches want Macbeth's good or not directly leads to his ideas about the murder of Duncan, as after seeing their prediction come true, he immediately has a “thought” of “murder.”
Although the idea of murdering the King is at this point “but fantastical”, only an idea, even the thought of regicide would be seen as sinful by the Jacobean audience, who saw the King as directly under God in the Great Chain of Being. The fact that a “valiant”, “worthy gentleman” can be polluted by such evil thoughts as a result of one meeting with the witches is a clear message to the Jacobean audience that witches can destroy anyone, and that everyone should be on their guard and should protect themselves from the supernatural.
Later in the play, Macbeth is shown to think that he has power over the supernatural. This is seen when he commands Banquo’s ghost “never shake thy gory locks at me!” The exclamation demonstrates the fact that Macbeth believes that by intimidation he can control not only people, but also ghosts and spirits. However, the ghost does not respond to this demand, which shows that even those in power cannot control the supernatural. This was perhaps a message to the nobles of King James’ court. Shakespeare wanted to remind them that evil spirits- as ghosts were seen at the time- needed divine help to be cast out. Jacobean audiences would infer that Macbeth could not cast away the image of the ghost because he had left God, who alone had the power to cast out demons. This message would please King James, who had strong faith in the power of the Christian God.
After seeing Banquo’s ghost, Macbeth puts his full trust in the witches, which demonstrates that he has lost any “Christian values” that he had held previously. Despite knowing that the witches are the embodiment of spiritual darkness- which can be seen when he refers to them as “black and midnight hags”- he begs them to “answer [him] … what [he] ask[s] them.” The witches agree, showing him three apparitions, the last of which comes with a message to “Laugh to scorn, for none of woman born, shall harm Macbeth.” This lulls him into a false sense of security, which is seen when he taunts Macduff, saying “I bear a charméd life.” Only when Macduff tells him that he was born of C-section does Macbeth lose his trust in the witches, and by then it is too late, and he dies fighting with Macduff.
Shakespeare therefore shows the audience that putting your life in the hands of the supernatural is a fatal mistake, which must be avoided at any cost.
718 words
How the Examiner Grades
This is Grade 9
“At the top of the level, a candidate’s response is likely to be a critical, exploratory, well-structured argument. It takes a conceptualised approach to the full task supported by a range of judicious references. There will be a fine-grained and insightful analysis of language and form and structure supported by judicious use of subject terminology. Convincing exploration of one or more ideas/ perspectives/ contextual factors/ interpretations.”
My Comments
This is “exploratory”. But it is unlikely to be a “well-structured argument”. It doesn’t start with a thesis statement, so that it doesn’t have 3 ideas to prove.
Because it doesn’t have a thesis statement, the conclusion makes only one point.
The point itself is weak - did Shakespeare really want to warn the nobles at court to avoid the many witches and ghosts roaming around Saint James’s Palace or around their stately manors? It’s not an insightful use of context.
It is much more likely that this will happen if you start with the extract - you zoom into some brilliant AO2 quote analysis, as this does, and you find you are half way through the question, with no time left to develop an argument. It does have a range of “judicious references”. Many of them are analysed brilliantly, so they are “fine-grained and insightful”.
Grade 7 - easy peasy, look at my quote analysis. But beyond that, you’re struggling.
It just about deals with “the full task”, but it can’t be “conceptualised” if it doesn’t have a thesis statement, strong conclusion and an argument.
Again, starting with the extract has scuppered it.
Anyway, much as I have panned the essay because it starts with the extract, I can still score it 26/30. A safe grade 8.
Hi Sir, I commented on one of your youtube videos but I wasn't sure if you'd be able to see it there but I was wondering if you could read my Macbeth essay that I wrote in my November mocks. I got 27/30 on it but looking back on it now, I'm not too proud of it and I feel like it's missing some things. Would you be able to give me some feedback? Thank you.
In Macbeth, Shakespeare presents Macbeth's fears as motives for his heinous crimes. He hints at the possible sources of his fears and begins to criticise the martial society Macbeth had grown up in. Perhaps, as an attempt to warn King James and the nobles of his own beliefs of how society should be run.
In this extract, Shakespeare presents Macbeth's fears as stemming from insecurity and emasculation. Banquo is a foil to Macbeth and Macbeth himself is aware of this - Macbeth struggles with the idea of nobility and it is further fueled by Banquo reflecting everything Macbeth is not. “Our fears in Banquo stick deep.” The adjective deep suggests this fear is something he feels within, something which he's unable to rid himself of. Perhaps, Shakespeare was commenting on the harmful effects a martial society can have: it can shape your beliefs and wants. It makes power a necessity and a measure of self-worth which leads to men, such as Macbeth, committing merciless crimes in order to obtain this power. Contextually, this political play acts as a manifesto for the nobles over the Nobles and King James, who Shakespeare knew would be watching, where he desperately advises against England going to war against the Catholic terrorists who had attempted to murder King James. In 1605, society was at a turning point and it was very much a possibility that King James could fight back in retaliation but Shakespeare did not believe this was the right answer. He believed it could produce power-hungry men who would go to extreme lengths, such as regicide, to achieve it.
Shakespeare shows Macbeth’s fears of losing power as beginning to play with his mind and therefore leading him to question the decision he has taken. He suggests he wears, “a fruitless crown,” which metaphorically implies it is useless like a tree of fruit without its benefits. Macbeth’s fears that the heavy crime he has committed that weighs down on his conscience is futile and will not benefit him but instead Banquo. This is important as we see insecurity in Macbeth in regards to what he had become in comparison to Banquo. He describes Banquo as having a, “wisdom that doth guide his valour.” Previously, Macbeth had believed it had been his warrior-like traits that guided his own valour which had led to the justification of murder in his mind but now he's not so sure. Alternatively, Shakespeare seemingly presents fear as a powerful force able to reject ideals created from society and plant a seed for an evaluation of morals.
However, Shakespeare also presents Macbeth's fears as a retaliation against fate and his inability to have control. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is described as, “Disdaining Fortune,” the proximity of these two words suggest his incredible distaste and disregard for fortune. This could have been caused by the recent death of his and Lady Macbeth's baby who by consequences of events Macbeth had blamed fate and destiny for. Not only did it cause him an overwhelming amount of grief, but it also caused a dent in his reign as King as he and Lady Macbeth were therefore unable to have children and his family would not inherit the throne instead it would be Banquo’s which was the epitome of his fears. Macbeth challenges fate into a fight by saying, “come Fate into the list, and champion me to th’utterance,” the personification of fate could be seen as Macbeth’s emotional response to the anger he felt against what he believed fate had caused. Shakespeare presents Macbeth as fearing the harm fate could cause him in the future through his defiance to wait for his prophecy to come true. He says, “if chance may have me king, why, chance may crown me,” but he does not believe this and Shakespeare shows this through the repetition of ‘chance’. Macbeth refuses to use the word ‘fate’ as he is aware of the damage it has caused him in the past when he has succumbed to its power. By attempting to perceive it as chance, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as fearful of the unknown and loss of control for his future. Perhaps, stemming from the martial society Macbeth had grown up in which had taught him violence as a method to overcome this.
In conclusion, Macbeth murdering King Duncan could be perceived as a need for revenge against fate and through a Christian perspective God which links into the Great Chain of Being and the Divine Right of Kings which Macbeth purposefully goes against as a method of revenge. Shakespeare presents Macbeth’s fears as the driving forces for his murders in order to avoid feeling worthless in a society run by power.
27/30