Macbeth

    AQA
    GCSE

    Macbeth, a brave Scottish general, receives a prophecy from three witches that he will one day become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is subsequently wracked with guilt and paranoia, forced to commit more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion. The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of madness and death, culminating in Macbeth's defeat by Macduff and the restoration of order under Malcolm.

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    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • Understand key concepts related to Macbeth
    • Apply knowledge of Macbeth to exam questions

    Example Examiner Feedback

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    • "You have made a good start in exploring Macbeth's ambition; ensure you use more specific textual evidence to support your points."
    • "Your analysis of Lady Macbeth's character is insightful; consider how Shakespeare uses language to present her power."
    • "Well done on identifying key themes; now focus on evaluating how effectively Shakespeare presents these through dramatic devices."
    • "To improve, ensure you directly address the command word in your response and offer a more developed evaluation."

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