macbeth creative writing examples

‘Yours Truly, Lady Macbeth’

The Shakespeare Academy has been running at King’s for the past three years as a Widening Participation project. In 2017-18 we reached over 350 students, continuing to develop close partnerships with teachers and pupils at eight London state-funded secondary schools, from Key Stage 3 to GCSE. We run workshops with the students that investigate Shakespeare’s plays through seminar-style sessions, readings, and creative writing activities. Read more about the Shakespeare Academy here .

Below you can read some examples of creative writing by Years 9 and 10 students from our summer 2018 workshops. We asked them to imagine what Lady Macbeth might have written if she had left a suicide note. As you can see, the pieces are inspired by the imagery and language of the play, but re-imagined for a modern audience.

I was particularly encouraged by the ways in which students engaged with the gender politics of Macbeth . Their writings express the limitations of Lady Macbeth’s agency within early modern patriarchy with a subtlety that I found truly impressive. The entrants showcased below were chosen for their originality, insight and imaginative engagement with Shakespeare’s text. They express the individual poetic and creative voices of the students, while maintaining close adherence to the characterisation, imagery and tone of the play.

– Dr Gemma Miller , English Department and Globe Education

Hiral Galaiya, Avanti House, Stanmore, Year 10

Dear diary,

So much has happened in the last few months; it is hard to wrap my head around everything. Suddenly, Macbeth has prevailed from the mere Thane of Glamis to King – my husband took my advice, transforming from an innocent flower to serpent, only I never saw the goodness of the petals till it was far too late. I should be glad, I should be happy, but I know I shall not be, for I now understand the power of my ambition, and how it will forever leave me wanting more. Desire stripped me, and now I lay here, naked. Naked in guilt.

I am beginning to question as to whether any of this was worth it. I feel as though I am stuck in a downfall. A self-inflicted downward spiral. I must take responsibility, before it is too late, so I admit to having pushed…manipulated even, Macbeth to be King. I realise now that my actions were wrong; Cawdor lost one of its loyalist beings (again a quality I never appreciated). My position as a woman drove me to yearn for power, and consequently, it grew resentment. Honestly, power seemed like the ideal substitute to soothe my corrupted mind – I was so afraid of being kept behind doors, that I caused a war – yet look where I’ve ended up!

Never have I experienced such guilt or pity. I am still struggling to fathom my own insanity; they say it came now, as a form of remorse, yet I suppose all of my crafty schemes have been folly. I would like to end this by saying I regret all, and that I never thought it would come to this. The witches were said to be defectiveness, yet my evilness is far worse than theirs, and so is my fate. I suppose this is my suicide note, but ironically, it is not addressed to anyone. Why? Because I am alone, and I deserve it. What’s done cannot be undone.

Yours truly,

Lady Macbeth.

Jathursha Maniyalagan, Avanti House, Stanmore, Year 10

Dear Macbeth,

My dearest partner of greatness, I can barely write as my wicked tears fill my eyes, blurring my vision and a huge painful lump is stuck in my throat, suffocating me, my body is shaking and burning up and I feel as though my life has collapsed. The guilt has consumed me and I can’t escape this pain any longer. Screams from Duncan paralyse my head and torture me during the day, I am truly sorry that you have to find out what happened through someone other than me, I feel like a coward I went against everything I told you, but I am still a woman. Knowing about the supernatural has caused me to go downhill and I could only solve this by forgetting everything, so I ended my life, fast and painlessly, I had to get away from life immediately. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just couldn’t handle the guilt, my sins will never be forgiven and all of Neptune’s ocean could never wash this blood clean from my hands. I truly wanted everything to go back to normal but miracles aren’t for everyone.

I felt like Eve to you, Adam. I deceived you. I made you feel like a woman, I made you become a disloyal man and I did this by being the serpent under the flower by manipulating you. I made the crown become your fruit, I persuaded you to becoming king in the wrong way and the moment I received the letter from you, I tried to lead us to power but I should never have taken fate into my own hands. The spirits disappointed you the same way I did to you, I deserve to be tortured, burned at the stake, maimed, but I am too much of a woman, I commanded the spirits to turn me into a man but they knew I couldn’t handle it. The guilt was eating me alive, so ending my misery was the best decision for the both of us, as I could exclude my horrid self from you, to make you feel happy once again. I really hope you can truly forgive me and I’m unaware of your current position in life but I want you to know that you will always be my king, deep down in my twisted little heart.

Lady Macbeth

Jesal Vadgama, Avanti House, Stanmore, Year 10

Dear my dearest love Macbeth,

Full of serpents is my mind, the three witches have bestowed a curse upon us. Death to those treacherous witches, for they have played with our minds. There is nothing but unholy wine running through my veins; no power on Earth can cure what has been done. We should stop murdering and confess to the lord for we have sinned. I was mistaken; no water can clear us of this deed. I am as weak as a petal on a wilted flower; I cannot bear all this shame so I am going to take my life putting an end to all of this. The witches are to blame for our downfall, kill the witches and you will have a happy life again.

Fair well my love I will miss you, nothing can cure me of this disease. I have decided upon my fate which is suicide and nothing is going to stop me from my death, I am very sorry Macbeth but this is the only way I can get rid of this shame as I have truly become weak. Someone is going to come for me. Do me the greatest favour by not forgetting to kill those three witches. With so much sorrow I must part you for the greater good, I must go this instant. To bed to bed! There is knocking at the gate come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone – To bed, to bed, to bed!

Long live my heroic Macbeth,

From your love Lady Macbeth

Radhey Patel, Avanti House, Stanmore, Year 10

Spirits. Spirits I called, that tend mortal thoughts, manifest with sheer hunger within me. Their reach thickens my blood, to where my system art clogged and obscured my hope. I has plagued th’ inventor, I has plagued myself, and there seem’th to be no control. The burden of Macbeth’s poisoned chalice has overcometh me and now I desire to wash it off.

Pondering English Pedagogy

A personal blog to share teaching thoughts, ideas, and practises

Re-creative Writing: An Approach to teaching ‘Macbeth’

Carol Ann Duffy coursework Curriculum diversity English English Literature Female author Feminism inclusion LGBT Madeline Miller Margaret Atwood Naomi Alderman Natalie Haynes NEA OCR Pedagogy poetry Prose Whole-School

After 6 years of teaching Shakespeare’s Macbeth , I have worked through various strategies to engage students in the (often troublesome) use of language. These have ranged from supported and scaffolded class annotation of the text to ‘Jeremy Kyle-style’ debates between key characters. All have their pros and cons. However, it was after several years of exploring the Re-creative coursework element of the OCR A-Level specification, that led me to this question: why not try the same concept with GCSE students?

So, what does ‘Re-creative’ mean?

This is a process by which students read and study a text with the aim of producing their own form of creative writing in response. OCR use this as an option for their NEA Task 1, where a student can choose to complete EITHER a close a analysis or a re-creative piece.

As outlined by the specification on the OCR website, re-creative writing allows students to:

develop aspects of a narrative further in the style or ‘voice’ of the writer
consider specific moments in a narrative by adding additional text or adding further context
allows students to consider different audiences, contexts, and purposes through the exploration of different written forms and genres

Essentially, by allowing students to explore a text through recreating or adding elements to the existing narrative, they can begin to further understand the ‘voice’ and intentions of the writer, whilst also engaging with various creative tasks. For example, in a Shakespeare text, students can begin to further understand the features and form of a soliloquy by framing a new addition into the existing play – an example that my Year 10 students explored in their study of Macbeth this term.

What are the benefits of this approach?

Through the teaching of this method, I have seen a range of benefits through the students’ levels of interaction and engagement, but also through their understanding of the text and various written forms.

“It can […] contribute to wider opportunities of peer-assessment, resulting in meaningful feedback and extended tal k”

As a lover of dialogic teaching (check out Towards Dialogic Teaching by Robin Alexander [2004]), I have found that this can greatly encourage students to share their own ideas through various spoken presentations as well as encourage talk between their peers, both in the planning and writing processes. This, in turn, allows for wider opportunities of peer-assessment, resulting in meaningful feedback and extended talk , such as considering conscious decisions around writers’ craft and how this can shape the meaning of their piece within the wider context of the text.

I short though, the main benefits I have noticed in this creative method of teaching are:

Wider opportunities for creative writing – this allows students to develop SPaG and literary skills, whilst breaking up lessons of close, detailed analysis of a rich (often difficult) text
Extended understanding of various written form s – which can include elements of writing useful for their Language Papers. For example, article and speech writing as well as poetic forms and play-texts, all of which can help students to extend their knowledge of text layout and rhetorical language features
Refined understanding of the primary study text – which, ultimately, helps them to feel more confident when it comes to revision of plot, character, and technique. By allowing students the opportunity to write re-creatively in the ‘voice’ of the primary writer, they can better understand the actions and relationships between characters, as well as have a better understanding of stylistic techniques used by the writer
Fun and engaging – which is, essentially, what we want all of our students to experience when learning English. It can break up the monotony of very focused close analysis which – very easily – can become quiet teacher-led. By handing creative tasks over to our students, it gives them the control to discuss their ideas with their peers as well as share work that they can be proud of!

What were students asked to do in their study of Macbeth ?

In this section, I want to demonstrate a more detailed overview of this case study to provide you with some real examples of how re-creative writing can be used as a strategy to help students engage and learn about a primary text, whilst also expanding their skills in writing and peer-assessing.

All forms of writing were produced at various points throughout the students’ study of Macbeth . Each task was used to assess students’ knowledge of key characters and events in the play , whilst also aiming to extend creative writing skills for their AQA Language pape r: using wider and sophisticated vocabulary and adapting language and structure to suit their audience.

Responding to Act 1.5: A soliloquy in the voice of Lady Macbeth

For this task, we had just been introduced to Lady Macbeth’s character as well as having explored the structural forms of soliloquy and asides . I wanted students to demonstrate their knowledge of key character traits of Lady Macbeth (such as manipulative and ‘supernatural or witch-like’ qualities) whilst also experimenting with the form of a soliloquy, using their understanding of Act 1.5 and earlier examples from the character of Macbeth.

The students responses were fantastic, showing a strong understanding of her use of language after reading the letter. These were based both on their individual understanding and creative flair, but also rooted in questioning and learning talk with one another.

Some examples of the student pieces are below:

Responding to Act 3.3 – A modern retelling of Banquo’s demise

“Students successfully created a range of playscripts, with some even citing references to Naturalist theatre, where they had used significant detail in their stage directions.”

Although not technically “re-creative” (as we were not writing in Shakespeare’s style), I wanted students to further understand the structure of a play-text as well as the use of stagecraft. Normally, I would have asked students to create freeze-frames or short modernised performances of the scene, but due to social distancing , this was not possible (COVID-19 problems…).

Students were instructed to create a modern playscript of Act 3.3 which could be included in EITHER a stage or film production of Shakespeare’s original play. The teaching aims of this task were for students to:

demonstrate their understanding of stagecraft and potential effects of sound, lighting, and physicality
show an understanding of mood and atmosphere through the setting of their piece, the use of dialogue, and the manipulation of sound and lighting
explore and discuss relationships between characters and how this might impact later events in the play

Students successfully created a range of playscripts, with some even citing references to Naturalist theatre, where they had used significant detail in their stage directions. Many students used particular dialogue such as “a light, a light” to help explore different staging opportunities and decisions. Others decided to use storyboards to help in the planning of their final pieces, showing thoughtful decision-making and discussion during their learning.

Pre-Reading Act 4.3 – The Suffering of Scotland – Articles and Speeches

“I also wanted them to consider their ability to explore empathy from the perspective of a citizen trapped within a tyranny”

The final example was used as a way to explore some flipped learning. I wanted students to use their understanding of key themes within the text to help them explore a range of transactional written forms. The context of this task was rooted in students’ recognition that Scotland has quickly been taken over by a tyrannical dictator and how this might have affected characters within the play – namely Macduff. However, I also wanted them to consider their ability to explore empathy from the perspective of a citizen trapped within a tyranny.

Students, therefore, had a choice to either compose a persuasive speech, considering Macduff’s desperation to seek help from Malcolm and King Edward, or an article which reported on events within Scotland. Both forms would allow me to measure their understanding of key plot events as well as helping them prepare skills in non-fiction written forms for AQA Language Paper 2.

One of the key elements of this task was the opportunity for peer-assessment . I like to provide students with checklists as a form of guidance, but also encourage students to give written feedback in the form of WWW (What Went Well) and EBI (Even Better If). If you want any more ideas for Assessment for Learning (AFL) you can explore English Inside the Black Box (2006) by Bethan Marshall and Dylan Wiliam.

You can easily adapt existing checklists to fit various tasks and it is a great way to assist students in marking each other’s work – especially if they have limited experience of peer-assessment.

This was ultimately very successful, with students exploring various structural methods and learning the basics of article and speech writing. They proudly presented their work, as well as being able to present spoken forms via FlipGrid (an online recording tool).

I was particularly pleased to see students adapt their language to suit specific audiences , which is a key skill for their Language examination papers.

Examples of student work are below:

In conclusion?

Essentially, students really enjoyed the process of writing in different forms, but also gained a great deal of knowledge and insight into Shakespeare’s craft and use of character.

Although not perfect (some students essentially re-wrote Act 3.3 in modern dialect as opposed to redesigning the scene), it allowed students to explore language and understanding through methods that went beyond just “reading and analysing” the play.

I believe that, through creative tasks such as these, it can truly engage reluctant learners with more challenging topics (such as Shakespeare) and move us towards skills-based learning and teaching, rather than more traditional modular topic teaching. There are strong links here to Anthony Cockerill’s demonstrations of thematic teaching of English topics and I would strongly recommend you to check out his blog here: https://anthonycockerill.com/2019/07/12/thematic-curriculum-scheme-gothic/

Useful tools to aid in the process

I wanted to finish by suggesting some useful tools that can really help to aid in collaborative approaches to these tasks, as well as in peer-assessment. They are particularly relevant for online and distance learning :

Flipgrid.com is a great tool for allowing students to record and share written forms, such as speeches
OneNote allows students to write text in a shared online notebook, but the collaboration space is particularly good for students to share their work and enable easy peer-marking. It is worth checking this out in your departments
Planet eStream is a video database, which include various versions of Shakespeare plays. I used these to help draw students’ attention to the use of staging and other dramatic elements with the aim to elicit comparison between productions.

Thank you for reading.

Share this:, 2 thoughts on “ re-creative writing: an approach to teaching ‘macbeth’ ”.

Fantastic piece. Thanks so much for sharing. I’m about to start teaching Macbeth again with a link to creative writing. This has given me so many ideas. Much appreciated.

Thanks Phillip! You sometimes wonder if anyone actually reads your pieces, so it’s encouraging to know it’s inspired someone in some way! Feel free to share any other ideas you have with teaching Macbeth!

Creative writing - Macbeth on trial

Alyssa Bellave 12/27/11

Macbeth Trial Quinlisk

I call to the stand Macbeth......Did you or did you not Murder in Cold blood your king Duncan?

Your Honour on the night of the accused, I held a banquet with good

intentions for my King Duncan who has served the country for

many years. The events leading up to the acusation period were

somewhat distorted. A week or more ago I paid homage to a group

of medians unintentionally whilst on a journey with my fellow

companion Banquo. I was beckoned by the witch that confronted

me at the mouth of a cave, within minutes I was under an

unrecognisable spell. They said,

"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!"

"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!"

"All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!"

After They Showed Me A Couldron, I then spent most of the day

unconscious on the floor of the cave. I awoke to find myself alone.

Unawhere of the fate that cloned me, I was under their iriputable

power of ambition .

Carry on sir!

This is a preview of the whole essay

Well no sooner had I got back to my tent, Duncan came with his

guards and messenger and gave me the medallion to be the Thane

of Glamis and I was told I was also the thane of Cawdor due to an

evil happening at Duncan's castle.

Anyway, when I told my wife Lady Macbeth, she thought it was

wonderful and we should invite Duncan to a banquet at our castle

but then she told me that to acomplish the last part of the witches

spell we should kill him.

So it was Lady Macbeth that helped you complete the task of killing

your faithful king.

Yes, that is true. When I came home to Inverness she said, "O,

never shall sun that morrow see".

So what happened when Duncan came that night?

Well it started off perfectly, we had a big banquet with

entertainment and the king was smiling and enjoying himself so

much but my wife came over to me and asked when I was going to

do the deed. I told her I didn't want to but she insisted so much that

I had to say yes. We both agreed that it would be done by drugging

the guards, then killing the king and putting the daggers stained

with blood in their hands so it looked as if they had commited the

So did your plan work?

Well everyone was asleep and my wife and I went outside, I had a

dagger and went to the tower. I could see a vision of a dagger in the

air, it was as if it was leading me to Duncan. As I walked along the

corridor, I checked if the guards were out cold. They were and I

went in to the bedroom where he was at rest. I held the dagger

above him in the air and he opened his eyes, I stabbed him many

times in the heart to make sure he was completly dead and as he

rolled around the floor in pain I ran out of the room forgetting to

leave the weapons with the guards.

My wife was outside waiting and she asked if I had done the deed,

she then saw I had the daggers and said,

"Why did you bring the daggers from the place? They must lie

there. Go carry them, and smear the sleepy grooms with blood".

I told her I could do no more and she said she would go and take

them back to the tower. When she came back I was washing my

hands and she said, "A little water clears us of this deed". We heard

a knocking at the south entrance so quickly we retired to our

chamber. It was Macduff at the gate and the porter had answered, I

went back downstairs and Macduff asked if Duncan had stirred

from his sleep, I said he wasn't and I led him to the tower where he

saw the the king on the floor with blood still dripping from his pale

white body. Macduff was very shocked and I was told to ring the

alarm bell, as I went out I saw the two guards on the floor stirring

and shouted to Lennox to see them.

So both of them thought the guards had killed him?

Yes, that was the nature of it

I have no further questions for Macbeth, I now ask the jury to reach

a verdict on Macbeth's fate.

The Jury think the Macbeth should be put to death tomorrow

morning without delay

The case is closed

Peer Reviews

Here's what a star student thought of this essay.

PicturePerfect

Quality of writing.

This is a well written piece and it flows nicely. There is some issue with spelling but this is minor. The candidate has attempted to use a higher vocabulary, although this feels a little forced and IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m not sure that it works. For example the word Ã¢â‚¬ËœiriputableÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ is used at the end of MacbethÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s first speech, it should be spelt irreputable (which means to have no reputation) and I think something like compelling (to have an irresistible/overpowering effect) would work better here.

Level of analysis

The use of quotations to aid in the retelling of MacbethÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s story is a nice touch, especially in the beginning when Macbeth is describing how he felt the witches were putting him under a spell. I think this is an interesting idea and perhaps something the candidate should have pursued further. In addition everything needs to be in speech marks, as the throughout the piece, people are talking to one another. I like the use of different fonts, so that it is clear when Macbeth is talking and when he is being asked questions.

Response to question

I really like the candidates approach to this piece, the use of the trial is an excellent idea and a great way to hear the story from MacbethÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s point of view. However I feel that it would have been more appropriate to try and use similar language to that used by Shakespeare in the play Ã¢â‚¬ËœMacbethÃ¢â‚¬â„¢, in this why it would feel more realistic. It is quite clear that this is taking place in a court room but it would have been interesting to set the scene and describe, whats happening, perhaps it could start with Macbeth being brought into the court room, this would add some drama.

Document Details

Word Count 782
Page Count 3
Subject English

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Shakespeare's Globe

Macbeth: Themes KS4/5

In these lessons, students will engage with the themes and ideas at the heart of the text, including deception, ambition, and guilt. Tasks include: tracking these themes throughout the play, drawing out key quotations; creative writing on Lady Macbeth's sleep walking, in the character of her doctor; and a list of practice exam questions with an emphasis on themes and motifs.

In order to benefit fully from these lesson plans, we recommend you use them in the following order:

Text in Performance

If you would like to teach the play in greater detail, use these advanced KS4/5 Lesson Plans. If students are new to the play, we suggest you start with the introductory KS3 Lesson Plans .

These lesson plans are available in the Downloads section at the bottom of this page. To download resources, you must be logged in. Sign up for free to access this and other exclusive features . Activities mentioned in these resources are available in a separate downloadable 'Student Booklet', also at the bottom of this page. The 'Teachers' Guide' download explains how best to use Teach Shakespeare and also contains a bibliography and appendices referencing the resources used throughout.

Key Questions for Students:

Can I identify why the themes of appearance and reality are important and pick out examples from throughout the text?

Can I explain the importance of these examples by placing them in the context of the play as a whole and the overall development of these themes?

Key words: appearance, deception, plot, reality, theme, thought-tracking

Prologue: Opening Discussion

Introduce the theme of appearance and reality and display a quiz-show style board numbered 1-25. Students should pick one square and if it reveals a quotation, they should place that quotation in context and talk about how it connects with the theme of appearance and reality. As a class, students should try to make a full line of five quotations across or down the board. But beware, as some squares will have something much more dangerous behind them (pictures of daggers, witches, blood, etc.) Give students a fixed amount of time or a fixed number of attempts to increase the excitement! Some suggested quotations you could use are included in the Asides.

Enter the Players: Group Tasks

1) Tracking the theme

Students should use the mindmap to help them track the theme of ‘appearance and reality’ in the play. Students could be divided into five groups, each taking one Act from the play. They should read through it carefully, looking for evidence before reporting back. Students could also prepare a sheet of evidence that can be made accessible to all their classmates as a revision aid. Students should aim to keep quotations short (under 10 words), and write a brief commentary about how their quotation links to the overall theme.

2) Exploring more deeply through drama and creative writing

The following drama activities can support students’ further explorations of this theme:

Yes/No game: One student is chosen or volunteers to answer questions. They must answer any questions asked of them by the rest of the class without saying ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, and they should aim to be as inventive as possible. The discussion that follows this game could encourage students to think about how language can be used to get around giving a direct and simple truthful answer. Jessica Swale suggests this activity can work ‘as an effective prelude to playwriting exercises’.
the mouth card means that they should say or paraphrase a line they say in the scene (not an aside)
the head card means that they should talk about what they are really thinking
the heart card means that they should talk about how they are feeling at this moment

3) Interpreting and staging key scenes

Assign to groups of students the task of staging a scene where they feel this theme is crucially important, e.g. Act 1 Scene 3, Act 1 Scene 4 or Act 2 Scene 2. Afterwards, reflect as a group and as a whole class on how well the various performances explored the themes of appearance and reality and how this was achieved.

Exeunt: Closing Questions for Students

Why are appearance and reality important themes in the play?

How would I describe the development of these themes throughout the play?

How do these themes link to the other major themes in Macbeth that I have studied?

Suggested plenary activity…

Everyone in the class picks out three key moments that they think are particularly crucial when thinking about the themes of appearance and reality. Compare findings.

Asides: Further Resources

Quotations you could use in the Prologue activity:

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair”
“Are ye fantastical, or that indeed/Which outwardly ye show?”
“…why do you dress me /In borrow’d robes?”
“There’s no art/To find the mind’s construction in the face.”
“Let not light see my black and deep desires.”
“…look like th’innocent flower,? But be the serpent under it.”
“This castle hath a pleasant seat.”
“False face must hide what the false heart doth know.”
“…art thou a dagger of the mind/A false creation”
“If he do bleed,/I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal,/For it must seem their guilt.”
“…sleek o’er your rugged looks;/ Be bright and jovial among your guests to-night.”
“This is the very painting of your fear.”
“A great perturbation in nature, to receive at once the benefit of sleep, and do the benefits of watching.’’
“…now does he feel his title/ Hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe/Upon a dwarfish thief.”
“As I did stand my watch upon the hill,/I look’d toward Birnam, and anon, methought,/The wood began to move.”

Epilogue: Teacher's Note

Additional materials about studying the witches can be found in the Text in Performance , Language and Context sections.

Can I identify why the themes of power and ambition are important and pick out examples from throughout the text?

Can I explain the importance of these examples by placing them in the context of the play as a whole and the overall development of this theme?

Key words: allegiance, ambition, divine right of kings, heir, hierarchy, legitimacy, power, sovereign, status, succession, theme, tyrant

Ask students to complete a vocabulary exercise matching the following words with definitions:

power – the ability to do something or direct what others do

sovereign – a supreme ruler

heir – a person legally entitled to the property or rank of another person when that person dies

tyrant – a cruel and oppressive ruler

ambition – desire and determination to be successful

succession – the process of inheriting a title, office or property

legitimacy - lawfulness

the divine right of kings – the idea that the monarch’s right to rule comes directly from will of God

allegiance – the loyalty of a subject to his or her ruler

dynasty – a sequence of rulers from the same family

Then ask students to choose a word and write one or two sentences about Macbeth using that word. Students should share their sentences with their partners. The partner awards:

1 point for correct use of the word in a sentence
another 1 point for using the word in reference to Macbeth , and
up to another 2 points for including a short and relevant quotation

Students should use the mindmap to help them track the theme of ‘power’ in the play. Students could be divided into five groups, each taking one Act from the play. They should read through it carefully, looking for evidence before reporting back. Students could also prepare a sheet of evidence that can be made accessible to all their classmates as a revision aid. Students should aim to keep quotations short (under 10 words), and write a brief commentary about how their quotation links to the overall theme.

2) Exploring more deeply through drama

The following drama activities can support students’ explorations of this theme. Students could reflect on their experiences of these exercises in the Student Booklet.

The King says… This is basically a version of Simon Says that will help students to listen carefully and to respond physically to some but not all of the instructions. The actions could be appropriate for a king’s armies/subjects/servants, e.g. stand to attention, bow deeply, beg for forgiveness. You could even differentiate between the kinds of things ‘King Duncan says’ and the things that ‘King Macbeth says’, obeying only one and not the other and then switching.
Pauper to prince: Students build a cumulative freeze frame indicating relative status from pauper to prince. Encourage attention to body language, eye contact, etc. and ask each new student to think about how their pose builds on the one before it. Finally, ask students to think about how the status of the highest status actors could be undermined, e.g. pulling a face behind their backs, pretending to direct them in a play, putting a gun to their head.

Assign to groups of students the task of staging a scene where they feel this theme is crucially important, e.g. Act 1 Scene 4 or Act 5 Scene 9. Afterwards, reflect as a group and as a whole class on how well the various performances explored the themes of power and ambition and how this was achieved.

Why is power an important theme in the play?

How would I describe the development of this theme throughout the play?

How does this theme link to the other major themes in Macbeth that I have studied?

Everyone in the class picks out three key moments that they think are particularly important to bear in mind when thinking about the theme of power. Compare findings.

Students can read more about the theme of ambition on the Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank Macbeth microsite here: 2011.playingshakespeare.org/themes-and-issues/ambition
Students could research the ideas of the Renaissance diplomat and political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli, and compare them with some of the ideas about power and politics in Macbeth .

Additional ideas about exploring the concepts of power and status - including some rehearsal room approaches to try out - can be found within the Key Stage 3 materials .

Can I identify why the themes of family and succession are important and pick out examples from throughout the text?

Key words: descendants, divine right of kings, dynasty, family, heir, succession, theme

Display the five quotations/images connected with the themes of family and succession. (The quotations are featured in the Student Booklet.) What’s the connection?

“how tender ‘tis to love the babe that sucks me” quotation (Lady Macbeth)
“all my little chickens” quotation (Macduff)
picture of apparition of a child carrying a tree
“from his mother’s womb untimely ripp’d” quotation
an image of Banquo and Fleance

Draw out from students’ feedback some of the ideas and issues to help them connect the clues, such as family, children, mothers and fathers, birth, descendants, succession, the divine right of kings, blood, dynasties, the future. Students could record them in a mindmap. A key idea with this theme is for students to think about families in a political as well as personal way. You could draw parallels with the current Royal Family to illustrate this point.

1) Tracking the theme

Students should use the mindmap to help them track the themes of ‘family and succession’ in the play. Students could be divided into five groups, each taking one Act from the play. They should read through it carefully, looking for evidence before reporting back. Students could also prepare a sheet of evidence that can be made accessible to all their classmates as a revision aid. Students should aim to keep quotations short (under 10 words), and write a brief commentary about how their quotation links to the overall theme.

Wolf and sheep: one student is the wolf, one the sheep and the rest of the class hold hands and create a protective ‘fold’, who must move as one to protect the sheep in their care
how the portraits would look before/during/at the end of the play
the number of father/son images and the relative absence of women/mothers
the issue of whether the Macbeths have lost a child in infancy

Assign to groups of students the task of staging a scene where they feel this theme is crucially important, e.g. Act 4 Scene 1 or Scene 2. Afterwards, reflect as a group and as a whole class on how well the various performances explored the themes of family and succession and how this was achieved.

Why are family and succession important themes in the play?

Everyone in the class picks out three key moments that they think are particularly important to bear in mind when thinking about the theme of family and heredity. Compare findings.

Succession was an important issue for Shakespeare’s audiences as Queen Elizabeth (a Tudor) had had no children. When she died in 1603, James VI of Scotland (a Stuart) also became James I of England. James chose Shakespeare and his fellow actors as his royal company and three years later, Shakespeare wrote Macbeth about the Scottish succession.
The play centres on the fortunes of Macbeth and those characters whose fortunes are directly implicated in Macbeth’s quest for power: Lady Macbeth, Duncan, Malcolm, Banquo and Macduff. Whose stories are left open-ended at the end of the play? Are there any questions that Shakespeare leaves unanswered?

For more on this theme, look for activities in the sections about Character and Themes .

Can I identify why the themes of guilt and conscience are important and pick out examples from throughout the text?

Key words: anxiety, depression, doubt, hallucination, mental illness, mind, obsession, suicide, theme

Begin a ‘mind’map with a picture of a brain in the middle on to which the class can contribute ideas about how Shakespeare explores the way the mind works in Macbeth . Possible ideas include:

characters experiencing hallucinations/visions (the mind playing tricks or genuine supernatural occurrences?)
anxieties/doubts about turning plans into actions
becoming obsessive about something/craving something, etc.
how what we say and what we think can be very different
sleepwalking/insomnia
mental illness/depression/suicide (what does happen to Lady Macbeth?)

Students are going to track the themes of guilt and conscience throughout the play. Students could be divided into five groups, each taking one Act from the play. They should read through it carefully, looking for evidence before reporting back. Students could also prepare a sheet of evidence that can be made accessible to all their classmates as a revision aid. Students should aim to keep quotations short (under 10 words), and write a brief commentary about how their quotation links to the overall theme.

2) Exploring more deeply through creative writing

Read Act 5 Scene 1 in small groups or as a class or watch the scene in performance. Discuss what the scene reveals about Lady Macbeth’s thoughts and feelings about killing Duncan. Compare this against her thoughts and feelings earlier in the play, e.g. in Act 1 Scene 5, Act 1 Scene 7 and Act 2 Scene 2. Students should make notes in the Student Booklet, using cross-referencing to draw parallels and contrasts between this and other scenes.

Next, ask students to imagine they are either the Doctor or the Waiting Gentlewoman from Act 5 Scene 1. They have witnessed Lady Macbeth’s mental state and have heard her talk in an incriminating way about the king’s murder. Imagine what they might write in their private diaries. Think about how each character would react to her as a person and as a political figure now that they know what they do. What should they do next? Students could continue the diary to include an account of subsequent events too.

3) Interpreting and staging key scenes

Assign to groups of students the task of staging a scene where they feel this theme is crucially important, e.g. Act 2 Scene 1, Act 2 Scene 2, Act 3 Scene 2 or Act 4 Scene 3. Afterwards, reflect as a group and as a whole class on how well the various performances explored the themes of guilt and conscience and how this was achieved.

Why are guilt and conscience important themes in the play?

How would I describe the development of these themes throughout the play?

Everyone in the class picks out three key moments that they think are particularly important to bear in mind when thinking about the theme of the human mind and its frailties. Compare findings.

Draw together the evidence about Lady Macbeth’s mental condition and eventually her death from Act 5 Scenes 1, 3 and 5. What can we infer from these scenes about attitudes to and understandings of the human mind in Shakespeare’s time?

The creative writing task could be dual assessed for reading and writing.

Can I write about the themes of the play in a connected and coherent way?

Can I demonstrate confidence in my handling of abstract ideas, but continue to show that my analysis is firmly grounded in the text?

Key words: abstract, analysis, coherent, issues, mood, symbolism, themes

Students could be given an item and have a minute in pairs to prepare an explanation of how it relates to the play Macbeth . The items can be chosen at random (e.g. a ball, pencil, a coat), as the idea of this activity is that it is a fun, thinking-skills warm up to the activity that follows.

1) Museum cabinet

Ask the class to imagine they have been asked to create a display about Macbeth for a new Shakespeare museum. They can only have five items for their display. Students should choose five items that they think convey the essence of the play, i.e. not just the plot but the play’s overall mood and the ideas and issues the play makes audiences think about. Students could be given a list to choose from, e.g. candle, crown, cauldron, sword, dagger, book about witchcraft, (fake) blood, throne, an empty cradle, tree branch, poster showing kings and queens of Scotland, a mirror. They are also welcome to add their own. Their items do not even need to be mentioned in the play; students simply need to be able to justify their reasons convincingly. As an extension task, students could write their captions for the museum with a word limit of 100 words per item.

2) Analysing themes in a passage

Choose any passage from the play (a very short scene or passage of under a hundred lines from a scene) and model:

rereading and refamiliarising
identifying the key ideas and themes that arise from close analysis of the passage
making connections between these ideas and themes, e.g. between the apparitions and ideas about power, the family, succession and linking to the killing of Banquo and escape of Fleance

What are the play’s key ideas, symbols and themes? Why?

How are these ideas connected in the text?

As a revision exercise, students could open their play text at random and after a few moments’ preparation they should:

comment on what the scene is about
place it in context
draw out some of the themes and ideas that arise from it.

Hear a few examples.

Aside: Further Resource

Students could use the 'Pick a card...' game as mentioned in Key Stage 3 Themes , which generates different aspects of the text in a random way. Students can challenge themselves to make connections between them!

The following learning sequence also supports students in making connections across a substantial text - the skill of cross-referencing.

Can I make cross-references, moving backwards and forwards within the text in order to demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the whole play?

Can I put this reading skill into practice in my own essay planning and drafting?

Key words: cross-references, essay, plan, success criteria, theme

Encourage students to play a simple game that involves moving speedily around the text. Ask students (in pairs) to find, e.g.

the first word of Act 1 Scene 3, or
Macbeth’s first line in Act 5 Scene 2 , or
a reference to the king in Act 2 Scene 4, or
an adjective in Act 5 Scene 9.

Give students a fixed amount of time (e.g. 3 minutes) to come up with as many search terms and to carry out as many successful searches as they can!

1) Making connections.

You should now develop the activity from the starter into an activity about making connections across the text. Show students on screen and also in the Student Booklet a brief extract from Act 1 Scene 7 (lines 59-83). Then:

model for students finding within this text a short quotation where Lady Macbeth exhorts Macbeth to take action
model somewhere else in the text where Lady Macbeth exhorts Macbeth to take action
model a clear way to demonstrate the link between the two references

Now give students more references to find from different places in the text, e.g.

two or more places in the text where Macbeth is indecisive
two or more places where Macbeth and Lady Macbeth try to appear innocent of Duncan’s death, e.g. appear shocked, blame someone else
two places where we learn that Scotland is a dangerous and fearful place under Macbeth’s regime

2) Task bank: themes and ideas

The following tasks can be used in the modelling of planning and drafting of written tasks, as well as for students’ more independently produced work for assessment:

To what extent do you think Macbeth is a play about the bonds that exist between family members?
What do you think Shakespeare is saying in Macbeth about the use and abuse of power?
‘ Macbeth is a play about the battle between good and evil’. How far would you agree with this statement about the play?

How do I annotate my text to show cross-references between different parts of the text?

Why is this an important skill when writing about a substantial text?

Students could prepare a plan in timed conditions for one of the tasks in ‘Task bank: themes and ideas’.

The tasks in the question banks can be used as the basis for devising further tasks to suit the needs of your own class, curriculum and syllabus.

As homework/revision, students could attempt one or more of the writing tasks from the task bank.

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129 Macbeth Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best macbeth topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on macbeth, 📌 most interesting macbeth topics to write about, 👍 good research topics about macbeth, ❓ macbeth essay questions.

Writing an essay on Shakespearean tragedies may be tricky for some students. There are a lot of ideas to put in your paper, and that may puzzle you. That’s why we’ve prepared a short guide on how to write Macbeth essay.

Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare based on the true story of Scottish king Macbeth. The play tells us about a Scottish general who heard a prophecy from a trio of witches and decided to bring predictions to fulfillment. This is a drama about the jeopardy of excessive lust for power and betrayal of friends.

Some researchers state that William Shakespeare adopted the plot from Holinshed’s Chronicles, a popular history of England, while others argue that the plot of the play was borrowed from George Buchanan. Before you start your Macbeth essay, you should do thorough research on facts and fiction around the play.

To give you ideas on how and what to write in your essay, check the tips below:

Check our Macbeth essay samples to acquire knowledge on characters: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, King Duncan, Banquo, Malcolm, Macduff, Three Witches, and others. Each character is unique, and it’s quite easy to write a paper on each of them. Make a meticulous analysis of each of them, if you decide to write an essay on Macbeth characters. Use dialogues and monologues as supporting arguments to your ideas.
In your Macbeth essay introduction provide readers with the thesis statement and a summary you’re going to discuss in the paper. Specify what exactly you will depict or analyze. Sometimes, you may need to write the intro after you finish the body and already have done an in-depth analysis of text and critique materials.
When writing body paragraphs, describe the essay topic in detail. Start each section with a short statement, provide a supporting quote, explain it, and make a conclusion. You can always analyze IvyPanda Macbeth essay titles to learn various points of view on each character and event.
In the Macbeth essay conclusion, reiterate a topic and your analysis. You should not only summarize the information you’ve gathered and analyzed in the paper body. You have to get back to the intro and provide clear and extensive answers on the questions you raised. Try not to leave any further questions for your readers. Here’s the secret: some professors read the conclusion first. So make it persuasive and give a complete portion of information.

You may be wondering how to use essay examples that you may find on our website. It is super easy. First of all, look through the titles to get some topic ideas.

Then, look through the sample and learn how to create your outline. Think about what you can write in your essay. Check the bibliography: there you can find useful sources for the research.

Indeed, any paper on Shakespeare’s play may concern a variety of topics. So check out our Macbeth essay examples and think of the topics which you can choose.

Betrayal in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” The betrayer, Macbeth betrays the King, friend and other subjects in the kingdom. However when Macbeth is told he has just been chosen as the Thane of Cawdor, scenes of the possibilities of him as […]
Dramatic Irony in Macbeth Essay Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to amuse the audience and to show the level of deception developed by the main character. The porter gives a clear picture of what is about to happen.
The Use of Hands as a Motif in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” The play presents readers with the world of royalty and the well-knit state; the world of Duncan, his two sons, Banquo, Macbeth and the whole of Scotland and England.
William Shakespeare: Hamlet and Macbeth It is important to examine the role that the setting plays in Hamlet and Macbeth in relation to the tragic flaw and developments of the plot.
Supernatural Elements of Act I and II in Macbeth In the play, the supernatural things are central to the plot of the play as they provide a basis for action as Shakespeare meant them to fit in putting the play together.
Macbeth & Frankenstein: Compare & Contrast In the being of the play, we assume that Macbeth is akin to the king, a loyal soldier, and a person “full of the milk of human kindness”.
Concept of Power in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” While The government is the system that makes laws and ensures that they are followed, it is the person who wields power who is responsible for the equality and impartiality of its enforcement.
Unchecked Ambition in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” However, in Act 1, scenes 1 to 4, the audience is introduced to Macbeth’s increasing fear and the developing desire to be the king. It appears that the desire to be the king overrides his […]
The Downfall of Macbeth Nonetheless, he goes on to murder the king and his character takes a turn for the worst as he kills the chamberlains who would give witness of the king’s death and he claims he killed […]
Macbeth and Hamlet Characters Comparison The queens in Hamlet and Macbeth play a pivotal role in the life of the heroes of the play. She is portrayed as a mother who, in her awareness of Hamlet’s crisis, feels guilty and […]
British Literature: Beowulf vs. Macbeth They are as follows: the presentation of the heroes, the consideration of the ethical themes, and the final stages of the plays the latter help to draw some ethical conclusions based on the peculiarity of […]
The “Macbeth” Film by Rupert Goold While Shakespeare’s play happened in the 11th century in Scotland, the movie’s design is more similar to the events of the 20th century. Corresponding to the era of the first half of the 20th century, […]
Emotions and Outward Actions in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” In this regard, in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the relationship of inward emotions and outward actions is relevant in fully conveying the interplay of themes in this tragedy.
Literary Character Analysis of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” The very reason that made me write about this character was how he is depicted as a hero in the opening pages of the play, and only to learn how weak he is from his […]
Character Analysis of “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare The unplanned overnight stay of King Duncan and his entourage at Macbeth’s castle precipitates Macbeth’s first fateful decision: to murder King Duncan and clear the way for the witches’ prophecy to come true.
The Life and Work of William Shakespeare: His Contribution to the Contemporary Theater In addition, the plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare continue to set the standard for the study of the English language in its dramatic context in institutes of higher learning and performance training.
Macbeth Versions Comparison Film Analysis The use of classic settings in the design of the play helps in portraying the role that gangsters play in the original play of Macbeth and helps present it in the modern world.
Shakespeare Tragedies: Macbeth and King Lear At the beginning of the play, he decides to abdicate his throne and divide his kingdom among his three daughters. This choice eventually undermines the ethical integrity of this character, and he murders murder to […]
“Macbeth” by William Shakespeare: Language and Tropes Typically, ‘the end of something means the onset of another.’ Using this as a viewpoint that provides a lead to what Macbeth is all about, the fact that ‘we will proceed no further in this […]
Comparison of the Opening Scene of Macbeth by Orson Welles and The Tragedy of Macbeth by Roman Polanski The opening scene of The Tragedy of Macbeth starts with the words “fair is foul and foul is fair” that Polanski takes from the end of the Shakespeare’s scene.
Representing the Heroic: Macbeth and Odysseus In Homer’s Odyssey, the noble nature of the hero is made clear in the way that his servants speak of him and strive to behave as he would expect.
Themes in the Tragedy of Macbeth by Shakespeare The character of Macbeth is used by Shakespeare to illustrate a man who lacks the strength of moral fiber under the affection of guilt and ambition.
Supernatural in “Macbeth” Play by Shakespeare The supernaturally manufactured predictions lure Macbeth and Banquo with the idea of power, leading Macbeth to plot the cruel murder of Duncan.
Omens in The “Macbeth” Play by William Shakespeare The supernatural was an aspect of the plot structure used to add tension and drama to the occurrences and situations and manifested in various ways. To conclude, the owl and raven were utilized as omens […]
The Play “Macbeth” by Shakespeare and the Film “Maqbool” by Bhardwaj Bhardwaj’s Maqbool is a great example of how the weather sets the tone for the story, it is not the backdrop in the film, but an active force expressing the psychological state of the characters.
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and Sophocles’ “Oedipus” The idea of a person being in the center of the action and trying to overcome some problems connected with doom, fate and some other supernatural forces become peculiar to this kind of art.
Philosophy of Literature: Shakespearean Tragedy In addition, it is also an indication of the facts that human beings are always nosy and ready to participate in other people’s issues.
Shakespeare and His View on Kingship: Macbeth, King Lear and Othello At the same time, it is beyond doubt in the basement Macbeth’s character is clean and as a soldier, he is true to his job and his king.
Analyzing the Adaptation of the Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” Furthermore, the names of all the characters in both films are the same except for a little twist in the spelling of names like Mcbeth and Mcduff.
Jeffrey R. Wilson: Macbeth and Criminology The genre of tragedy used in Macbeth poses the question to the reader: who is responsible for committing a crime – the individual or the society?
Intro to Theatre: “Macbeth” Shakespeare’s theatrical performances are widespread all over the world and do not lose their relevance, both due to the problems raised by the playwright and the various interpretations of his works. One of such plays is the production of Macbeth directed by Bodinetz (2020) and created by the troupe of Digital Theater +. The performance […]
The Story of Macbeth by W. Sheakspeare: Relationship and Strengths Between Macbeth and His Wife Lady Macbeth reads a letter her husband had written about the witches’ prophecy and manipulates him to kill King Duncan and take over the kingdom.
Analysis of Characters in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” The witches’ predictions spark Macbeth’s ambitions and then hearten his violent performance; Lady Macbeth offers the brains and the will behind her husband’s intrigues; and the only heavenly being to emerge is Hecate, the divinity […]
Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Macbeth The world of Macbeth is a world of contradiction. Already a successful soldier in the army of King Duncan, Macbeth is informed by Three Witches that he is to become “Thane of Glamis!”, “Thane of […]
Shakespearean Macbeth as a Tragic Hero In addition to fighting for his king, Macbeth is quickly and well rewarded for his efforts as King Duncan makes him the new Thane of Cawdor in addition to his already holding the title of […]
Shakespear’s “Macbeth”: Main Character Change Analysis Macbeth is essentially the story of a character who lives his life in a state of confusion to the degree that the only constant in his life changes.
Chaucer’s ‘Miller’s Tale’ and Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ Chaucer’s The Miller’s Tale and in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, to be more exact, we will find out how the notion of poetic justice is represented by examples of the main characters of the works mentioned.
An Explication on Shakespeare’s Macbeth However, Macbeth’s wife is murdered and the news is broken to him, and he is drifted into a life of futility and remorsefulness.
Literary Elements in “Macbeth” Poem In addition, use of Symbolism imagery and symbolism creates a better picture in audience mind, concerning the themes that the play covers; such as where dark is used to represent evil.
King Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Play and History He proved to be a courageous man and ambitious because he wanted to become the king, and the only way he could do it was by killing the king.
Characters’ Traits in Shakespeare’s Macbeth As weird as it might sound, Lady Macbeth is very emotional; as a matter of fact, the crimes that she committed can be attributed to her emotionality rather than her greed, though the latter has […]
Macbeth: An Analysis of the Play by Shakespeare Macbeth’s treachery springs from his reliance to the witches who gave him prophecy that results in his endless creation of enemies.
Oedipus King vs. Macbeth: Drama Comparison The concept reflects the foundation of the decent authority through showing the tendencies of power both in the ancient times and in the period of Renaissance.
Drama Macbeth: Shakespeare’s Play and Wells’ Film However, the play communicates the meaning of the text in a better way as compared to the film by Orson Wells.
Macbeth by Shakespeare and Oedipus by Sophocles Comparison In Act 1 Scene 3 of Macbeth, we have the three witches who greet him and inform him that he is to become the “Thane of Cawdor,” the title that he will receive that evening, […]
Shakespeare Literature: Prophecy and Macbeth Morality The divination made by the witches pushes Macbeth further into immorality as he is made to believe that he deserves the position of king. In addition, Macbeth abandons reason and morality so as to make […]
Power and Evocation of Horror: The Macbeth Witches’ Chant Among them are the rhymes, the rhythm of the words, the interpolation of a chorus, the increasing complexity of the lines as the poem progresses, and the vivid and horrifying imagery.
The Ambitions and Immoral Decision in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
Analyzing Macbeth’s Conscience Throughout Shakespeare’s Play “Macbeth”
Murder and Power in William Shakespeare’s Play “Macbeth”
Unprincipled Ambition in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
Use of Supernatural to Create Suspense in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
Psychological Victimization of William Shakespeare’s Protagonist in “Macbeth”
Responsibility for Planning to Kill Duncan in William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
Dramatic Techniques to Create a Sense That Macbeth Is Not in Control of His Own Thoughts and Deeds
An Analysis of Jam-Packed With Malfeasance and Darkness in the Play “Macbeth” by Shakespeare
The Application of Imagery in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
Witches, Supernatural, and Evil in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
The Banquet Scene of William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
Analyzing Macbeth’s Weak Character in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
Ambition Often Results in Greed as Portrayed in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
Psychoanalytical Criticism of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
Women as The Driving Action of the Play in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare’s Manipulation of the Audience Through “Macbeth”
Suspense and the Supernatural in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
Sharing the Blame in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
Macbeth’s Tragic Downfall in William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
The Characterization of Macbeth in Relation to the Development of Scotland in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
Role Reversal in William Shakespeare’s Play “Macbeth”
The Butcher and His Fiend Like Queen in William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
Supernatural Forces Create a Suspense Atmosphere in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
The Archetypal Tragic Hero Characteristics of William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and Sophocles’ “Oedipus”
An Analysis of Macbeth as a Victim of Circumstances in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
Power, Ambition, and Treason in William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
The Breakdown of Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
Unbridled Ambition in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
The Art of Appeasement and the Political, Religious, and Social Issues Reflected in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
Parallels Between Macbeth and Satan in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
Some of the Ways in Which Shakespeare Portrays an Atmosphere of Evil in “Macbeth”
An Analysis of Lady Macbeth’s Character in “Macbeth” by Shakespeare
The Blood Imagery in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
Macbeth’s Representation of Ambition in William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
The Attract of Wicked in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
The Manipulations, Greed, and Guilt in William Shakespeare’s Play “Macbeth”
Stereotypical Images of Women in “Macbeth” by Shakespeare
Symbolism and Imagery in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
Subjective Reality to the Viewer in the Play “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
The Betrayal of Human Nature in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
Treatment of Gender Disruption in William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” and “Macbeth”
Significance of Act Four Scene One in William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
Role of Women in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
Recurring Images in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
Similarities Between the Philosophies From Machiavelli’s “The Prince” and Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
The Aristotelian Standards of a Tragic Hero in the Tragedy of “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
Struggles of the Conscience in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
The Battle Between Good and Evil in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
Sleep and Its Meaning in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
Relationship Between Spouses in “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
A Musical Analysis of “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
What Did Macbeth’s Character, Words, and Actions Show About Changes in His Character?
Who Are the Women in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”?
When Power Falls Into the Wrong Hands in “Macbeth”?
Why Are the Period and Place Important in “Macbeth”?
What Makes William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” a Pessimistic Play?
How Ambitions and Immoral Decision Play a Part in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”?
How and Why Does Macbeth Turn a War Hero Into an Evil Murderer?
Did the Three Witches Push Macbeth to Kill Duncan?
What Are the Attitudes Towards Gender Can Be Seen in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”?
What Part Does the Supernatural Play in “Macbeth”?
Was Macbeth Responsible for His Downfall?
Does Shakespeare Present Lady Macbeth as Good or Evil?
Can One Feel Pity for Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”?
What Dramatic Techniques Are Used in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”?
How Did Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s Relationship Change Throughout the Play?
What Did Macbeth Say About Good and Evil?
Does Shakespeare Present Lady Macbeth as Fiend-Like?
Does Macbeth Have Power?
How Did Macbeth Turn From “Nobel Macbeth” to “A Bloody Butcher”?
What Does Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” Have to Say About Kingship?
Did Macbeth Suffer From Fate?
What Are the Character Traits of Lady Macbeth?
Does Macbeth Have Free Will?
What Are the Influences of the Witches’ Prophecies on Macbeth’s Actions?
How Are the Themes of Appearance and Reality Presented in “Macbeth”?
How Are Characters Presented as Disturbed in “Macbeth”?
Was Macbeth Considered the Tragic Hero of the Play?
How Did Lady Macbeth and Witches Change?
What Are the Differences and Similarities Between “Medea” and “Macbeth” Plays?
What Factors Lead Macbeth to Kill Duncan?
Allegory of the Cave Topics
Tuesdays With Morrie Questions
Their Eyes Were Watching God Ideas
The Things They Carried Questions
The Yellow Wallpaper Ideas
The Pearl Essay Titles
The Other Wes Moore Paper Topics
A Rose for Emily Research Topics
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

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Bibliography

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Ways into Shakespeare

Using Macbeth as a starting point, this series of linked resources exemplifies techniques teachers may use to help students develop the essay writing skills assessed in the Shakespeare section in Component 1.

As well as helping candidates demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the text in the exam, it also considers the typical characteristics of a successful response.

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Macbeth Essays

There are loads of ways you can approach writing an essay, but the two i favour are detailed below., the key thing to remember is that an essay should focus on the three aos:, ao1: plot and character development; ao2: language and technique; ao3: context, strategy 1 : extract / rest of play, the first strategy basically splits the essay into 3 paragraphs., the first paragraph focuses on the extract, the second focuses on the rest of the play, the third focuses on context. essentially, it's one ao per paragraph, for a really neatly organised essay., strategy 2 : a structured essay with an argument, this strategy allows you to get a much higher marks as it's structured to form an argument about the whole text. although you might think that's harder - and it's probably going to score more highly - i'd argue that it's actually easier to master. mainly because you do most of the work before the day of the exam., to see some examples of these, click on the links below:, lady macbeth as a powerful woman, macbeth as a heroic character, the key to this style is remembering this: you're going to get a question about a theme, and the extract will definitely relate to the theme., the strategy here is planning out your essays before the exam, knowing that the extract will fit into them somehow., below are some structured essays i've put together., macbeth and gender.

Resources you can trust

Macbeth's letter - Act 3 Scene 2

Students use their knowledge of Act 3 Scene 2 to write Macbeth's letter to his wife. Detailed prompts are provided such as:

What happened in the conversation you had with Banquo in Act 3 Scene 1? Why are you worried?
Spend some time explaining how you feel about the murder of Duncan. (You may like to use some language from the play here).

A perfect creative task for exploring Macbeth's state of mind.

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Miss Huttlestone's GCSE English

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2 Grade 9 Creative Writing Examples

I recently asked my year 11s to pen a piece of description and/or narrative writing for their mini assessment. I gave them the following prompts:

Your school wants you to contribute to a collection of creative writing.

EITHER: Write a short story as suggested by this picture:

OR: Write a description about a person who has made a strong impression on you.

The following were two COMPELLING and CONVINCING examples of the second choice – one pupil taking ‘you’ as a fictional invitation, the other as a biographical one:

EXAMPLE ONE:

Gradually, I awake and open my eyes only to see the cracked white ceiling which greets me every day. Here I sit, slumped in the bed with the scratchy white sheets hugging me and muffled beeping noises jumping into my ears. Rubbing the sleep crust from my bloodshot eyes, I observe the scene before me. The sound of footsteps overlapping as nurses rush from bed to bed; the metallic tang from stainless steel invading my nostrils; the cold metal bed rail imprisoning and mocking me; the pungent scent of antiseptic troubling me and the blood-curdling cries and moans utterly terrifying me. Using all my strength, I try to imagine I am somewhere else, anywhere else but here.

Crowds, signs, roars: it was 1903 and the suffragette movement had begun. It was a crisp night, refreshing almost and I had taken to the streets. It was like I was possessed by something that night, some urge and deep desire within me that had led me there, surrounded by women like myself. I stood clueless and lost in the crowd; the women yelling ‘Deeds not words’ in unison; passionately parading with large wooden signs and viciously shattering windows with bricks and stones. Despite the violence that was displayed before me, I was not afraid of what was happening and I didn’t deem it unnecessary or improper, in fact I wanted the same as these women, I wanted equality. Abruptly, all of the roars and cheers became muted and faint, one woman walked slowly towards me, her hair messily swooped into an updo, her clothes somewhat dirtied and her chocolate brown corset slightly loosened. There was a glimmer in her eyes as tears seemed to swell within their hazel pools, she seemed inspired, hopeful. After reaching me in the crowd, she held out her hand, gently passing me a sign. Immediately, I clasped it and the yelling and chanting rang loudly in my ears once more. My journey had begun.

Here however, is where it ends. I am aware I do not have much time left, as the doctors have told me so, and spending my last moments in this hospital room is not optimal. However, as I look around I can see beauty within a room which at first glance seems void of it. The hollow medical tubes by my side remind me of the awful act of force feeding I have faced in the past; the shrieks and bawls of patients reflecting the pain women had felt in my time and the bed bars mirroring the prisons we were thrown into and the gates we would chain ourselves too. I know these things may seem far from beautiful, but I can see my past within this room, the power I possessed and the changes I have contributed to today. I know now that I can leave this earth having had an impact. Slowly I close my eyes, I can see her, the women who changed my life many years ago, her name, Emmeline Pankhurst.

EXAMPLE TWO:

I will never forget that day. The hazel pools of her eyes glazed over, and hands delicately placed at her sides. Nobody in the room could quite grasp the fact that this was happening. The crowds of black attire row on row seemed to mimic the thing she loves most in life, the piano. However, this time she had taken the ivory natural keys with her and left everyone else with the sharp tones. You needed both to create beautiful symphonies but all that filled the room was the excruciating silence of her absense. Even the metronone like ticks of the clock seemed to come to a standstill.

It had all began that day, she seemed to open up this whole new world for us to explore together as she placed my fingers onto the keys for the first time. I knew that this was what I was meant to do. She was the most passionately beautiful pianist I had ever seen in my life. Often, I would peer round the oak doorway before my lessons just to catch a glimpse at her. It seemed like nothing in the world mattered to her at the time.

As the years progressed, so did the scope of this world we were exploring. Each sheet of lovingly handwritten sheet music was like a new section of the map we were slowly creating together. Each of her students had their own map. Each as beautiful and each as unique as the pianist. The crotchets and quavers that adorned the staves directed the different paths we could take as my fingers graced the keys. This may not have been a beautiful ballet routine, but this was our dance and it had been carefully choreographed just for us.

That piano room was the safest place in the world. Every inch of it her: the potent scent of her floral perfume; shelves full of scruffy and well loved sheet music; rows upon rows of framed photos of her and her students; the vintage piano which she always kept in tune, it was home. I couldn’t bear the

idea that someone else was going move in and rip away the music room without a second thought. It was her music room.

It was up to me now. Up to me to finish this journey we had begun together.

She may not be with me in person anymore, but she will always live within the world we built together and nothing could ever change that. For she could never truly be gone since she left a piece of her within every one of her students; the passion for piano.

YEAH IF YOU COULD JUST STOP BEING SO TALENTED THAT WOULD BE GREAT - Yeah If You Could Just | Meme Generator

gcseenglishwithmisshuttlestone

Secondary English teacher in Herts. View all posts by gcseenglishwithmisshuttlestone

2 thoughts on “2 Grade 9 Creative Writing Examples”

This has helped me a lot, I myself am preparing for a narrative test like this and these prompts and descriptive short stories are marvellous! Thank you for sharing this! 🙂

My pleasure!

The Art of Allusion: Adding Depth to Writing

This essay is about the literary device of allusion, which is a reference to a person, place, event, or another work that relies on the reader’s familiarity to convey a deeper meaning. It explores how allusions add layers of understanding to writing, using examples from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” where Lady Macbeth alludes to Neptune to express her overwhelming guilt. The essay discusses how allusions are also used in modern literature, like Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” to symbolize historical events. Allusions enrich writing by tapping into shared cultural knowledge, enabling authors to evoke emotions and provide commentary. However, using them effectively requires understanding the audience’s familiarity with the reference. Allusions are prevalent in everyday language, literature, music, film, and art, creating connections across time and providing writers with a tool to communicate complex themes succinctly.

How it works

Indirect reference serves as a literary mechanism that imbues written compositions with augmented strata of significance. It entails alluding to a personage, locale, episode, or another literary oeuvre without explicit explication, banking on the reader’s acquaintance to discern the inferred import. By summoning communal or literary cognizance, allusions furnish a succinct modality of conveying a profound comprehension or sentiment that enriches the prose sans necessitating protracted expositions.

Authors spanning diverse genres harness allusions to captivate readers, imbuing their narratives with subtlety and reverberance.

A quintessential illustration resides in the works of Shakespeare. In “Macbeth,” as Lady Macbeth exclaims, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” she invokes Neptune, the Roman deity of the sea, accentuating the enormity of her remorse. The audience instantaneously apprehends the acute and inescapable contrition gnawing at Lady Macbeth’s conscience for her complicity in regicide.

Likewise, contemporary wordsmiths employ allusions to convey intricate notions. In George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” the narrative mirrors the Russian Revolution, with characters embodying historical personages such as Joseph Stalin. Orwell refrains from delineating the historical parallels explicitly, entrusting the reader to discern the analog between the ascent of the porcine hierarchy and Stalin’s autocracy.

Allusions transcend the confines of literature. Vernacular discourse abounds with them, encompassing realms from athletics and melody to cinema and chronicles. Ponder an individual characterized as possessing the “Midas touch,” an overt allusion to King Midas in Greek folklore, whose capacity to transmute all he touched into gold metamorphosed into an emblem of opulence and surfeit. Or when an individual evokes a “David versus Goliath” scenario, they reference the biblical tale of David vanquishing a vastly superior adversary, furnishing a metaphor for any underdog surmounting odds.

In addition to enriching text with strata of import, allusions serve to forge a shared cultural acumen or accentuate communal values. They forge a nexus between authors and readers, as well as between disparate works of art, by tapping into a collective imagination. When the allusion resonates, the reader becomes enmeshed in a broader dialogue, interlinking literature across epochs and geographies.

However, the effective utilization of allusions mandates meticulous consideration of the audience’s background and familiarity. An esoteric reference may fail to elicit the intended impact if it eludes recognition, potentially leaving the reader befuddled. Ergo, writers should elect allusions germane to their audience, enabling them to fully apprehend the deeper import of the reference.

Furthermore, allusions are not merely ornamental; they can also serve as vehicles for critique or contention against extant norms. Authors may subvert established references to proffer novel perspectives or censure social constructs. For instance, Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” alludes to biblical narratives like the chronicle of Rachel and Leah to lay bare how religious fanaticism could distort history and legitimize subjugation. Atwood employs allusion to comment on the nexus of religiosity and politics, prompting readers to engage critically with contemporary quandaries.

In contemporary culture, allusions thrive not only in literature but also in music, cinema, and art. Lyrics in hip-hop often reference fellow artists, historical epochs, or literature to furnish context or homage. In cinema, directors embed allusions to classic celluloid, literature, and historical episodes to infuse texture and engage cinephiles. Visual artisans, likewise, incorporate allusions into their oeuvres to imbue them with strata of import and convey commentary through imagery.

Ultimately, allusions facilitate the weaving of a broader tapestry, endowing writers with a sumptuous lexicon for probing themes, character motivations, and ethical quandaries. They furnish a means to infuse profundity with brevity, interlinking individual works with broader narratives and communal dialogues. By leaning on shared cognizance, allusions can elicit emotions, challenge presumptions, and beckon readers to plumb the depths of the reference’s import. It’s a literary craft that, when wielded discerningly, enriches both the prose and the reader’s immersion.

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Macbeth Act 1 Sc. 1 Descriptive Writing Lesson - Fully Differentiated

Subject: English

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

26 February 2023

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Simile Examples in Literature and Everyday Language

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Young woman in an orange shirt working on a laptop in a dorm room

Similes are like spices for writing : Used in the right proportion, they can add zest and verve to your prose. Once you're familiar with them, you'll likely notice that simile examples abound in everyday speech , writing, song lyrics and even advertising slogans.

Here, we'll take a look at some simile examples, as well as how they differ from other types of figurative language such as metaphors.

What Is a Simile?

13 common simile examples, 5 similes in classic literature, what is the difference between a simile and a metaphor, how to teach similes.

A simile is a type of figurative language that draws a direct comparison between two different things. This figurative language can be used for emphasis, surprise, irony or any number of effects. A simile uses the words "like" or "as" to make an explicit comparison between the two things.

Similes have been used throughout history, both in everyday speech and as literary devices in poetry, novels and plays. Similes can create vivid images in a piece of writing, or they can add color and clarity to conversation.

It's likely that you've heard, or used, the following common examples of similes. They're often found in contemporary American English, although as with all things in speech, they change over time in popularity.

Busy as a bee : "She's as busy as a bee with her new volunteer position." Our association with bees as "buzzing" with activity, flying from flower to flower — and to and from the hive — makes this simile example work.
Light as a feather : "The carbon fiber bike feels as light as a feather." Feathers are light enough to float calmly on the breeze, emphasizing how light the bicycle feels.
Cool as a cucumber : "She was in deep trouble, but she was acting as cool as a cucumber." Cucumbers are served cool, which accentuates the emotional coolness being depicted in the sentence.
Cold as ice : "When we arrived at the cabin, the interior was as cold as ice." This one is pretty obvious: The interior was cold enough to remind the speaker of ice.
Proud as a peacock : "That fellow must be as proud as a peacock." The large and vivid feathers displayed by peacocks are often thought of as denoting pride.
Like watching paint dry : "Sitting through that Zoom meeting was like watching paint dry." The idea here is that paint dries very slowly and, without any perceptible visual interest, is very boring.
As American as apple pie : "A picnic on the Fourth of July is as American as apple pie." Apple pie, being considered a signature dessert in American culture , symbolizes a deep association with the United States.
Like cats and dogs : "The siblings fought like cats and dogs over the inheritance." As two species that often don't get along, the notion of them fighting creates a strong descriptive image.
Like two peas in a pod : "The friends were like two peas in a pod." This simile trades on the fact that peas are placed in pods very close together.
Blind as a bat : "Without her glasses, she's as blind as a bat." Since many bat species have very poor vision, the simile emphasizes her inability to see without glasses.
Brave as a lion : "When facing adversity, he is as brave as a lion." Like many popular examples of similes, this simile anthropomorphizes an animal. In this case, the lion is presumed to have bravery, and the person is compared to that animal.
Strong as an ox : "If you're looking for help moving furniture, Ken is as strong as an ox." In another animal simile example, Ken's strength is being vividly evoked by comparing him to an ox.
Clean as a whistle : "We took a look at the suspect's record, and they're as clean as a whistle." This example is meant to show that the person's record is spotless, or free of anything negative.

The use of simile as a literary device goes way back in world literature, being found in poetry , drama and prose. The English language has plenty of examples of similes from antiquity to the present day, illustrating just how effective they are at creating a vivid image in the mind of the reader.

1. From the Robert Burns poem 'A Red, Red Rose'

You've probably heard this one before, as it's been repeated to the point of parody (but you might not have realized that the poem is old enough to include spelling from an antiquated Scottish dialect).

Here, the poet compares his love to the newly sprung (or freshly sprouted), bright-red rose of springtime. In the second couplet, the poet relates his love to a sweetly melodic song.

2. From the William Wordsworth poem 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud'

Here, both the title of the poem and its first sentence uses the same simile. In this as in other literature examples, the simile uses a mental image to create a mood and illustrate an idea.

3. From the play 'Macbeth'

The works of William Shakespeare have a great many examples of similes and metaphors. In this example, the simile helps illustrate that Macbeth knows the risk he would be taking by following through with his plan to kill King Duncan.

4. From 'Romeo and Juliet'

This example of a Shakespearean simile makes a comparison between love and the painful prick of a thorn, highlighting the emotional pain that can follow when things don't go well.

5. From 'A Christmas Carol'

In this Charles Dickens classic, the comparison between two apparently unlike things makes for a powerful image. In Dickens' day, door-nails , unlike other nails, were bent in such a way that ensured they could not be re-used.

Unlike similes, metaphors do not use the words "like" or "as" to draw a comparison between two or more nouns . Instead, they simply state that one thing is another. Metaphors are therefore a bit harder to spot, but once you get used to it, you'll see they are also very common. In fact, some are simply variations on the simile examples outlined earlier.

"You've been a busy little bee, haven't you?" In this case, the person being addressed is being directly called a bee, without the use of "like" or "as," marking it as a case of metaphor.
"I was lucky to have her during those trying times; she was my rock." In this case, the speaker uses the image of rock as steady and solid to convey how they relied on someone else. Once again, there is no "like" or "as" being used. The person is instead being directly characterized as a rock.
"When it comes to sinking baskets from outside the paint, he's a machine." The speaker is emphasizing impressive reliability and consistency by drawing a comparison to the player and a machine.

Whether working with students, or seeking to improve your own writing, it helps to start by studying other writers. The literature examples above are good to know about, both to inspire your own and to avoid using common similes that are overly familiar.

It can be helpful to go back to a simple simile definition: a part of speech comparing two apparently dissimilar things. Often, it's a person and an animal. What's being drawn out is a particular quality that unites them, such as in "She is as wise as an owl."

The person's wisdom is being compared to that of an owl , an animal classically associated with wisdom (in part, due to its ties to the Greek goddess Athena).

From here, you can get creative and see if you can come up with your own owl simile examples, such as "as silent as an owl in flight" or "as watchful as an owl." This can be a terrific way to get more originality into your writing.

Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article:

IMAGES

Macbeth: Creative Writing
Macbeth, William Shakespeare, Collaborative Poster, Writing Activity
MACBETH CREATIVE WRITING ACTIVITIES by Brilliantly Lit
Narrative Writing: Rewriting Shakespeare's Macbeth
Analysis of “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare Essay Example
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Macbeth
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COMMENTS

'Yours Truly, Lady Macbeth'
Below you can read some examples of creative writing by Years 9 and 10 students from our summer 2018 workshops. We asked them to imagine what Lady Macbeth might have written if she had left a suicide note. As you can see, the pieces are inspired by the imagery and language of the play, but re-imagined for a modern audience.
Re-creative Writing: An Approach to teaching 'Macbeth'
As outlined by the specification on the OCR website, re-creative writing allows students to: develop aspects of a narrative further in the style or 'voice' of the writer. consider specific moments in a narrative by adding additional text or adding further context. allows students to consider different audiences, contexts, and purposes ...
Meaningful and Fun Activities for Teaching Macbeth
Here's a glimpse at the Macbeth group activities throughout the play: Brainstorm a creative acting troupe name. Play a sound ball theater game in Act I. Perform a mini-drama in Act II. Design a finger puppet set in Act III. Do a character walk theater game in Act IV.
Macbeth: A+ Student Essay: The Significance of ...
A+ Student Essay: The Significance of Equivocation in Macbeth. Macbeth is a play about subterfuge and trickery. Macbeth, his wife, and the three Weird Sisters are linked in their mutual refusal to come right out and say things directly. Instead, they rely on implications, riddles, and ambiguity to evade the truth.
PDF Writing! Prompt/Activity!
! 4! Activity:(FolgerPre^Performance!#4)!Shakespeare!introduces!the!Porter!in!2.3.!Read!the! Porter'spartaloudbyhavingeachstu dent!readtoanendmarkof!punctuation ...
Creative writing
Creative writing - Macbeth on trial. Creative writing - Macbeth on trial. GCSE English. ... For example the word Ã¢â‚¬ËœiriputableÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ is used at the end of MacbethÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s first speech, it should be spelt irreputable (which means to have no reputation) and I think something like compelling (to have an ...
Unit
Key Stage 2, English, Macbeth - Narrative writing. Lesson . 1. To build knowledge of the historical context of the play 'Macbeth' 15m video. Lesson . 2. To investigate C making soft and hard sounds. 21m video. Lesson . 3. To explore using the simple past, present and future tense. 14m video. Lesson . 4.
How to Write on The Macbeth: Characters with Examples and Analysis
This Character Was Written to Please James I. If you have read Macbeth, then you should know that Banquo, a general in Duncan's army, is one of the most benevolent characters in the tragedy. He ...
Macbeth Creative Writing
Resource type: Lesson (complete) File previews. pptx, 6.35 MB. This lesson is based on students crafting a creative piece of writing based on interpretations of the three witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth. Students watch a clip of three directors take on the witches, are given guidance on what to include within their writing and a prompted on ...
Creative Writing
Age range: 14-16. Resource type: Lesson (complete) File previews. pptx, 12.79 MB. doc, 28 KB. Ofsted rated OUTSTANDING Lesson. Takes two lessons / one lesson and a HW. Creative writing in response to Macbeth's witches. Looking at rhyming couplets, sophisticated vocabulary, Shakespearian language, structure.
Macbeth: Themes KS4/5
Macbeth: Themes KS4/5. In these lessons, students will engage with the themes and ideas at the heart of the text, including deception, ambition, and guilt. Tasks include: tracking these themes throughout the play, drawing out key quotations; creative writing on Lady Macbeth's sleep walking, in the character of her doctor; and a list of practice ...
PDF Six Macbeth' essays by Wreake Valley students
Six 'Macbeth' essays by Wreake Valley students No matter what level you are aiming for, you are likely to learn something useful in each of these six example essays. The coloured hi-lights show where each student has done well in terms of including quotations (part of AO1), terminology (part of AO2) and context (AO3). Level 4 essay
129 Macbeth Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare based on the true story of Scottish king Macbeth. The play tells us about a Scottish general who heard a prophecy from a trio of witches and decided to bring predictions to fulfillment. This is a drama about the jeopardy of excessive lust for power and betrayal of friends.
Macbeth: descriptive writing inspired by Act 1 Scene 1 Updated 2022
There is also an A3 graphic organiser to encourage students to plan a piece of descriptive writing inspired by Act 1 Scene 1 of Macbeth. The graphic organiser includes: Act 1 Scene 1. an opening paragraph model to annotate. a long list of useful words. a paragraph planning table. a link to 3 film versions of Act 1 Scene 1 to evaluate.
Resource
English Literature. KS4 >. Using Macbeth as a starting point, this series of linked resources exemplifies techniques teachers may use to help students develop the essay writing skills assessed in the Shakespeare section in Component 1. As well as helping candidates demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the text in the exam, it also ...
PDF National 5 Critical Essay Exemplar 'Macbeth'
Macbeth embodies the concepts of bravery and honour, and King Duncan calls him a 'peerless kinsman', meaning that he believes Macbeth is as good a man as it is possible to be. However, because of the actions Macbeth takes in pursuit of power, the news of his death in the final scene is greeted with celebration, with Malcolm referring to ...
Unit: Macbeth
To build knowledge of the historical context of the play 'Macbeth'. In this lesson, we will look at the author William Shakespeare and the time period in which the play, 'Macbeth', was written. Then we will explore different types of plays and end on a brief introduction into the play. 1 Slide deck. 1 Video.
AQA English Revision
Macbeth Essays. There are loads of ways you can approach writing an essay, but the two I favour are detailed below. ... To see some examples of these, click on the links below: Lady Macbeth as a powerful woman. Macbeth as a heroic character. Strategy 2: A structured essay with an argument.
Writing Macbeth's letter in Act 3 Scene 2|KS3 English|Teachit
Spend some time explaining how you feel about the murder of Duncan. (You may like to use some language from the play here). A perfect creative task for exploring Macbeth's state of mind. Students use their knowledge of Act 3 Scene 2 by writing Macbeth's letter to his wife. Detailed prompts are provided.
Metaphor definition with examples and analysis
The extended metaphor can be brilliant to analyse or use in your own creative writing. An extended metaphor is a metaphor that is developed across a whole section of text: perhaps a whole paragraph or even a whole play or novel. In Romeo's Act 2, Scene 2 speech, he describes Juliet as the "sun".
2 Grade 9 Creative Writing Examples
2 Grade 9 Creative Writing Examples. I recently asked my year 11s to pen a piece of description and/or narrative writing for their mini assessment. I gave them the following prompts: Your school wants you to contribute to a collection of creative writing. EITHER: Write a short story as suggested by this picture:
PDF Y8 Macbeth Self-isolation work (Spring term 1) Contents
5 B. Banquo is clever and will figure out Macbeth did it C. Banquo [s sons will be kings D. Macbeth killed Duncan for nothing if he cant guarantee his children will be kings E. Macbeth will change the prediction through his actions Task 4: reate an A-Z linked to what you know about Macbeth so far. You can include character names, themes, places etc. E.G:
The Art of Allusion: Adding Depth to Writing
It explores how allusions add layers of understanding to writing, using examples from Shakespeare's "Macbeth," where Lady Macbeth alludes to Neptune to express her overwhelming guilt. The essay discusses how allusions are also used in modern literature, like Orwell's "Animal Farm," to symbolize historical events.
Macbeth Act 1 Sc. 1 Descriptive Writing Lesson
Macbeth Act 1 Sc. 1 Descriptive Writing Lesson - Fully Differentiated. A descriptive writing lesson drawing on the opening scene in Macbeth, the meeting of the witches on the heath. The lesson focuses on on sensory description and using a range of writing techniques including descriptive words, similes, metaphors, alliteration and personification.
Simile Examples in Literature and Everyday Language
Similes are like spices for writing: Used in the right proportion, they can add zest and verve to your prose.Once you're familiar with them, you'll likely notice that simile examples abound in everyday speech, writing, song lyrics and even advertising slogans.. Here, we'll take a look at some simile examples, as well as how they differ from other types of figurative language such as metaphors.