Macbeth
Analyse how the writer develops a significant idea or theme
in an extended written text you have studied.
Keywords: significant idea/ theme
Analyse: going through it, figuring it out, taking it apart,
discovering the meaning behind the story, developing ideas,
making connections/links, explaining, expanding, exploring.
Techniques: Dialogue, metaphor, repetition, imagery (animal,
senses), ambiguity, soliloquy, contrast, iambic pentameter,
quibble, symbolism
Idea:
Manipulation is an effective tool in securing power
Appearances don’t always reflect reality
Ambition can be our downfall
Power can lead to corruption
Temptation destroys man
Going against the natural order will always end in tragedy
What goes around comes around
Ambition can be our downfall
Paragraph plan:
How can we approach our topic so that we cover three different
elements (points/aspects) of ambition in our essay?
Macbeth’s desire to be King
Manipulation/upsetting the natural order
Karma
Every action has a consequence
Positive ambition
- Becoming Thane of Cawdor and the fact that Macbeth had to
be ambitious in order to impress his peers/ be honourable
- Humanity – we want what we don’t have, drives us towards
progress.
Negative ambition
-
Macbeth plots to kill the King (usurping the throne)
Frames someone for his crimes
Killed Macduff’s family
Killed Banquo to secure his position/ keep his power
Wanted to be a King for the benefits (didn’t want to take on the
responsibility of the role in protecting the people he is
supposed to lead/guide).
Paragraph 2 : wicked women – how Macbeth’s ambition was
driven to new extremes by the women in his life.
Lady Macbeth
- Plots to kills the King
- Manipulates her husband in order to gain her position as
Queen
- Believes that she can act without
consequence/repercussions/guilt
- Believes that the ends justify the means
Witches
- Prophecies
- Ambiguity of the prophecies
Paragraph 3: Downfall
- Macbeth/ Lady Macbeth’s spiral into madness and guilt
- Macbeth’s lack of remorse (he thinks he’s invulnerable).
This shows his lack of compassion and humanity
- Tragic hero model – a character is raised up (honourable
character etc) and then stripped of this honour (sometimes
completely devoid of humanity/honour) as they make poor
decisions due to a “fatal flaw”
- Turning against/destroying everything he had created for
himself (recklessness).
- Selfishness
How do we write an introduction?
In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare a significant
theme is ambition can be your downfall. This is shown through
the character of Macbeth and the key techniques of symbolism,
dialogue and metaphor.
Ambition is ….. and…. it helps us to understand…. and from
this we can see….
Macbeth is one such example. Playwright William
Shakespeare has effectively incorporated these key themes in
his famous work. Ambition can be a downfall because….
Keywords from the question
Author’s name
Name of your text