INTERMEDIATE 2
EXAM PREP
EXTRACT 2: SETTING
SCOTLAND:
Reference to Forres and Cawdor – notable Scottish towns
11th Century:
Reference to ‘King of…’ and ‘Thane of…’ – Kings were in place
during medieval times, 11th century in particular.
EXTRACT 3: SETTING
Germany:
This is suggested when the girls refer to ‘Gestapo’ – which means
German police.
World War II:
This is suggested when the girls make reference to ‘Nazis’,
‘Prisoner of War camps’ and their attempts to hide Mike – ‘a
British Airman’
In a barn:
‘Katya bursts into the barn’
EXTRACT 2: ACTION
•
Macbeth and Banquo, on their way to the King’s court at Forres, come upon the witches;
‘What are these, so withered, and so wild in their attire’…’you should be woman and yet your
beards forbid me to interpret that you are so.’
•
The witches hail Macbeth as Thane of Glamis (his original title) and as Thane of Cawdor.
Macbeth is baffled by this second title, as he has not yet heard of King Duncan’s decision.
The witches also declare that Macbeth will be King one day; ‘All Hail Macbeth, Thane of
Glamis…All Hail Macbeth Thane of Cawdor…All Hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter.’
•
Macbeth presses the witches for more information, but they have turned their attention to
Banquo. They tell him that he will never be King but that his children will sit upon the
throne; ‘Thou shalt get Kings though thou be none’
•
Macbeth implores the witches to explain what they meant by calling him Thane of Cawdor,
but they vanish into thin air; ‘Wither are they vanished?’ … ‘into the air; and what seem’d
corporal melted as breath into the wind’
EXTRACT 2: ACTION
•
Macbeth and Banquo discuss the strange encounter and wonder if they imagined it; ‘Were
such things here as we do speak about? Or have we eaten on the insane root that takes the
reason prisoner?’
•
Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Ross and Angus, who have come to take
them to the King; ‘We are sent to give thee from our royal master thanks, only to herald thee
into his sight, not pay thee.’
•
Ross tells Macbeth that the King has made him Thane of Cawdor, as the former Thane is to
be executed for treason; ‘…under heavy judgement bears that life which he deserve to
lose…treasons capital, confessed and proved, have overthrown him.’
•
Macbeth is amazed that the witches’ prophecy has come true but Banquo is not convinced
and thinks witches tell half truths to change people; ‘to win us to our harm the instruments
of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray’s in deepest consequence.’
•
Macbeth ignores his companions and speaks to himself, thinking about the possibility that
he might one day be King. He wonders whether the reign will simply fall to him or whether
he will have to perform a dark deed in order to gain the crown; ‘If chance will have me King,
why chance may crown me without my stir.’
EXTRACT 3: ACTION
• A group of girls are playing in a barn –
‘Look! She must have crept in the back way – got you!!!!’
• They find a wounded soldier;
‘Mike jerks up, still dazed, raising his good arm to ward off a blow’
‘It must be – one of the airmen’
• He is hiding from the Gestapo after his helicopter was attacked and all of the soldiers
were dropped to the ground;
‘We were badly on fire. (the skipper) ordered everyone to bale out. I remember falling…there
was an almighty explosion…then I hit the ground.’
• The girls try to help the soldier, feeding him and soothing his wounds;
‘You must be hungry – I have some food in my satchel’ – ‘are you badly hurt? We can get
some water from the pump outside and I could tear up my petticoat for bandages’
• They discover that the Nazis have found his parachute and they are searching for him;
‘The Nazi’s found a parachute a few miles away. So they know someone is hidden
somewhere. They are searching the whole area.’
The girls want to save Mike from being killed or sent to a POW camp;
‘But they’ll kill you! They will say you are a spy and you will be shot’
Mike wants to protect the girls from being accused of harbouring a spy;
You will all be shot, or sent to a concentration camp’
They must decide quickly before it is too late for them all;
‘There must be something we can do!’
EXTRACT 2: TENSION
(dramatic moments)
When Ross and Angus enter to reveal that Macbeth is indeed
now Thane of Cawdor –the witches prophecy has come true;
‘He bade me, call thee Thane of Cawdor’
‘What, can the devil speak true?’
The audience are now intrigued to know if the prophecy that
he will become King will come true also…
It is also of interest that Banquo is hesitant even at this stage
about the situation;
‘But tis strange, and oftentimes, to win us to our harm’
And is concerned about Macbeths immediate interest;
‘Look how our partner’s rapt’
EXTRACT 3: TENSION
(dramatic moments)
When Katya ‘bursts’ into the barn to tell of the soldiers knowing
about Mike hiding in the area;
‘Soldiers! That’s what I came to tell you. They are searching the village.’
She is in a hurry, creating panic;
‘You must get away quickly. I know a tree where you can hide.’
The girls discuss the worst scenarios;
‘They won’t look…they just jab their bayonets in and if there is anyone
hidden there…well…’
‘They’ll kill you’
‘You don’t know them as we do’
EXTRACT 2: CHARACTERS
MACBETH
• Ambitious; ‘…given me earnest of success…’
• Hint of determination, willing to do anything; ‘If chance will have me King, why
chance may crown me without my stir.’
• Manipulative, sussing out his friends thoughts; ‘think upon what hath changed,
and at more time, the interim having weighed it, let us speak our free hearts
each to other’
• Self Doubt; ‘Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?’ - ‘This supernatural
soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good.’ - ‘Present fears are less than horrible
imaginings’
BANQUO
• Suspicious: ‘tis strange, and oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments
of darkness tell us truths, to betray in deepest consequence.’
• Humble: ‘Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your leisure’ - ‘Do you not hope your
children shall be kings, when those that gave the Thane of Cawdor to me
promised no less to them?’
EXTRACT 3: CHARACTERS
ANNA:
• A child – ‘we come here to play’ suggests they are of a young age. ‘You
may think we are only children but we can help’
• Gerda is her sister, Anna is her friend
• Caring; ‘while we wait, we’ll do our best to look after you’ – ‘oh, what
can we do?’
• In charge, bossy; ‘Gerda, run quickly and tell Manya’ – ‘why do you
have to be so noisy?’
• Polite; ‘it’s an honour to meet you’
MIKE:
• A British Airman; ‘you are one of the British airmen aren’t you?’
• Wounded; ‘I was hurt, a bit groggy from the painkillers’ – I remember
dragging myself to some bushes….then I must have passed out’
• Brave; ‘It’s alright’ – ‘…dragging myself through those woods for
weeks’
• Protective; ‘you must leave me, it’s the only way’ – Go quickly, or you
will be accused of harbouring a spy’
EXTRACT 2: THEMES/ISSUES
POWER/AMBITION:
‘Look how our partner’s rapt’ – Macbeth is already mulling over
the idea
‘If chance will have me King, why chance may crown me
without my stir.’ – he is willing to do anything, even if it is
to cause a ‘commotion’
‘…given me earnest of success…’ – the temptation of success is
clear
Shown when he tries to encourage his friend also; ‘Do you not
hope your children shall be kings, when those that gave the
Thane of Cawdor to me promised no less to them?’
EXTRACT 3: THEMES/ISSUES
FRIENDSHIP:
The girls want to befriend Mike;
‘Thanks, you’re an angel’
‘My friends call me Mike’ – ‘then we shall too!’
‘We shall be glad to be your friends’
TRUST:
Although the girls are German, and for Mike ‘the enemy’, they
want him to trust them;
‘we may think us be children but we can help’ – ‘you don’t know
them as we do’ – ‘give you away? Never!’
He does eventually, shown by his protective nature later:
‘‘you must leave me, it’s the only way’ – ‘Go quickly, or you will
be accused of harbouring a spy’
HINTS FOR EXAM QUESTIONS
• PLEASE only answer on one extract
• PLEASE remember that in any design question, you are designing for
a THEATRE
• PLEASE review all of your vocabulary and USE IT! Particularly areas
of the stage and types of staging (because you SHOULD know this)
and voice and movement terms. You will get fewer marks if you do
not use the correct language
• PLEASE justify everything you say by explaining why and referring to
the text
• PLEASE write in sentences!!!
• REMEMBER THE MAGIC FORMULA!
‘I would use...(vocab word) - WHERE/WHEN IN THE TEXT – ‘to show that…..’