Revision task for the Key Stage 3 test – “Macbeth”
“MACBETH” – Good and Evil
This work is focused on Act 4 scene 1 (not a set scene) and Act 5 scene 3.
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Brainstorm ‘evil’ characters in films and cartoons who are destroyed
by themselves, or become diseased, indirectly leading to their death.
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Look closely at Act 1 scene 6 and write down any phrases which Duncan
or Banquo use to suggest that Macbeth’s castle has an air of health.
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Why is this dramatic irony?
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How would you stage the opening ten lines so that the audience can see
and hear both the benign and malign implications of the words?
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Do you see the opening of this scene as evidence of evil masquerading
as good, or as proving Duncan and Banquo’s naivety?
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Look closely at Act 5 scene 3 and identify which lines refer to:
o Sickness
o Disease
o Health
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What is diseased?
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How does the Doctor suggest Lady Macbeth can be cured?
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In what way can evil be said to destroy itself?
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Can the Macbeths be said to have destroyed themselves?
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Who represents the forces of good and evil in the play, and is it true
to say that the Macbeths are destroyed by them?
You are directing an actor playing Macbeth in Act 5 scene 3.
Write up your notes on how you would advise him to speak his
lines, giving reasons for your decisions.
Revision task for the Key Stage 3 test – “Macbeth”
“MACBETH” – Good and Evil
Evil is often seen as the urge to destroy something which is good. Your
first task is to look closely at Act 1 scene 5 an d7 to identify how
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are destructive. Write down next to the
bullet points every quotation you find which suggests they are
destructive. DON’T FORGET QUOTATION MARKS!
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Now write the name of the character who says it next to the quotation.
The witches are obviously associated with evil in the play, but as you have
just discovered, Macbeth and his wife are destructive themselves. Using
the evidence you have just found, who do you think is the most evil at this
stage of the play – Macbeth or his wife? Give three reasons for your
choice.
The most evil is ______________________________ .This is because
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Reason 1:
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Reason 2:
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Reason 3:
Whatever you have decided upon, you could certainly say that later on in
the play, Macbeth takes the leading role in committing evil acts and is
referred to as ‘devil’. Find FOUR quotations in Acts 4 and 5 which
suggest that Macbeth is evil personified.
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