macduff essay grade 9

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‘Macbeth’ Grade 9 Example Response

Grade 9 – full mark – ‘Macbeth’ response

Starting with this extract (from act 1 scene 7), how does Shakespeare present the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth?

In Shakespeare’s eponymous tragedy ‘Macbeth’, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship is a complex portrait of love, illustrating layers of utter devotion alongside overwhelming resentment. Though the couple begins the play unnaturally strong within their marriage, this seems to act as an early warning of their imminent and inevitable fall from grace, ending the play in an almost entirely different relationship than the one they began the play with.

In the exposition of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth initially appear immensely strong within their marriage, with Macbeth describing his wife as ‘my dearest partner of greatness’ in act 1 scene 5. The emotive superlative adjective ‘dearest’ is a term of endearment, and acts as a clear depiction of how valued Lady Macbeth is by her husband. Secondly, the noun ‘partner’ creates a sense of sincere equality which, as equality within marriage would have been unusual in the Jacobean era, illustrates to a contemporary audience the positive aspects of their relationship. Furthermore the lexical choice ‘greatness’ may connote ambition, and as they are ‘partner(s)’, Shakespeare suggests that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are equal in their desire for power and control, further confirming their compatibility but potentially hinting that said compatibility will serve as the couple’s hamartia.

However, the strength of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship falls into a rapid downward spiral in the subsequent scenes, as a struggle for power within the marriage ensues. This is evidenced when Macbeth, in act 1 scene 7, uses the declarative statement ‘we will proceed no further in this business’. Here, Macbeth seems to exude masculinity, embracing his gender role and dictating both his and his wife’s decisions. The negation ‘no’ clearly indicates his alleged definitive attitude. However, Lady Macbeth refuses to accept her husband’s rule, stating ‘when you durst do it, then you were a man’. She attempts to emasculate him to see their plan through. The verb ‘durst’ illustrates the risk taking behaviour that Lady Macbeth is encouraging; implying an element of toxicity within their relationship, and her harsh speech makes the cracks in their relationship further visible to the audience. It is also probable that a contemporary audience would be made severely uncomfortable in the presence of Lady Macbeth’s unapologetic display of power, and it is possible that Shakespeare attempts to paint Lady Macbeth as the villain of the play, playing upon the audience’s pre-determined fears of feminine power. Though Lady Macbeth appears to be acting entirely out of self-interest, another reader may argue that she influences her husband so heavily to commit the heinous act of regicide, as she believes that he crown may as a substitute for the child or children that Shakespeare suggests she and Macbeth have lost previously, and in turn better Macbeth’s life and bring him to the same happiness that came with the child, except in another form.

As the play progresses, Shakespeare creates more and more distance between the characters, portraying the breakdown of their relationship as gradual within the play but rapid in the overall sense of time on stage. For example, Lady Macbeth requests a servant ‘say to the king’ Lady Macbeth ‘would attend his leisure/ for a few words’. Here she is reduced to the status of someone far lesser than the king, having to request to speak to her own husband. It could be interpreted that, now as king, Macbeth holds himself above all else, even his wife, perhaps due to the belief of the divine right of kings. The use of the title rather than his name plainly indicated the lack of closeness Lady Macbeth now feels with Macbeth and intensely emotionally separates them. This same idea is referenced as Shakespeare develops the characters to almost juxtapose each other in their experiences after the murder of Duncan. For example, Macbeth seems to be trapped in a permanent day, after ‘Macbeth does murder sleep’ and his guilt and paranoia render him unable to rest. In contrast, Lady Macbeth takes on an oppositional path, suffering sleepwalking and unable to wake from her nightmare; repeating the phrase ‘to bed. To bed’ as if trapped in a never-ending night. This illustrates to the audience the extreme transformation Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship undergoes, and how differently they end up experiencing the aftermath of regicide.

In conclusion, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth begin the play almost too comfortable within their marriage, which seems to invite the presence of chaos and tragedy into their relationship. Their moral compositions are opposing one another, which leads to the distancing and total breakdown of their once successful marriage and thus serves as a warning to the audience about the effects of murder, and what the deadly sin of greed can do to a person and a marriage.

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gcseenglishwithmisshuttlestone

Secondary English teacher in Herts. View all posts by gcseenglishwithmisshuttlestone

9 thoughts on “‘Macbeth’ Grade 9 Example Response”

wheres the context

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It is also probable that a contemporary audience would be made severely uncomfortable in the presence of Lady Macbeth’s unapologetic display of power, and it is possible that Shakespeare attempts to paint Lady Macbeth as the villain of the play, playing upon the audience’s pre-determined fears of feminine power.

Also ref to ‘divine right of kings’

Thank you! This is a brilliant response. Just what I needed. Could you also please include the extract in the question.

We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honored me of late, and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon.

—> until end of scene

She did (Act 1 Scene 7)

Another great resource for grade 9 Macbeth analysis https://youtu.be/bGzLDRX71bs

In order to get a grade 9 for a piece like this would you need to include a wide range of vocabulary or could you write the same thing ‘dumbed down’ and get a 9.

If the ideas were as strong then yes, but your writing must AT LEAST be ‘clear’ for a grade 6 or above.

This is really great, I’m in Year 10 doing my Mock on Thursday, a great point that i have found (because I also take history) Is the depiction of women throughout the play, during the Elizabethan era, (before the Jacobean era) many people had a changed view of women as Queen Elizabeth was such a powerful woman, glimpses of this have been shown in Jacobean plays, in this case Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is depicted as powerful although she had to be killed of to please King James (as he was a misogynist) women are also depicted as evil in the play, such as the three witches, I also found that the Witches are in three which could be a mockery to the Holy Trinity.

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William Shakespeare

• Literature Notes
• Macbeth at a Glance
• Play Summary
• About Macbeth
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Act I: Scene 1
• Act I: Scene 2
• Act I: Scene 3
• Act I: Scene 4
• Act I: Scene 5
• Act I: Scene 6
• Act I: Scene 7
• Act II: Scene 1
• Act II: Scene 2
• Act II: Scene 3
• Act II: Scene 4
• Act III: Scene 1
• Act III: Scene 2
• Act III: Scene 3
• Act III: Scene 4
• Act III: Scene 5
• Act III: Scene 6
• Act IV: Scene 1
• Act IV: Scene 2
• Act IV: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 1
• Act V: Scene 2
• Act V: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 4
• Act V: Scene 5
• Act V: Scene 6
• Act V: Scene 7
• Act V: Scene 8
• Act V: Scene 9
• Character Analysis
• Lady Macbeth
• Character Map
• William Shakespeare Biography
• Critical Essays
• Major Themes
• Major Symbols and Motifs
• Macbeth on the Stage
• Famous Quotes
• Film Versions
• Full Glossary
• Essay Questions
• Practice Projects
• Cite this Literature Note

Character Analysis Macduff

Macduff is the archetype of the avenging hero, not simply out for revenge but with a good and holy purpose. Macduff is the character who has two of the most significant roles in the play: First, he is the discoverer of Duncan 's body. Second, the news of the callous murder of his wife and children (Act IV, Scene 3) spurs him toward his desire to take personal revenge upon the tyrannical Macbeth . When he knocks at the gate of Macbeth's castle in Act II, Scene 3, he is being equated with the figure of Christ, who before his final ascension into Heaven, goes down to release the souls of the damned from hell (the so-called "Harrowing of Hell").

Like Macbeth, Macduff is also shown as a human being. When he hears of the death of his "pretty chickens," he has to hold back his emotions. Even when (in Act IV, Scene 3) Malcolm urges him to "Dispute it like a man," Macduff's reply "I will do so. But I must also feel it as a man" enables the audience to weigh him against Macbeth, an unfeeling man if ever there was one. In the final combat between hero and anti-hero, this humanity is recalled once more when Macduff cries out, "I have no words; my voice is in my sword." It is his very wordlessness that contrasts with Macbeth's empty rhetoric.

Previous Duncan

Next Banquo

Macduff - Loyal Subject

Macduff has a similar status to Macbeth at the start of the play. He is 'Thane of Fife' . He is a loyal subject to King Duncan.

Response to Duncan's death

• In Act 2, Scene 3, Macduff finds King Duncan's body: 'O horror, horror, horror, / Tongue nor heart cannot conceive, nor name thee.'
• He is struggling to speak about what he has seen.
• The fact he can’t speak properly here highlights the difference between him and Macbeth. Macbeth is always using words to explore his ideas and feelings. Macduff tells the others to go and see for themselves: 'Do not bid me speak.'

• Macduff’s inability to speak could also show that he cannot believe what has happened: that someone has murdered their king, the man they should protect and be loyal to.
• He would also be aware of the Divine Right of Kings, and the idea that God had chosen King Duncan to rule Scotland – for someone to go against this would mean that they would spend eternity in Hell. Macduff may not be able to understand why someone would disobey God like this.

Hates Macbeth (because of the Divine Right of Kings)

• Macduff doesn’t go to Macbeth's feast in Act 3, Scene 4: 'How sayst thou that Macduff denies his person / At our great bidding?' This shows that he doesn't support Macbeth's rule over Scotland.
• When Macduff flees to England (once Macbeth is king), Malcolm initially distrusts Macduff because he was once Macbeth's friend. But Malcolm finds that Macduff hates the tyrant king. Macduff wishes to save Scotland from him and have Scotland return to 'wholesome days' (4,3).
• Macduff firmly believes that King Duncan’s line was chosen by God to rule Scotland, and he wants to restore the natural order and place Duncan’s son on the throne.

Macduff - Honourable Hero

Macduff is both an honourable father and hero - unlike Macbeth, he does not enjoy killing others but sees it as a duty.

Honourable father

• Macbeth kills Macduff's family. Macduff becomes the wronged hero who wants to avenge the deaths of his loved ones.
• In Act 5, Scene 7, when Macduff is looking for Macbeth, he says: 'Tyrant, show thy face! / If thou be'st slain, and with no stroke of mine, / My wife and children's ghosts will haunt me still'.
• This suggests that Macduff feels haunted by the ghosts of his family. He may feel guilty that he could not protect them because he was away – in the Jacobean era, men were protectors of their wives and children.
• Macduff is the honourable hero, and so would take this role seriously – this may be partly why he feels so guilty.

Not ruthless

• Unlike Macbeth, Macduff really dislikes the fact that he must kill someone he once considered his friend and ally – he is the hero of the story, and does not enjoy killing; he only kills when he has to.

Macduff vs Macbeth - Good vs Evil

The battle between Macbeth and Macduff is a fight between good and evil.

Macbeth - fears Macduff

• When Macbeth meets with the witches in Act 4, Scene 1, the first apparition (ghost image) that he sees warns him to beware of Macduff. Macbeth says, 'thou hast harped my fear' .
• The spirit is echoing Macbeth’s doubt about Macduff.

Macduff - seeks revenge

• His broken speech here shows how distressed he is by the news.
• Macduff then seeks bloody revenge: 'Front to front / Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself; / Within my sword's length set him'. (4,3)

The fight - good vs evil

• Macduff finally finds Macbeth in Act 5, Scene 8. He orders him, 'Turn, hell-hound, turn.'
• His imperative (ordering) language shows that he is taking control and challenging Macbeth to fight.
• The insult, 'hell-hound' , reminds the audience of Macbeth's evil. This has become a fight between good and bad.

Macduff's destiny

• When Macbeth tells Macduff that he cannot be harmed by anyone born of woman, Macduff says the famous line: 'Macduff was from his mother's womb / Untimely ripped' (5,8).
• The verb 'ripped' is aggressive as if the action of his birth has led him to this destiny now. It’s likely that his mother died in childbirth, so the baby was taken from her before she died.

Dramatic tension

• Before this, Macbeth had been arrogant, thinking that no one on Earth could kill him because of the witches’ prophecy: ‘none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth’ (4,1).
• Here, however, there is a surprise twist for the audience as we discover that Macduff was not born in the traditional way – instead, he was removed from his mother’s womb.
• The audience and Macbeth realise that he can kill him – the dramatic tension here is hugely increased, as we see Macbeth’s arrogance vanish in this instant.

Defeats traitor

• Macduff returns to the stage in the final scene with Macbeth's head.
• He has made an example of him as a traitor (enemy to the country), just as Macbeth did at the start to Macdonald.
• He leads the other lords in praising Malcolm as king of Scotland.

1 Literary & Cultural Context

1.1 Context

1.1.1 Tragedy

1.1.2 The Supernatural & Gender

1.1.3 Politics & Monarchy

1.1.4 End of Topic Test - Context

2 Plot Summary

2.1.1 Scenes 1 & 2

2.1.2 Scene 3

2.1.3 Scenes 4-5

2.1.4 Scenes 6-7

2.1.5 End of Topic Test - Act 1

2.2 Acts 2-4

2.2.1 Act 2

2.2.2 Act 3

2.2.3 Act 4

2.3.1 Scenes 1-3

2.3.2 Scenes 4-9

2.3.3 End of Topic Test - Acts 2-5

3 Characters

3.1 Macbeth

3.1.1 Hero vs Villain

3.1.2 Ambition & Fate

3.1.3 Relationship

3.1.4 Unstable

3.1.5 End of Topic Test - Macbeth

3.2 Lady Macbeth

3.2.1 Masculine & Ruthless

3.2.2 Manipulative & Disturbed

3.3 Other Characters

3.3.1 Banquo

3.3.2 The Witches

3.3.3 Exam-Style Questions - The Witches

3.3.4 King Duncan

3.3.5 Macduff

3.3.6 End of Topic Test - Lady Macbeth & Banquo

3.3.7 End of Topic Test - Witches, Duncan & Macduff

3.4 Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.4.1 Grade 9 - Lady Macbeth Questions

4.1.1 Power & Ambition

4.1.2 Power & Ambition HyperLearning

4.1.3 Violence

4.1.4 The Supernatural

4.1.5 Masculinity

4.1.6 Armour, Kingship & The Natural Order

4.1.7 Appearances & Deception

4.1.8 Madness & Blood

4.1.9 Women, Children & Sleep

4.1.10 End of Topic Test - Themes

4.1.11 End of Topic Test - Themes 2

4.2 Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.1 Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.2 Extract Analysis

5 Writer's Techniques

5.1 Structure, Meter & Other Literary Techniques

5.1.1 Structure, Meter & Dramatic Irony

5.1.2 Pathetic Fallacy & Symbolism

5.1.3 End of Topic Test - Writer's Techniques

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King Duncan

End of Topic Test - Lady Macbeth & Banquo

Macduff essay plan

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Grade 9 Macbeth Essay ( OCR GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

English Senior Content Creator

Grade 9 Macbeth Essay

Component 2 of the OCR GCSE English Literature exam involves questions on poetry and Shakespeare. For the Shakespeare element, you will be asked to write one essay from a choice of two options:

Question 1 is an essay based on an extract from the play you have studied

Question 2 is what’s known as a “discursive” essay question, and you won’t have an extract to work from

This page includes an annotated model answer for Question 2, the discursive essay question. “Discursive” here means something involving a wide discussion, so examiners want to see that you have set out an argument and sustained it, that you cover a range of points, and that you are referring to multiple parts of the play throughout your answer.

How Am I Assessed?

You have 50 minutes to answer the question, and the essay is out of 40 marks. Here is how the marks are divided:

Grade 9 Macbeth Model Answer

Read this example answer for a past OCR GCSE Macbeth essay question. As a Macbeth model answer, it include annotations which show you where and how this answer has met the assessment objectives. It’s a sample answer to the following question:

To what extent does Shakespeare present Macbeth as a victim of Lady's Macbeth's ambition? Explore at least two moments from the play to support your ideas.

Grade 9 Example Answer

While it is true that Lady Macbeth is a forceful influence on Macbeth, and that Shakespeare presents her as a commanding character from the play’s outset, it cannot be said that Macbeth is solely a victim of her ambition (AO1) . As a man of his era, Macbeth still has enough agency to make his own choices, and it is arguably a combination of his own ambition, alongside the malign influence of the witches and his wife, that contributes to his downfall (AO1) .

Although there are other factors at play, Lady Macbeth’s ambition certainly contributes to Macbeth becoming a victim since she encourages him to murder King Duncan (AO1) . In Act 1, Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a morally conflicted character who is concerned about going ahead with the cardinal sin of regicide. His long soliloquy at the start of Act 1, Scene 7 highlights his ambivalence: while he is clearly tempted to kill Duncan and take the Scottish crown for himself, he describes King Duncan’s virtuous nature and worries about the religious consequences of committing such a heinous act (AO1) . Indeed, he says “we will proceed no further in this business”. However, in the same scene Lady Macbeth – via emotional manipulation and force of will – manages to persuade Macbeth to go ahead with their plan. She challenges Macbeth’s masculinity and bravery by suggesting that only after he kills Duncan can he be considered “a man”, and she calls him a “coward” who is “drunk” (AO1) . For a noble warrior such as Macbeth, this is an effective ploy since his reputation was vitally important to his identity. Therefore, Lady Macbeth’s plea for him to “screw your courage to the sticking place” works because although Macbeth continues to have doubts, just two scenes later he commits regicide, which is the catalyst to his ultimate downfall.

However, Macbeth’s own ambition is as much to blame for his ultimate demise. In the same long soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 7, Shakespeare presents Macbeth as conflicted, but also self-aware enough to recognise that his own “vaulting ambition” could “o’erleap” itself and lead to his ultimate downfall. Indeed, it must be said that – despite Lady Macbeth’s effective persuasion – Macbeth is the one to stab Duncan with the daggers. At this point in the play, he is the thane of Cawdor, a powerful man in a patriarchal society, and as such has significant power and agency over his own actions, far more so than Lady Macbeth (AO3) . Furthermore, the contrast between Macbeth’s and Banquo’s reactions to meeting the witches in Act 1, Scene 3 shows that Macbeth’s own flawed character, and his hamartia of ambition, are significant factors in his actions. Banquo, whom Shakespeare presents as a foil, represents the typical Jacobean attitudes towards the supernatural: he is deeply cautious and full of disbelief (AO2) . In contrast, Macbeth is captivated by the witches and believes their prophecies, precisely because the ambition to become king is already part of his character. He believes them (and goes to see them a second time, alone) because his ambition makes him want to believe them, and therefore his victimhood can be seen as partly down to his flawed character (AO1) . 

Furthermore, Macbeth is also a victim of the witches’ deception and manipulation. Although his own ambition, and Lady Macbeth’s ambition, are arguably more significant factors in his demise, Macbeth is certainly also a victim of the witches’ trickery. In Act 4, Scene 1, in his desperation, Macbeth returns to the witches (AO1) . While the prophecies given earlier in the play can be seen as more straightforward, the set of prophecies given to Macbeth in this scene are deliberately misleading (AO2) . While “beware Macduff” is a fairly clear instruction, their next claims (“for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth”; “Macbeth shall never vanquished be” until Birnam Wood physically moves to his castle) give him a feeling of invincibility. Ultimately, it could be argued that these predictions give Macbeth a false sense of security, leading to his death at the hands of Macduff. However, Shakespeare could also be arguing that anyone blinded by their ambition enough to trust in supernatural agents (like the witches) is bound to face eternal consequences. Therefore, again, perhaps it is Macbeth’s own ambition that causes him to become a victim (AO1) .

In conclusion, although Lady Macbeth’s influence on Macbeth is clear and contributes to Macbeth’s actions, it is overly simplistic to say that he is a victim of her ambition (AO1) . Arguably, he is ultimately a victim of his own ambition, which blinds him to the dangers of the supernatural, his wife’s persuasion, and the terrible consequences of his crimes (AO1) .

Check out this Question 1 model answer for guidance on how to answer the Macbeth extract question.

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth . Edited by Cedric Watts, Wordsworth Classics, 2005

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Author: Nick Redgrove

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

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MACBETH 5 grade 9 essays AQA GCSE

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

10 March 2022

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5 GCSE AQA PAPER 1 GRADE 9 MACBETH MODEL ESSAYS - FULL MARKS including easily applicable critical perspectives: (Explore how Shakespeare presents Macduff and Macbeth’s violence, Explore how Shakespeare presents Guilt, Explore how Shakespeare presents Ambition, Explore how Shakespeare presents Deceit, Explore how Shakespeare presents Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship)

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