Macbeth: Annotation Edition (Scholastic GCSE 9-1)

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iv. You may not sub-licence, assign, rent, lease or transfer your accesses. 3. Accessing CGP Online Editions Malcolm doesn’t refer to either character by name: this omission shows their immediate fall in status Shakespeare could be offering a warning that women who do not conform to expectations and are unnatural are doomed to suffer negative consequences In the play, all these acts of treason have terrible consequences for those who commit them – all are killed, either in battle, by execution, or from suicide

There are also other minor characters in Macbeth who play a significant role in the play, such as the Three Witches and Malcolm. We exclude and expressly disclaim all express and implied warranties or conditions not stated in this Agreement (including without limitation, loss of income, loss or corruption of data, business interruption or loss of contracts), so far as such exclusion or disclaimer is permitted under the applicable law. This Agreement does not affect your statutory rights. 9. Liability Macbeth is dressed in royal clothing, followed by Lady Macbeth, now his queen. Macbeth mentions to Banquo that they should discuss Malcolm and Donalbain as the brothers have fled from Scotland and may be plotting against him. Lady Macbeth is suggesting that only if Macbeth commits the murder of King Duncan that he could be considered a real man The Devil, demons and witches attempted to break the Great Chain of Being , sometimes by tempting humans to commit sinful actsUnderstanding the themes that Shakespeare explores in Macbeth is one of the best approaches any student can take when revising the play. This is because to get the highest mark on your exam, you need to take what examiners call a “conceptualised approach”: a detailed and perceptive exploration of Shakespeare’s ideas and intentions. The main themes explored by Shakespeare in Macbeth are:

Sleep” symbolises peace or calm, so this is a suggestion that Macbeth will no longer be at peace because he committed regicide James I wrote a book – the Basilikon Doron , or “Royal Gift” – which set out his belief in the Divine Right of Kings : You will be asked a question that asks you to analyse and write in detail about an aspect of MacbethLife [...] is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing” Macbeth, Act V, Scene V The fact that a character as seemingly brave and loyal as Macbeth can be tempted by the witches would have only made the witches seem even more terrifying

Shakespeare plays with the concept of perception throughout Macbeth: are we seeing what’s really there? And are characters who they seem to be? It is also a suggestion from Shakespeare of the disruption and chaos to come, of a kingdom turned upside down Firstly, noble kingship would be based on a legitimate king who derived loyalty from his subjects. He would rule well and in the interests of the kingdom and his subjects.

Shakespeare includes multiple references to treason in Macbeth, the most serious being the regicide of King Duncan He begins the play with an ominous scene featuring three “weird sisters” (which fit James’s description of witches)