Techniques
“Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself / And falls on the other” is an example of this literary technique.
Metaphor.
Macbeth’s murder of Duncan would have been shocking to Jacobean audiences because kings were considered this.
Divinely Appointed by God (Divine Right of Kings)
This aspect of EAMG requires you to use a line from the play to support your interpretation.
Selection of evidence. OD2
Definition: Excessive pride or ambition that ultimately leads to a character’s downfall.
Hubris.
“Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires” – the word “black” conveys __________.
Ambition and moral corruption that he seeks to conceal.
Lady Macbeth says, “Look like th’ innocent flower, / But be the serpent under’t,” which uses this technique to create contrast.
Symbolism
In essays, you argue that ambition leads to moral decay in Macbeth. This part of EAMG is being assessed.
Perspectives and representations. KA1
Beginning a paragraph with a clear topic sentence that states the main idea demonstrates this.
Definition: A literary device that evokes sensory experiences through descriptive language.
Imagery.
The witches’ line, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,” uses the words “fair” and “foul” to __________.
Highlight moral ambiguity and confuse appearance with reality.
The witches’ paradox, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,” demonstrates this technique that confuses appearance and reality.
Paradox
Lady Macbeth says, “Look like th’ innocent flower, / But be the serpent under’t.” This advice would have challenged Jacobean assumptions about what?
How appearances deceive and mask inner morality.
Using phrases like “Furthermore” or “In addition” shows skill in what aspect of organisation?
Definition: A technique where a character speaks their inner thoughts aloud, revealing motives or feelings unknown to other characters.
Soliloquy.
(Guess the word): Lady Macbeth says, “Look like th’ innocent flower, / But be the serpent under’t.” The verb that shows she wants to influence Macbeth’s behaviour is __________.
Manipulate.
“I am in blood / Stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o’er” uses this technique to show moral descent.
Extended metaphor.
Macbeth’s reflection, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?” connects to cultural values about what?
Guilt, conscience, and moral responsibility after violating the divine order.
Placing analysis immediately after a quote ensures what? There are two.
Synthesis of textual evidence (OD2) and sequencing of ideas (OD3)
Definition: The choice of formal or elevated language to reflect the social status, moral values, or psychological state of a character.
Register.
In “Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself / And falls on the other,” the word “vaulting” is used to __________.
Convey the dangerous, self-destructive nature of unchecked ambition.
Shakespeare uses ... when the audience knows the witches’ prophecies are misleading, but Macbeth misinterprets them. This technique creates what effect?
Dramatic Irony
The recurring motif of blood evolves from Duncan’s murder to Lady Macbeth’s “damned spot.” Explain its thematic significance and connection to Jacobean views of morality, guilt, and order.
It symbolises the permanence of guilt, the moral consequences of regicide, and the destabilisation of natural and divine order, reflecting Jacobean anxieties about sin and punishment.
Structuring an essay to show progression from ambition → power → guilt → downfall demonstrates mastery of what?
Strengthening arguments to come to strong conclusion (OD1)
Definition: A literary technique in which the audience knows information that the characters do not, creating tension or dramatic irony.
Dramatic Irony.
Macbeth’s line, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?” uses verbs “wash” and “clean” to __________.
Express overwhelming guilt and the impossibility of erasing moral wrongdoing.