G.C.S.E. SHAKESPEARE COURSEWORK
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Transcript of G.C.S.E. SHAKESPEARE COURSEWORK
G.C.S.E. SHAKESPEARE COURSEWORK
‘MACBETH’
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA• You will be assessed for this piece of
coursework by giving an oral presentation
• You must make sure you fulfill all the criteria
• You must provide a written description of the activity.
Speaking and Listening:
• Speak fluently and clearly• Make significant contributions and listen
closely to others• Use Standard English vocabulary and
grammar• Show order and clear expression in
communicating well-developed significant points and complex ideas
• Cross-reference ideas as appropriate and reach a considered conclusion
THE SHAKESPEARE ASSIGNMENT:
• To achieve a good grade, you must fulfill all the criteria that the assessment guidelines require
• You must be critical, analytical and interpretative
• You must back up your ideas with textual evidence
1. SOCIAL, HISTORICAL, AND PHILOSOPHICAL
CONTEXT:• You must comment on this area in
terms of how the play sits within its dramatic genre
• How does the play reflect or challenge the values and ideas of the time in which it was written?
2. STRUCTURE:• How does the structure of the play
contribute to the development of the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth?
• Consider the asymmetrical structure to the play, its parallels, and its reversals
3. CHARACTER:• You must consider character in terms of 3
areas:• Action (what they do)• Dialogue (what they say to each other -
and how much they say)• Soliloquies (what they say to themselves).• For the latter two, remember to use
linguistic terms (e.g. imperatives and adjectives)
4. THEMES:• You should discuss how different
themes and images reflect or suggest the developing relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
• Themes include: night/darkness, sleep, bestial imagery, blood and appearance vs. reality
5. DRAMATIC DEVICES:• Consider the use of both:• Irony• Dramatic irony
6. LINGUISTIC DEVICES:• You should consider Shakespeare’s use of
language to develop the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
• What nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs create dramatic effect?
• Consider Shakespeare’s use of pronouns.• Do any words recur throughout the play,
especially if they change meaning?• How is alliteration used for dramatic
effect?
7. POETIC DEVICES:• You must consider Shakespeare’s use of
figurative language and imagery, such as:• Metaphors• Similes• Personification• Oxymorons
• Can you find any patterns of images used throughout the play? Do they change meaning or create dramatic irony?
You should also:• Be perceptive, and consider a range of possible
meanings and interpretations• Use detailed references to each area• Develop ideas in detail• Cross-reference as appropriate• Understand how meaning is conveyed and how an
audience (both Elizabethan and modern) may respond• Conclude with a personal response, and by drawing
together your ideas• You may comment on whether you think the audience
retains any sympathy for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
The official question:
•Explain how the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth develops throughout the play.
Finally…• You must consider the following key
scenes:• Act 1, Scenes 5 and 7.• Act 2, Scene 2.• Act 3, Scenes 2 and 4.• Act 5, Scenes 1 and 5.
• It may help you to consider Acts 1 and 2 together (closeness of the pair, Lady Macbeth’s power and dominance); Act 3 as the pivotal scene (reversal/distancing), and Act 5 as the final result of the irrevocable breakdown of the relationship.