Why I love…Year 11 Final Feedback (Shakespeare: Macbeth & Merchant)

Last week, my class did a final practice of Shakespeare Macbeth and Merchant essays dependent on what they were taught as we collapsed a class. They were really focused and I gave them different essay options and asked them to choose what they thought would be really difficult as a question to complete so that they could feel that desirable difficulty now and then when they get into the exam, I’m hoping that they find it much easier.

At the end of the essay, I asked them to write down what they were struggling with, so that I could give them really targeted essay feedback.

They mainly said:

Embedding context

Using the right quotations/remembering the right quotations

Also, what themes or characters might potentially be asked about (obviously, I don’t have a crystal ball to help with this, but I can give a rough guideline)

After I marked them I also gave lots of feedback relating to analysis of moments or key events and how to complete a good introduction that guides the reader through the essay. So, for more targeted feedback, I prepared this:

Macbeth – Feedback and final support 

Themes	Characters
Death	Macbeth
Deceit/Treason/Betrayal	King Duncan
Relationships	Banquo
Kingship	The Witches
Supernatural	Lady Macbeth
	Macduff

Context: 

1 – Divine right of Kings, the belief that God ordained who was on the throne and to kill them was treason 

2 – King James 1st wrote daemonologie and strongly believed in superstitions around witches and thought that they were real 

3 – Patriarchy – the belief that women should do what fathers/husbands asked of them 

Don’t know quotes but know what happened?
Complete an events analysis paragraph rather than focusing on quotations 

Macbeth is clearly a disturbed character by the end of the play in Act 5, when he eventually faces the wrath and anger of Macduff on the battlefield. His disturbed behaviour is clear when he barely says anything to the death of Lady Macbeth, who at the start of the play, was the first person he told of the Witches prophecies indicating he had great respect and admiration for his wife and that he loved her. His disturbing behaviour is clear as he doesn’t say anything that shows grief or sadness about this. Then, Macduff tries to get Macbeth to stop the battle and to put down his weapons and he refuses. This could suggest he is a warrior like when we first met him, or it could show that he is so damaged and deranged that nothing is going to stop him from trying to hold onto power. Obviously, this desire to hold onto power at any cost is his hamartia and causes him to lose power through death. Macduff violently kills him on the battlefield returning the Kingship to the rightful heir of King Duncan, Malcolm. This could be Shakespeare telling us that it is never okay to commit treason, that no matter what you do that act of treason will cause you pain and suffering. The King of the time, King James the 1st was incredibly paranoid that his throne would be taken from him and Shakespeare may have been using the play Macbeth as a warning to society and to any rich nobles who felt King James, as the Scottish King of England, was unworthy of the crown and they should not attempt to take the throne. The audience would have enjoyed seeing the bloody depiction of Macbeth’s death and perhaps seen it as entertainment, while a modern audience can be more critical with the historical understanding of the way King James ruled and recognise Shakespeare’s flattery towards the monarch. 

Macbeth Introductions

Macbeth as a disturbed character 

Shakespeare, in his tragic Jacobethan play, Macbeth presents the protagonist as a disturbed character through his own heinous behaviour. First, Macbeth appears noble, brave and undisturbed in Act 1; then, he descends into a very disturbed state of mind in A2S1; finally, his inability to concede the crown in Act 5 shows the height of his disturbed mind and causes his death.

Lady Macbeth 

Macbeth is a tragic play written when King James 1st was on the throne and women were subject to patriarchy. Lady Macbeth first subverts this by being strong and dominant and manipulating her husband, Macbeth. Then, she is sidelined by Macbeth, removing her power to manipulate him. Finally, she is no longer able to manipulate as her guilt has driven her to madness. 

Supernatural 

Shakespeare, in the tragic Jacobethan play, Macbeth plays into the superstitions of the time by using the Witches as characters that manipulate the main protagonist, Macbeth. They meet in Act to predict Macbeth’s future arguably changing the course of Macbeth’s future; Macbeth starts to hallucinate supernatural ghostly daggers and people he had killed; then, the Witches meet again in Act 4 with Macbeth to seal his fate, leading to his ultimate death. 

Kingship 

Macbeth’s tragic play, written by Shakespeare, when King James 1st was on the throne follows Macbeth’s deep desire to become king at all costs. King Duncan is presented as a good and worthy King who is killed by Macbeth; Macbeth is then presented as a power hungry and malicious King who needs to be stopped; By the end, Macbeth’s Kingship has been ended by MacDuff and the throne is returned to the rightful King: Malcolm who was named heir to the throne by his father in the start of the play meaning that the correct King wins in the end.

Merchant of Venice Feedback and final support

Themes	Characters
Religion/Religious intolerance	Shylock
Mercy	Antonio
Patriarchy	Bassanio
Male Friendship	Portia
Revenge	Jessica and Lorenzo
	Lancelot
	Minor Characters: Solanio and Salarino, Gratiano, Nerissa

Context: 

1 – Christianity is the predominant religion so what people of the time knew 

2 – Anti-semitism and mistrust of Jews was commonplace due to them not being in the country, therefore most of the audiences experience of Jews was through superstition and hearsay, as Jews were banished or made to convert to Christianity

3 – Patriarchy – male dominated society where women followed the rules laid down by fathers/husbands  

Don’t know quotes but know what happened?
Complete an events analysis paragraph rather than focusing on quotations 

In Act 1 Scene 2, Portia and Nerissa (her lady in waiting) are in Belmont, rather than Venice,  ironically discussing the many potential suitors that Portia has been subjected to, as a result of her father’s dying wishes to hold a lottery to choose the most suitable husband for her. Nerissa gives a list of names to which Portia replies with quick fire dialogue and negative and scathing impressions of the many men she has had the misfortune to consider as her husband. She very clearly appears intelligent and witty and full of sarcastic humour and the audience of the time would have recognised that Portia was wise and shrewd. Despite many of the men being titled and clearly having suitable backgrounds that would match her societal status, Portia is cutting, calling them drunks and fools, amongst other things suggesting she is shrewd and clever and can read other people’s behaviour and intentions. While this may be true, it is unusual for a female to be given the opportunity to speak their mind in the Elizabethan period, however Shakespeare may be flattering Queen Elizabeth by portraying Portia as strong, independent and able to make up her own mind about who she should marry. Queen Elizabeth never married by choice therefore maintaining control of the monarchy, showing that she was also a woman ahead of her time. By the end of the act Shakespeare foreshadows the upcoming marriage of Portia to Bassanio, as the only positive comment she makes to Nerissa is right at the end of the scene implying that she likes Bassanio, thinks him good looking and worthy of her attention. This is the only positivity from her about any gentlemen indicating that this is a deliberate choice by Shakespeare as we have already heard about Bassanio’s deepest desire to meet with Portia and win her hand in marriage. In the exposition of the play, we are shown a strong, subversive and witty female who has strong opinions and is capable of making her own decisions. This is anti-patriarchal, however she does follow the patriarchal rules in place as she goes along with the lottery as her father had wished. 

Merchant Introductions

Jessica’s relationship with Shylock 

Shakespeare, in his Elizabethan problematic comedy, The Merchant of Venice presents a difficult relationship between Shylock and Jessica. Jessica makes it clear that she wants to convert to Christianity and leave Shylock when talking to Lancelot their servant and giving him a letter to deliver; she then is able to elope with Lorenzo; this elopement shows how distraught Shylock becomes at both losing his daughter and the fact she stole from him before leaving with the Christian, Lorenzo.

Antonio and Shylock’s relationship 

Shakespeare’s presentation, in the difficult comedy, The Merchant of Venice of the protagonist Antonio and antagonist Shylock’s relationship is shown through their mutual hatred. In Act 1 Scene 3, we learn of the historic distrust; in Act 3 Scene 6, we learn about a lack of mercy from Shylock when Antonio is imprisoned; then, in Act 4 Scene 1, we see Antonio return this lack of mercy when the bond is broken.

Religious Intolerance 

Merchant of Venice is a play completely focused on religious intolerance through the divide between Chrisatians and Jews. In Act 3 Scene 1, Shylock reflects on historic intolerance, in A3 Antonio is imprisoned to the delight of Shylock, then in Act 4.1 no tolerance is shown during the trial of Antonio towards the prosecutor Shylock. 

Portia 

Shakespeare, in his problematic comedy, The Merchant of Venice Portia subverts expectations of a Shakespearean female. Portia in A1S2 is strong, feisty and determined, when she agrees to marry Bassanio she is more stereotypical and submissive, however, by the end in A1S1 she is strong and independent again.

The object of the paragraph was to show them how to analyse without using quotations and how to avoid just retelling the story. Hopefully, this will help them be more analytical and still use the knowledge of the play to good effect.

The four different introductions were to give them guidance on what they could include and to show them how knowing key scenes can help cross over.

Hope that this is useful.