Take a look at our revision guide on characters for everything you need to know, including key quotations. Then fill in our characters worksheet to make sure you’ve come up with your own ideas to use in the exam. Once you’re feeling confident try some of the practice exam questions from AQA. 3) Focus on the themes This would have been seen as disturbing to a Jacobean audience and very unnatural, perhaps akin to the actions of a witch You should aim to eat healthily to help with your revision. Revision food includes whole grains, nuts, berries, and even dark chocolate. Other revision food suggestions are oily fish, eggs, dark leafy greens, peanut butter, green tea, and fresh fruit.

Throughout the play, Macbeth is tormented by thoughts of the evil things he has done. However, he is caught in a spiral of evil and does not seem able to stop himself. Presenter: Well, no one saw that coming. She’s decided she doesn’t need an actual ghost in that position at all. She’s made the audience think Macbeth’s totally lost his marbles. Oh, but what’s this? As with all exams, the most important element of your revision is practicing a lot of exam style questions. We’ve linked to AQA’s past and specimen papers above. Try all of the questions available and mark your own work using the mark schemes provided. You can then see what the examiner is looking for and get a really good idea of where you can improve your essay answers.After you’ve marked a question, take a break and then try writing an even better answer based on what you’ve learnt from the mark scheme. Its protagonist , Macbeth, is at first presented as a noble warrior and thane who is loyal to his king. However, a combination of his ambition, the prophecies of three malevolent witches and the encouragement of his equally ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth, sees him assassinate his king, Duncan, and ascend the throne himself. Examiners always praise students who clearly know the plot of the texts they are studying, as having this base of knowledge leads to the best exam responses. Below you will find:

Revision podcasts

Macbeth:“ The service and the loyalty I owe, in doing it, pays itself. Your highness’ part is to receive our duties; and our duties are to your throne and state children and servants, which do but what they should, by doing every thing safe toward your love and honour.”

The fact that she is commanding evil spirits shows her hubris : it is arrogant for humans to believe they can control evil forces They offer him three new prophecies: to “beware Macduff”; that “no man of woman born” can kill him; and that he won’t be defeated unless Birnam Wood starts marching on his castle The religious symbolism (“stars”, “light”, "Heaven”) suggests that both characters are aware of the significance and consequences (“Hell”) of committing regicideLady Macbeth and Macbeth both try to command and use the supernatural to achieve their ambitions. In the first quotation here, Lady Macbeth uses the imperative to command the supernatural to do as she wishes. An overwhelming sense of guilt leads Lady Macbeth to lose her mind, and hallucinate in her sleep. She kills herself (this happens off-stage) Shakespeare could be suggesting that in the act of murdering a king, he has murdered his own chance at peace – and perhaps eternal peace: Heaven Presenter: Hello, and welcome to The Big Scene. We’re at rehearsals for Macbeth , and scenes don’t get much bigger than this. It’s the clash with Banquo’s ghost and the director really needs the audience to appreciate Macbeth’s horror at seeing the ghost of his old best friend who he’s had murdered. This is a big challenge! Can she pull it off on this team’s budget?

Repeating your learning is the key to success. Use your summary notes to test yourself or revise for free on Seneca. The witches are presenting the audience with a paradox: a contradictory statement that suggests that the play will involve the themes of deception and appearance versus reality Macbeth has just spent a difficult time convincing himself that killing the King is wrong. He tells Lady Macbeth that he will not carry out the deed. Within the space of a couple of minutes she argues the case for Duncan’s death and Macbeth is, once again, set on murder. A “butcher” is someone who kills without feeling or remorse. Shakespeare is suggesting that, because of his ambition, Macbeth turned from noble general to common murdererMacbeth is reported as being a brave and noble warrior; he has just killed a traitor in battle, showing his loyalty to King Duncan The Macbeths host a banquet at their castle, but Macbeth hallucinates a vision of the murdered Banquo sitting at his place at the table King Duncan comes to stay the night at Macbeth’s castle. Lady Macbeth shares her plan to kill King Duncan that night. She will drug the guards outside the king’s room and when they are asleep Macbeth can kill the king.