1
Oba Oyekunle
April 16, 2020
English
DIRT TASK
1. Annotate the Model Essay
a. A strong Argument
b. A developed inference with an evaluation of the purpose of the writer
c. Evaluation of contextual relevance
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Shakespeare's Exploration of Leadership and Power in Macbeth, Study notes of English Language
This document delves into Shakespeare's portrayal of leadership and the corrupting influence of power in Macbeth. The author discusses how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are initially drawn to the glamour and prestige of power but fail to consider the consequences, leading to their moral decline. The text also explores how power can change individuals and the role of The Three Witches in manipulating Macbeth's decisions.
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Oba Oyekunle April 16, 2020 English DIRT TASK
- Annotate the Model Essay a. A strong Argument b. A developed inference with an evaluation of the purpose of the writer c. Evaluation of contextual relevance
- Write the next paragraph of the incomplete essay (see on powerpoint attached). Select a quote from the extract. Ensure this links to the argument in the opening. Make sure to cover AO2 and AO3. Use bullet points on the the next slide. How does Shakespeare present leadership in Macbeth? Shakespeare explores the dangerous consequences of poor judgement in leadership; from early on in the play, Shakespeare uses the characters of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth as puppets who see the positives, the glamour and prestige of a position of leadership, but do not see the consequences that the poor decisions that they take in order to secure this leadership, will have on their relationships and mental health. Through these characters, Shakespeare could be demonstrating that leadership is a learning journey – to be an effective leader, you must have a strong sense of moral compass and therefore make the right decisions for the right reasons. Whilst the character of Macbeth is shown to evidence this early on in the play through the slaying of the enemy of MacDonwald, his moral compass becomes quickly clouded by personal ambition of the lust for power. This therefore prevents Macbeth from remaining a strong and moral leader, and rather he becomes conflicted, bloodthirsty and a tyrant. This directly contrasts with the characters of Malcolm and Macduff who present a more realistic perspective of leadership – in Act 4, where Malcolm acknowledges his own faults as opposed to ignoring them. This may have stemmed from a role model at the time, Queen Elizabeth I, who did not always make the easy decision
- she chose not to marry so she could be better committed to her country, and she chose to accept Protestants and Catholics alike. She acknowledged that many would see her femininity as a weakness and therefore encouraged her to strengthen herself through marriage. Her refusal to do so, was a very unpopular decision at the time, but resulted in her reign being the most peaceful to that date. Shakespeare suggests that with power comes great responsibility – to be a great leader, one must carry this responsibility with grace and humility – traits which Macbeth does not possess.
- State the five main points I will be writing about.
PARAGRAPH ONE to FIVE
- Discuss each point in each paragraph
- S: A statement of the first point that I want to talk about
- Q: Find the best quotes to support my point o "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis!/ All hail, Macbeth!/ hail to thee, thane of/ Cawdor!/ All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter." o “Or be alive again,/And dare me to the desert with thy sword./If trembling I inhabit then, protest me/The baby girl”. o “Hence, horrible shadow!/ Unreal mockery, hence!” o “Think of this, good peers,/ But as a thing of custom. ‘Tis no other.” o “Bleed bleed, poor country!/Great tyranny, lay thou thy basis/…I would not be the villain that thou/think’st/for the whole space that’s in the tyrant’s grasp, and the rich East to boot”.
- I: Infer what the quote is telling us/me
- Z: Zoom in on one word of phrase from the quote and explain further. Explain how this word helps to supports my point and what is the importance of this word.
- E: What is the effect that the quote has on the reader and why does Shakespeare choose to do this and why the author is trying to have this effect on the reader or the audience? With additional links to context
CONCLUSION
- In this final paragraph, I will summarise everything I have written in the body of my essay in a few sentences in my own words.
- I will relate back to my thesis statement (my points)
- I will ask question like: o Why do I think the author did this? o What effect does this have on the reader/audience in my opinion
- Write about the importance of what I have written in the body of my essay and linking to context
- Complete your individual DIRT task you each been set on your leadership essay. -------------------------------
- Complete a full essay on POWER in Macbeth. Use the extract and model plan to guide you (on powerpoint attached).
Power is a fluctuating, complicated and fought after thing. If it is put to good use, it could lead to great things like fighting for a cause, helping the needy or giving someone the ability to accomplish great things; however if it is used badly, power can corrupt, destroy or remove virtue from nations, families or individuals. Although power can be a force that drives great things, it can also feed evil, egotism and greed. Power has the ability to change people in ways that may be incomprehensible; making someone so greedy that they may do anything to obtain it and they won’t let anyone, or anything stand in their way. If someone rises with power, that power can be intoxicating and if placed in the hands of someone who can’t control it could ignite ideas and actions of greed that lay dormant in their minds and could lead to corruption. This is especially true in the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. The corruption of a person through power can be seen throughout the play, Macbeth. In this 17th century play; power is a key theme which is reflected in many of the characters. William Shakespeare explores the destructive impact of power through the downfall of the main characters. Macbeth was written shortly after James VI of Scotland took the English throne. It is a story about the supernatural, murder and vengeance; a play of morality, which warns its audience against the dangers of ambitious power. The main character Macbeth is someone whose ambition results in his descent from power. This echoes biblical stories which the Jacobean audience would be accustomed to; however, the play also conveys a great fear of feminine power, which is seen in the character Lady Macbeth. Each main character throughout the play is touched by some sort of power. Shakespeare explores the use and gain of power through The Three Witches, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo and Macduff; all of which hold power at some point during the play, contributing to the end result and fate of all of the characters. Excellent – high level introduction!
In the beginning of the play The Three Witches show their immense power over the thoughts and actions of Macbeth. The Three Witches manipulate Macbeth early in the play by strongly influencing his decisions. They tell Macbeth his fate after a battle; "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis!/ All hail, Macbeth!/ hail to
friend Banquo. Later Macbeth receives news about Banquo’s death and his joy is short lived because when Macbeth starts to see the ghost of Banquo. “Hence, horrible shadow!/ Unreal mockery, hence!” Macbeth is horrified and scared of the ghost, but not only that, he uses the word, “mockery”, which is interesting because this suggests that the ghost is mocking him by pulling at his conscience, making him feel guilty Macbeth has killed many times in battle, but this type of murder is different and he feels guilty for what he has done; it is literally haunting him.
Apart from The Three Witches, Lady Macbeth holds the most power in the play; she is strong and ruthless. Her power over her relationship with Macbeth corrupts her thoughts and actions as it becomes apparent in her savageness, ability to conceive her emotions. She acts like a perfect housewife at the dinner party, even when Macbeth acts crazy when he sees Banquo’s ghost. As seen from the extract, she keeps calm saying, “Think of this, good peers,/ But as a thing of custom. ‘Tis no other.” She does everything to cover up the actions of her husband calling his actions a “thing of custom”, suggesting that Macbeth always acts this way and they should not think that anything weird is going on. She is manipulative by keeping a perfect façade of an innocent, gentle host at the dinner party, dressed in a white gown. However, she is deceiving everybody because she wants to keep the plan in motion for her husband to become king. Lady Macbeth is aware her husband is too noble and innocent to hurt an individual for his own personal gain. She knows she will have to persuade Macbeth to murder Duncan in order for him to become king. Lady Macbeth uses the idea of manhood to manipulate her husband, knowing that in his desperate attempt to prove his manhood he will do anything she tells him. Lady Macbeth had a great deal of powers over Macbeth; the power that she possesses is more “manly” quality than Macbeth. Macbeth is a play that explores the nature of masculine and feminine power. Lady Macbeth becomes the psychological force over her husband in order to provoke the scheme of the violent deed and by doing so deprives Macbeth of his masculine power. The characterisation of the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth reveals an anxiety of female power as manipulative and subversive. Shakespeare may have done this to reveal to his Jacobean audience the true powers that women have; deception and cunning. As well as the dangers of this – female power as corruptive? Link to context – consider stereotypical perceptions about female empowerment?
The final character from Macbeth that that Shakespeare presents power is through the character Macduff. Macduff is different from the previous characters. He is Macbeth’s major opponent because he knows what is right from wrong. Macduff never seems to want any sort of power or the crown for himself. All he wants is to see the rightful king on the throne. He refuses to attend Macbeth’s crowning or put in an appearance at Macbeth’s feast just to keep up appearances. Macduff’s honesty is revealed when he is tested by Malcom in Act 4, Scene 3. Macduff is worried about the fate of Scotland if Macbeth stays in power, “Bleed bleed, poor country!/Great tyranny, lay thou thy basis/…I would not be the villain that thou/think’st/for the whole space that’s in the tyrant’s grasp, and the rich East to boot”. Macduff serves as a balancer of power in the play because in the end he brings down Macbeth’s tyranny. It is particularly striking then Macduff says, “I would not be the villain” because this shows that Macduff is the opposite of Macbeth and does not seek power at all. However he is given the power to destroy Macbeth’s power and transfer that power to Malcolm. When Macduff hears of the murder of his wife and children, he is able to convert his pain into a burning desire for righteous revenge. He is an example of what a ideal nobleman good king would need in order to succeed; by being humble, and not wanting power; all he wants is justice and fairness. thoughtful example!
These examples show that power can corrupt; apart from the last one. Power is something that if placed in the wrong hands, can corrupt. As I have shown in this essay power changes people and it is mostly for the worst, but that this isn’t true in all cases what is the difference between power which can be used as a positive force as opposed to destructive? Macbeth started his rise towards power by committing serious murders and killing the king, which set off the chain reaction bringing justice back on him. Power, like a disease, pollutes whatever it touches; this statement demonstrates the cruelty in human nature and was displayed throughout Macbeth. Too much power concentrated in the hands of one person leads to dictatorship and ends with bad consequences. The end of the play restores order when Macbeth loses his power and Malcolm becomes king. Macbeth was unable to control power and responsibilities of being king. His drive for power and maintaining his power was the reason for his downfall. He was once a good man and a brave soldier, but because the influences from the three witches and his wife he was bound for ill faith; added to this list is the short-sighted view for absolute powers.