Category Archives: Shakespeare

Notes on Hamlet, MacBeth, Othello and King Lear.

Macbeth post-show discussions

Posted on March 27, 2012 by | Comments Off on Macbeth post-show discussions

Here’s a link to post-show discussions with some of the actors from Second Age’s 2011 production of Macbeth:

http://soundcloud.com/secondage

Here are the post-show discussions from 2012

https://soundcloud.com/secondage-1/manipulation-macbeth-at-the

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Tips for Hamlet

Posted on February 5, 2012 by | Comments Off on Tips for Hamlet
[youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0CqUTmwKiM#!]
“I am having real trouble getting my ideas in order in Hamlet answers and writing strong opening and closing paragraphs…any advice that could help me please :)”
I’ve just received this email and I figure I might as well share my reply with all of you, as this is a common problem I come across. Often students know Act 1 of their Shakespearean play so well that they write over two pages on it. And then cram all of Act 2, 3, 4 and 5 into a page and a half. Not really a good idea.
So here is the reply I sent:
Hi _____,

Well first off, you are not alone. Mastering the skill of writing good introductions and conclusions is very difficult. It’s made worse by the fear of knowing that you MUST ENGAGE fully with the question – so you can have an idea of what you want to say in general if a question comes up on a particular theme or character but you cannot know exactly what words you’ll use until you see the question asked.
Last year for example lots of students were prepared for a question on the theme of revenge but they had to change their ‘prepared’ answer significantly because the question that came up asked to you discuss revenge and justice together. If they just wrote what they’d prepared and ignored the question they didn’t do very well.
Anyway, if you click here http://leavingcertenglish.net/2011/04/hamlet-plot/ you can download a couple of sample paragraphs on specific Hamlet questions.
Also if you follow the rules here http://leavingcertenglish.net/2011/12/introductions-conclusions/ but apply them to the play instead of the poetry you should get a clear sense of what actually goes into an introduction and a conclusion.
If you want to get your ideas in order write down this checklist when brainstorming ideas. It doesn’t work for some questions (e.g. specific question on Ophelia or a question on soliloquies) but for most questions on Hamlet, general theme questions or open questions on the entire play it might come in handy.
10 most important ‘checkpoints’ in Hamlet
1. Court scene
2. Ghost scene
3. Nunnery scene
4. Player’s play
5. Prayer scene
6. Closet scene
7. Ophelia’s madness
8. Laertes return / manipulation by Claudius
9. Graveyard scene
10. Final scene
Hope that helps!
Evelyn

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Hamlet’s soliloquies

Posted on January 24, 2012 by | Comments Off on Hamlet’s soliloquies

I don’t propose to offer a lengthy discussion of every soliloquy in the play. You can do that yourself. Or google it!

Rather, I’d like you to consider the following:

There are 7 soliloquies delivered by Hamlet and one by Claudius.

The purpose of the soliloquies is to reveal more about the thoughts, feelings, personality and mindset of the central character(s).

In the case of Hamlet, without the soliloquies, his behavior would make absolutely no sense. His father has been murdered and then reappears in the form of a ghost, ordering him to get revenge, restore order to the Kingdom and claim what is rightfully his – the throne. So if we weren’t aware of the moral and emotional turmoil going on inside his heart and soul, if we didn’t know that his mind was a constant battleground, we would not sit through this play. In fact we would probably boo at the central character and possibly even start taunting him for his inaction and cowardice.

Bearing all of this in mind, in the case of each soliloquy you could do the following:

CONTEXTUALISE – when is it delivered? What happens immediately beforehand? Does this prompt the ‘outburst’ of the soliloquy?

ANALYSE – what exactly is revealed from what the character says in each soliloquy? In the case of Hamlet we see that he is

(a) highly self-critical (this links in to the idea that he is a very self-aware tragic hero – unlike Lear, Hamlet is aware of his fatal flaw from the outset)

(b) morally aware (this links in to the idea that he is a very noble person whose delay is partially due to his desire to ‘do the right thing’ (he double-checks that Claudius is actually guilty) and partially due to his profound sense that violence is wrong (even if he would be obeying a powerful code of honor and revenge when engaging in this violence).

(c) deeply philosophical (his tendency to over-think things leads to his suicidal depression and also contributes to his inaction. One benefit emerges, however, in the beauty of the language created by Shakespeare to consider some of the greatest moral, spiritual and philosophical ideas known to humankind. Without these soliloquies the world would be a lesser place. And I mean that sincerely).

PERSONALISE

Can you identify the effect of Hamlet’s soliloquies on the audience? Most obviously, they allow us to identify him as the ‘hero’ of the play. Secondly they give us an insight into his thoughts and thus allow us to understand him on a deep level – otherwise we’d just be shouting ‘get on with it’ at the stage and possibly throwing things too! Finally, they allow us to sympathize with his plight, even to emphatise on some levels – yes I know none of us have ever had to avenge our father’s murder and kill our Uncle for shagging our mother, but we can emphatise with the idea of feeling obliged, even compelled to do something but being unable to muster up the will to actually do it (generally speaking that might be washing dishes, doing homework or breaking up with someone. Not quite as dramatic as what poor Hamlet is going through).

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Macbeth intro&concl.

Posted on December 6, 2011 by | 4 comments

Introduction = road map.

Destination = question you have been asked.

Plan your route (brainstorm).

Let examiner know what directions you’ll take.

“During the play, Macbeth loses but ultimately regains our sympathy”

You must immediately address the question. Don’t simply agree 100% with the question – give a more balanced & detailed response:

“There is no doubt that our sympathy for Macbeth ebbs and flows throughout the play. (1) Initially, I had mixed feelings about his character – although a valiant soldier he also seemed to relish violence. (2) Following the murders of Duncan and (3) Banquo my sympathy for him declined at first but then reappeared in the face of his profound remorse. (4) However his brutal tyranny as King and his unnecessary murders of Lady Macduff and her children annihilated any sympathy I had left. (5) He never fully regained my sympathy, despite delivering a very moving speech upon hearing news of Lady Macbeth’s death”. (6) (Also discuss how the play ends)

Conclusion = highlights of your journey.

•Don’t give a summary of the story. Don’t introduce new information.

•Repeat the main idea (thesis) you’ve developed in your answer–but rephrase. Be wary of repeating exactly what you said in the introduction – change your phrasing if you repeat an idea.

•Sum up the major things you’ve learned from studying this aspect of the play.

•Show how what you have said has proven and/or disproven the question.

CONCLUSION: “Thus I only partially agree with the statement that “Macbeth loses but ultimately regains our sympathy”. His increasingly violent, volatile and reckless behaviour made it more and more difficult for me to sympathise with him, so in that sense he did lose my sympathy completely, particularly following the murders of Lady Macduff and her children. I can identify with his suicidal despair when his wife dies, and his reluctance to commit any more crimes when Macduff challenges him to fight. However, he never fully regained my sympathy because I couldn’t excuse the way he brought Scotland to its knees. Ultimately, his death seemed a fitting punishment for the bloody tyranny of his reign as King”.

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Macbeth Questions

Posted on November 26, 2011 by | 9 comments

The kind of questions that come up fall into three broad categories:

  • Character questions
  • Theme questions
  • Style questions

1. Characters:

The main aspects of Macbeth’s character you need to know are:

  • External factors that lead to his downfall -LadyMacbeth&Witches.
  • Internal factors that lead to his downfall – ambition & self-interest.
  • Macbeth’s soliloquies
  • The audience‘s reaction to and levels of sympathy for Macbeth.
  • His relationship with his wife Lady Macbeth.
  • His behaviour as King / tyrant!

You must also be able to discuss the following characters:

  • Lady Macbeth – as a person in her own right, her relationship with her husband & our reaction to & levels of sympathy for her.
  • Duncan – as a King & as one of the “good” characters in the play.
  • Banquo – as a person in his own right and as a “foil” to Macbeth.
  • The Witches – their role in the play & influence over Macbeth.
  • Minor characters – Macduff, Malcolm, Edward (Kings/good guys!)

You can be asked a general question in which you’d discuss several characters. For example: “The play presents a dark and pessimistic view of humanity”.

2. Themes:

  • Kingship & power
  • Good vs. Evil
  • Justice vs Injustice
  • Appearance vs. Reality
  • Supernatural

3. Style:

  • Imagery – blood, animal & clothing imagery
  • Relevance to a modern audience
  • Compelling drama

Here are some specific exam questions but remember that you won’t know the exact question until you open up the exam paper. You are being asked to respond to the statement – discuss to what extent you agree and/or disagree with it. Don’t just bluntly begin by saying “I agree 100% with this statement” – this is predictable and shows an inability to offer a nuanced analysis of the play/statement. You must support all points you make by quotation from and reference to the play.

CHARACTERS:

“Ambition and self-interest are the qualities that destroy Macbeth”

“Shakespeare’s Macbeth invites us to look into the world of a man driven on by ruthless ambition and tortured by regret”

“Macbeth’s murder of Duncan has horrible consequences both for Macbeth himself and for Scotland”

“Macbeth’s soliloquies are essential in order to retain audience sympathy for the central character”

“The variety of significant insights that we gain into Macbeth’s mind proves critical in shaping our understanding of his complex character.”

“The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth undergoes significant change during the course of the play”

“The relationship between Macbeth and his wife is ultimately a destructive one”

“Their partnership in guilt, which at the beginning of the play is a strong bond between them, gradually drives Macbeth and his wife apart, until they go down to their seperate dooms, isolated and alone”

“We feel little pity for the central characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play”

“While there are some redeeming features in the character of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a ruthless opportunist, whose ambition for her husband supercedes all moral considerations”

“Lady Macbeth is responsible for the fall of her husband”

“Lady Macbeth is no monster, she is a loyal though misguided wife, not without tenderness and not without conscience”

“The witches in Macbeth are malevolent creatures, who originate deeds of blood and have power over the soul”

“The witches add little to the play Macbeth”

“Banquo is a good and loyal man, but even he is not above temptation”

“Shakespeare is more interested in dramatic effects than in presenting characters who are psychologically consistent”

“The play presents a dark and pessimistic view of humanity”

“The ‘good’ characters in Macbeth are drab and uninspiring, whilst the flawed characters are absolutely fascinating”

THEMES:

“Essentially the play Macbeth is about power, it’s use and abuse”

“Kingship, with all its potential for good and evil, is a major theme in the play Macbeth”

“In the play Macbeth, evil is depicted in a far more interesting way than virtue”

“In Macbeth, Shakespeare presents us with a powerful vision of evil”

“The eternal struggle between good and evil – a struggle in which evil comes close to victory – is the central theme in the play”

“From the opening moments, the play is dominated by the themes of corruption and death”

“The theme of the supernatural adds a malevolent air of mystery to the play Macbeth”

“In the play Macbeth, appearances often mask a disturbing reality”

STYLE:

“Macbeth has all the ingredients of compelling drama”

“Centuries after it was written, the play Macbeth remains highly relevant for a modern audience”

“Choose a scene which you consider to be the most dramatic in the play and justify your choice”

“The imagery in Macbeth adds greatly to our experience of the play”

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