DESPITE calls from some to scrap Shakespeare from schools, the Bard’s work remains, including with this tough GCSE question.
Those who can get this GCSE question about the tragic Scottish play, Macbeth correct have an 86 percent chance of passing their English exam.
Could you answer this English Literature exam question?[/caption]
As part of the English Literature GCSE, students are given an extract from the play with some accompanying questions.
In this instance, the extract is from Act 1, Scene 7 where Lady Macbeth is questioning her husband’s masculinity and his commitment to following through with his plan to murder King Duncan and assume the throne.
The extract
MACBETH
We will proceed no further in this business.
He hath honoured me of late, and I have bought
Golden opinions from all sorts of people,
Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,
Not cast aside so soon.
LADY MACBETH
Was the hope drunk?
Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?
And wakes it now to look so green and pale
At what it did so freely? From this time,
Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard
To be the same in thine own act and valour
As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own esteem,
Letting I dare not wait upon I would,
Like the poor cat i’th’adage?
MACBETH
Prithee, peace.
I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more is none.
LADY MACBETH
What beast was’t then
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man.
And to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man. Nor time, nor place
Did then adhere, and yet you would make both.
They have made themselves and that their fitness now
Does unmake you. I have given suck and know
How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me:
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums
And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn
As you have done to this.
MACBETH
If we should fail?
LADY MACBETH
We fail?
But screw your courage to the sticking-place,
And we’ll not fail.
The question
The GCSE question reads: “Starting with this extract, how does Lady Macbeth use language to manipulate her husband in the play?”
Students are then asked to write about how Lady Macbeth “persuades him to her point of view” and “how she uses her powers of persuasion in the rest of the play.”
Things to consider before coming up with your answer
One of the first things to do when trying to formulate a response, is to take a close look at the question, such as what are the key words?
You must also consider at what point in the play the conversation takes place and the impact it has on Macbeth and his future actions.
It is also important to take into consideration Lady Macbeth’s status and ability to persuade throughout the play.
Breaking down Lady Macbeth’s language
Now it’s time to go back and look more closely at what Lady Macbeth is saying, including how she uses her close relationship to Macbeth as a weapon.
In these three rhetorical questions, “Was the hope drunk/Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?” Lady Macbeth assaults a self-doubting Macbeth with an intense interrogation, barely giving him time to respond.
She also uses very emotive language such as “love” to highlight the couple’s bond and labels Macbeth a “coward” to wound his pride.
Lady Macbeth then deals a double blow to her husband’s pride when she questions his masculinity by saying, “When you durst do it, then you were a man. / And to be more than what you were, you would / Be so much more the man.”
The noble woman also points out that if Macbeth wants to make a move on the throne, the time to strike would be in that moment because, “They have made themselves,” and he need to take advantage of the opportunity.
She once again uses highly emotive language by saying she would be prepared to kill her own child, when she says “dashed the brains out,” sending a message to Macbeth that she is more brave and more committed to their murderous plan.
Lady Macbeth dismisses Macbeth when he raises concerns about a potential failure and tells him “we’ll not fail,” so long as he remains steadfast.
Writing the answer
Now that it’s time to put your thoughts into words, constructing a great answer is critical.
Begin with an introduction and context to the extract in question, including what the Macbeths have planned to do, what do we know about the characters at this point in the play and why Macbeth is showing hesitance about killing Duncan.
Once your intro is written, move on to explaining Lady Macbeth’s ability to persuade her husband to go ahead with their plan.
The next part of your answer should include how her power of persuasion affects Macbeth and the audience.
It is important to also provide context about Lady Macbeth and how else she uses persuasion throughout the play.
Finally, in your conclusion address what happens after Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to murder Duncan.
Assessment objectives
In order to get a good result on this exam question, getting the basics such as spelling, punctuation and grammar correct is essential.
But examiners will also look at how you develop your own opinions about the text and whether you have a clear understanding of it.
Other ways to get top marks is to explain what language Shakespeare has used, and why, but also to what may have motivated him to write this play.
The crown worn by actor Michael Fassbender in the film Macbeth (2025) is on display in the ‘Macbeth: An Exhibition’ at the Perth Museum, Scotland[/caption]
Who is Malcolm in Macbeth?
A key player in this tragedy, Malcolm is the character who speaks the last lines in Macbeth.
Malcolm is the son of King Duncan and heir to throne, and raises an army to overthrow Macbeth who stole the throne from him after murdering his father.
The character is based on the real historical king Malcolm III of Scotland and the fictional Malcolm represents order in the play.
Written by William Shakespeare, the play is called The Tragedy of Macbeth but often shortened down to Macbeth and tells the story of the toxic influence of political aspirations.
It was believed to have first been performed in 1606 when King James I, a patron of Shakespeare’s theatre, was on the throne and scholars believe the play made allusions to.