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You can also offer an interpretation that stays closer to the original play's contexts and still speak to a modern audience. To do this, you need to look closely at the social, cultural and historical context of the time when the play was written.

is a play about an ancient Scottish king who turns to evil in the pursuit of power. He accepts that he must commit murder if he is to seize the throne. The real historical figure was not nearly as bad but Shakespeare was trying to win favour for his theatre company by pleasing the new king, James I. He succeeded in doing this by including the following themes in the play:

its Scottish setting

making Macbeth evil and Banquo, whom James thought of as his ancestor, virtuous

using witchcraft in the play as the King had written a book on witchcraft and considered himself something of an expert.

Witchcraft was something that was taken very seriously during this period. You'd be missing the point if you criticised the inclusion of witchcraft in the play as silly or childish. You might have comments to make about how it was presented but it wouldn't be fair to criticise its presence in the play.

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Social, historical and cultural context in Macbeth - The world of the play - GCSE Drama Revision - BBC Bitesize

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You can also offer an interpretation that stays closer to the original play's contexts and still speak to a modern audience. To do this, you need to look closely at the social, cultural and historical context of the time when the play was written.

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Although there is clearly more than one of them, the Witches may be seen as seem as a single character; they are often referred to as "The Weird Sisters".

Their predictions drive matters forward though they never actually suggest direct action. Rather, they plant ideas in Macbeth's mind and let his ambition do the rest. Many of their predictions are ambiguousambiguous Something that could be interpreted in more than one way. .

How are the Witches like this?

Evidence

Analysis

Supernatural

The Witches are clearly unlike any other characters in the play. Their physical appearance, their style of speech, their actions and their apparent ability to predict the future sets them apart from the humans they seek to control.

Round about the cauldron go; / In, the poisoned entrails throw. / Toad, that under cold stone / Days and nights hast thirty-one / Sweltered venom sleeping got, / Boil thou first i'th'charmèd pot. / Double, double, toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. (Act 4 Scene 1)

The Witches meet around one of the most well-known symbols of witchcraft - a cauldron. Into this they throw all manner of foul and evil objects ('poisoned entrails') and cast a spell. Although it is not clear what the spell is for, it is obvious they are up to no good. The Witches' chant is in a different rhythm to the way the other characters speak - this also suggests their supernatural nature.

Ambiguous

When the Witches make their predictions, they only say what will happen and not how it will happen. Macbeth falls into their trap and believes that he is safer than he actually is.

THIRD APPARITION: Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care / Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are. / Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill / Shall come against him. MACBETH: That will never be. (Act 4 Scene 1)

The Witches have conjured up three ghostly visions that make ambiguous predictions. Macbeth is told that he need not fear anything ('take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are') until a forest of trees uproots itself and moves. As this seems to be a physical impossibility Macbeth instantly dismisses it ever happening ('That will never be'). The prediction will come true - but not quite in the way Macbeth expects.

Supernatural

How are the Witches like this?

The Witches are clearly unlike any other characters in the play. Their physical appearance, their style of speech, their actions and their apparent ability to predict the future sets them apart from the humans they seek to control.

Evidence

Round about the cauldron go; / In, the poisoned entrails throw. / Toad, that under cold stone / Days and nights hast thirty-one / Sweltered venom sleeping got, / Boil thou first i'th'charmèd pot. / Double, double, toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. (Act 4 Scene 1)

Analysis

The Witches meet around one of the most well-known symbols of witchcraft - a cauldron. Into this they throw all manner of foul and evil objects ('poisoned entrails') and cast a spell. Although it is not clear what the spell is for, it is obvious they are up to no good. The Witches' chant is in a different rhythm to the way the other characters speak - this also suggests their supernatural nature.

Ambiguous

How are the Witches like this?

When the Witches make their predictions, they only say what will happen and not how it will happen. Macbeth falls into their trap and believes that he is safer than he actually is.

Evidence

THIRD APPARITION: Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care / Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are. / Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill / Shall come against him. MACBETH: That will never be. (Act 4 Scene 1)

Analysis

The Witches have conjured up three ghostly visions that make ambiguous predictions. Macbeth is told that he need not fear anything ('take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are') until a forest of trees uproots itself and moves. As this seems to be a physical impossibility Macbeth instantly dismisses it ever happening ('That will never be'). The prediction will come true - but not quite in the way Macbeth expects.

More guides on this topic

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The Witches in Macbeth - Characters - AQA - GCSE English Literature Revision - AQA - BBC Bitesize

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Revise and learn about the characters in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth with BBC Bitesize GCSE English Literature (AQA).

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Lady Macbeth is even more ambitious and ruthless than her husband. As soon as an opportunity to gain power presents itself, she has a plan in mind. She uses her influence to persuade Macbeth that they are taking the right course of action and even takes part in the crime herself.

For a while she is able to suppress her actions but eventually she becomes unable to deal with the guilt of what she has done. She becomes unable to sleep, and mentally unstable, eventually dying in tragic circumstances.

How is Lady Macbeth like this?

Evidence

Analysis

Ambitious

Lady Macbeth is, perhaps, even more determined than her husband. She can only be Queen if he becomes King so when he hesitates she displays enough ambition for both of them . Once she has worked out a plan, nothing will turn her from that course until her ambition is fulfilled.

Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be / What thou art promised; yet do I fear thy nature, / It is too full o'th'milk of human kindness / To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, / Art not without ambition, but without / The illness should attend it . (Act 1 Scene 5)

Lady Macbeth's determination to succeed is clear here. She is insistent that Macbeth will become King ('shalt be what thou art promised') However, she recognises that he is 'too full o'th'milk of human kindness' and that this could stand in their way. It is interesting that she describes the necessary ruthless streak as an 'illness'. This suggests that even at this stage she knows what she is doing is wrong.

Cunning

To the outside world, Lady Macbeth seems like the ideal supportive wife but this is part of her ability to be deceptive. When Macbeth expresses doubts, she uses every trick she can think of to make sure he carries out their plan to murder Duncan. When he hesitates, she is there to urge Macbeth on.

All our service, / In every point twice done and then done double, / Were poor and single business to contend / Against those honours deep and broad wherewith / Your majesty loads our house. (Act 1 Scene 6)

Lady Macbeth welcomes Duncan to her home and flatters him so that he will not suspect a thing. She almost overdoes it when she exaggerates 'In every point twice done and then done double' . The word 'double' also links Lady Macbeth to the evil of the witches - they use the word repeatedly in one of their spells.

Conscience-stricken

Lady Macbeth seems to go from being someone with no conscience at all to someone who is overwhelmed by feelings of guilt. She cannot bear to think of what she has done and eventually dies alone and unmourned even by her husband.

Out, damned spot! Out, I say! One, two. Why then 'tis time to do't. Hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear? Who knows it, when none can call our power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him? (Act 5 Scene 1)

As the guilt-stricken Lady Macbeth sleepwalks, she remembers all the evil things she and her husband have done and tries to wash imaginary blood from her hands (Out, damned spot: out, I say!). In particular, she recalls the night of Duncan's murder and the part she played in persuading her husband to act. She is also aware that she will be going to hell for her sins.

Social and historical context

In both Shakespeare's time and in the time when the play takes place, women had a much lower status than would be the case today. Wives were little more than the property of their husbands and had no legal rights. Their main purpose was to have children and support their menfolk. Lady Macbeth appears to be a much more feisty character with ambitions and desires of her own; these are characteristics that could imply a lack of femininity. It is worth remembering that in the original performances of the play the part of Lady Macbeth would have been played by a man and this would have helped to emphasise the character's masculine qualities.

Analysing the evidence

Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull Of direst cruelty: make thick my blood, Stop up th'access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Th'effect and it. Come to my woman's breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on nature's mischief. (Act 1 Scene 5)

Question

What are we told here about Lady Macbeth's character?

Reveal answer

How to analyse the quote:
" Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull Of direst cruelty : make thick my blood. Stop up th'access and passage to remorse , That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Th'effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers , Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on nature's mischief." (Act 1 Scene 5)

'Come, you spirits' / 'Come...you murd'ring ministers' - Lady Macbeth feels powerful enough to summon and command evil spirits

'unsex me' - she asks for her feminine qualities to be removed

'direst cruelty' / 'Stop up th'access and passage to remorse' - she wants any feelings for others she might have replaced with absolute wickedness and doesn't wish to feel sympathy for others

'fell purpose' - the most important thing to her is achieving her ambition

How to use this in an essay:
Lady Macbeth has just learned her husband's news about the Witches' predictions and that King Duncan will be staying with them that very night. In a scene of shocking ambition she calls upon the powers of evil to assist her ( 'Come, you spirits' / 'Come ... you murd'ring ministers' ). In this respect she is very much like the Witches casting a spell to summon up evil spirits. She feels that the most important thing for her to achieve is her 'fell purpose' and will stop at nothing to accomplish this. She even wishes to remove her own feminine qualities ( 'unsex me' ) and trade 'remorse' for 'direst cruelty' . All of this would have been doubly shocking to Shakespeare's original audience because it was spoken by a woman.

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Lady Macbeth in Macbeth - Characters - AQA - GCSE English Literature Revision - AQA - BBC Bitesize

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1 2 3 4 5 6 Page 3of 6 Lady Macbeth is even more ambitious and ruthless than her husband. As soon as an opportunity to gain power presents itself, she has a plan in mind. She uses her influence to persuade Macbeth that they are taking the right course of action and even takes part in the crime herself.

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Banquo is another general in King Duncan's army and Macbeth's best friend. While both men have ambitious thoughts, Banquo is more cautious and does not resort to murder to get what he wants.

Banquo is aware that the Witches' predictions may be tricking Macbeth into evil actions and is the first to suspect Macbeth of murder. He dies while protecting his son, Fleance, and comes back as a ghost to haunt Macbeth.

How is Banquo like this?

Evidence

Analysis

Noble

Banquo is in many ways Macbeth's opposite. He is kind and caring, loyal and trustworthy. Like Macbeth he fights bravely for King Duncan but does not involve himself with the murder plot. When he and Fleance are attacked his first thought is to keep his son safe. Banquo displays all the character traits that go to make up someone who would be regarded as a truly noble person.

Our fears in Banquo /Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature /Reigns that which would be feared. 'Tis much he dares, /And to that dauntless temper of his mind, /He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour /To act in safety. There is none but he /Whose being I do fear.(Act 3 Scene 1)

Macbeth considers what it is about Banquo that gives him cause for concern. He states that Banquo has a 'royalty of nature' or nobility about him which actually makes Macbeth afraid of him. He also acknowledges that Banquo has 'valour' (bravery) and 'wisdom' without feeling the need to take unnecessary risks.

Questioning

Banquo seems far less ready to believe the Witches than Macbeth and is suspicious of their motives. He realises that the things they predict/suggest may cause his friend to come to harm. Although, like Macbeth, he is ambitious, he thinks more carefully about the consequences of any action.

That, trusted home, /Might yet enkindle you unto the crown, /Besides the Thane of Cawdor. But 'tis strange, /And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, /The instruments of darkness tell us truths; /Win us with honest trifles, to betray's /In deepest consequence.(Act 1 Scene 3)

Having listened to the Witches' predictions, Banquo recognises that Macbeth has been given the spark that will have lit up his ambitious streak ('enkindle'). He also realises that the predictions are temptations which only reveal part of the truth ('honest trifles'). This is in order to set a trap for something of greater significance ('to betray's in deepest consequence').

Noble

How is Banquo like this?

Banquo is in many ways Macbeth's opposite. He is kind and caring, loyal and trustworthy. Like Macbeth he fights bravely for King Duncan but does not involve himself with the murder plot. When he and Fleance are attacked his first thought is to keep his son safe. Banquo displays all the character traits that go to make up someone who would be regarded as a truly noble person.

Evidence

Our fears in Banquo /Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature /Reigns that which would be feared. 'Tis much he dares, /And to that dauntless temper of his mind, /He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour /To act in safety. There is none but he /Whose being I do fear.(Act 3 Scene 1)

Analysis

Macbeth considers what it is about Banquo that gives him cause for concern. He states that Banquo has a 'royalty of nature' or nobility about him which actually makes Macbeth afraid of him. He also acknowledges that Banquo has 'valour' (bravery) and 'wisdom' without feeling the need to take unnecessary risks.

Questioning

How is Banquo like this?

Banquo seems far less ready to believe the Witches than Macbeth and is suspicious of their motives. He realises that the things they predict/suggest may cause his friend to come to harm. Although, like Macbeth, he is ambitious, he thinks more carefully about the consequences of any action.

Evidence

That, trusted home, /Might yet enkindle you unto the crown, /Besides the Thane of Cawdor. But 'tis strange, /And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, /The instruments of darkness tell us truths; /Win us with honest trifles, to betray's /In deepest consequence.(Act 1 Scene 3)

Analysis

Having listened to the Witches' predictions, Banquo recognises that Macbeth has been given the spark that will have lit up his ambitious streak ('enkindle'). He also realises that the predictions are temptations which only reveal part of the truth ('honest trifles'). This is in order to set a trap for something of greater significance ('to betray's in deepest consequence').

More guides on this topic

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Banquo in Macbeth - Characters - AQA - GCSE English Literature Revision - AQA - BBC Bitesize

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Revise and learn about the characters in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth with BBC Bitesize GCSE English Literature (AQA).

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Although there is clearly more than one of them, the Witches may be seen as seem as a single character; they are often referred to as "The Weird Sisters".

Their predictions drive matters forward though they never actually suggest direct action. Rather, they plant ideas in Macbeth's mind and let his ambition do the rest. Many of their predictions are ambiguousambiguous Something that could be interpreted in more than one way. .

How are the Witches like this?

Evidence

Analysis

Supernatural

The Witches are clearly unlike any other characters in the play. Their physical appearance, their style of speech, their actions and their apparent ability to predict the future sets them apart from the humans they seek to control.

Round about the cauldron go; / In, the poisoned entrails throw. / Toad, that under cold stone / Days and nights hast thirty-one / Sweltered venom sleeping got, / Boil thou first i'th'charmèd pot. / Double, double, toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. (Act 4 Scene 1)

The Witches meet around one of the most well-known symbols of witchcraft - a cauldron. Into this they throw all manner of foul and evil objects ('poisoned entrails') and cast a spell. Although it is not clear what the spell is for, it is obvious they are up to no good. The Witches' chant is in a different rhythm to the way the other characters speak - this also suggests their supernatural nature.

Ambiguous

When the Witches make their predictions, they only say what will happen and not how it will happen. Macbeth falls into their trap and believes that he is safer than he actually is.

THIRD APPARITION: Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care / Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are. / Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill / Shall come against him. MACBETH: That will never be. (Act 4 Scene 1)

The Witches have conjured up three ghostly visions that make ambiguous predictions. Macbeth is told that he need not fear anything ('take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are') until a forest of trees uproots itself and moves. As this seems to be a physical impossibility Macbeth instantly dismisses it ever happening ('That will never be'). The prediction will come true - but not quite in the way Macbeth expects.

Supernatural

How are the Witches like this?

The Witches are clearly unlike any other characters in the play. Their physical appearance, their style of speech, their actions and their apparent ability to predict the future sets them apart from the humans they seek to control.

Evidence

Round about the cauldron go; / In, the poisoned entrails throw. / Toad, that under cold stone / Days and nights hast thirty-one / Sweltered venom sleeping got, / Boil thou first i'th'charmèd pot. / Double, double, toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. (Act 4 Scene 1)

Analysis

The Witches meet around one of the most well-known symbols of witchcraft - a cauldron. Into this they throw all manner of foul and evil objects ('poisoned entrails') and cast a spell. Although it is not clear what the spell is for, it is obvious they are up to no good. The Witches' chant is in a different rhythm to the way the other characters speak - this also suggests their supernatural nature.

Ambiguous

How are the Witches like this?

When the Witches make their predictions, they only say what will happen and not how it will happen. Macbeth falls into their trap and believes that he is safer than he actually is.

Evidence

THIRD APPARITION: Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care / Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are. / Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill / Shall come against him. MACBETH: That will never be. (Act 4 Scene 1)

Analysis

The Witches have conjured up three ghostly visions that make ambiguous predictions. Macbeth is told that he need not fear anything ('take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are') until a forest of trees uproots itself and moves. As this seems to be a physical impossibility Macbeth instantly dismisses it ever happening ('That will never be'). The prediction will come true - but not quite in the way Macbeth expects.

More guides on this topic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Witches in Macbeth - Characters - AQA - GCSE English Literature Revision - AQA - BBC Bitesize

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Revise and learn about the characters in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth with BBC Bitesize GCSE English Literature (AQA).

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Themes are ideas that run all the way through a literary text. By analysing them you can better understand the writer's intentions. What choices have they made? Why? What are they trying to get the reader to think and feel? Analysing themes allows you to write in detail about a literary text.

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Macbeth - Themes overview - Themes - AQA - GCSE English Literature Revision - AQA - BBC Bitesize

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Themes are ideas that run all the way through a literary text. By analysing them you can better understand the writer's intentions. What choices have they made? Why? What are they trying to get the reader to think and feel? Analysing themes allows you to write in detail about a literary text.

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[Shakespeare: The Animated Tales] Macbeth

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The quotations are annotated for you.

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The Quotation Bank: Macbeth GCSE Revision and Study Guide for English Literature 9-1

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Focusing on the core assessment objectives for GCSE English Literature 9-1, The Quotation Bank takes 25 of the most important quotations from the text and provides detailed material for each quotation, covering interpretations, literary techniques and detailed analysis. Also included is a sample ...

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Macbeth episode 1 - Choice - GCSE English RevisionPod - Podcast

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A man governed by fate or an ambitious demon who makes his own choices? But enough about Mr Forster, today we are looking at an essay about choice in 'Macbeth'. You will also learn about ou... - Listen to Macbeth episode 1 - Choice by GCSE English RevisionPod instantly on your tablet, phone or browser - no downloads needed.

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Macbeth episode 1 - Choice - GCSE English RevisionPod

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A great resource pack from the British Library with useful tasks.

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Discovering Literature Macbeth in Context Resource

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Beliefs and Superstition in Shakespeare's England

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Beliefs and Superstition in Shakespeare's England

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William Shakespeare was an English actor, poet and playwright who was born in 1564. His plays were written and first performed during the reigns of and her successor, .

During Shakespeare's time, people had a variety of different beliefs and superstitions. Although most people were Christians, they would also have believed in astrology, folklore, witches and the humours in the body.

The belief in witches is present in and there are fairy characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream .

Watch this short film about beliefs and superstitions in Shakespeare's time:

People in Shakespeare's time were very superstitious. Some of these superstitions are still around today. For example, people still say 'bless you' when someone sneezes. This dates back to Elizabethan times, to stop the Devil entering your body through your mouth.

Folklore are the traditions, beliefs and stories passed down by a community. In Shakespeare's time, folklore was an important part of life. For example, some people believed that fairies and goblins came out at night to play tricks.

These beliefs can be seen clearly in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream , in which a world of fairies is created for the audience.

Many people in Shakespeare's lifetime believed in astrology. Astrology is the belief that the position and movement of the stars could influence events on Earth. This interest is still seen in modern times when people read their .

It was believed that astrologers could predict the future and Queen Elizabeth I even had her own personal astrologer. These beliefs can be seen in lots of Shakespeare's plays. For example, in Romeo and Juliet the young couple of the title are described as 'star-crossed lovers', which means that the position of the stars predicts that their relationship is doomed.

People in the 1500s and 1600s believed in the . The Witches in the play would have terrified the audience, who believed in witchcraft and magic.

Queen Elizabeth's successor, King James I, even wrote a book about witches and believed that a witch created a storm that nearly wrecked his ship. Shakespeare possibly included the Witches in to please James I. The Witches manipulate the other characters into disaster.

Religion was an important part of life in Shakespeare's day and most people were Christian. The law said that you had to go to church every week and many people went more often. In 1592 Shakespeare's father was fined for not attending church.

Elizabeth I's father, Henry VIII, wanted to divorce his first wife because their marriage had not produced a male heir. The Catholic Church did not allow divorce, so in 1534 Henry VIII broke with the Pope and the Catholic Church. This was called the Reformation.

The break with Rome eventually triggered England's transition into a Protestant country.

By the time Shakespeare was born in 1564, Protestantism was the main religion in England. The queen, who was a Protestant, was the head of the Church of England. However, there were tensions between Protestants and Catholics.

Shakespeare avoids talking directly about Christianity, but throughout his plays there are references to the afterlife. Most people believed that Heaven and Hell were real places.

Which one of these statements is false?

1. In Shakespeare's lifetime, religion was not an important part of society.

2. When Shakespeare was born when Protestantism was the main religion in England.

3. Shakespeare's father was fined for not attending church.

1 - Religion was an important part of society and a big political issue that affected relations with other countries. Spain, a Catholic country, wanted England to return to Catholicism and the Spanish king sent an Armada - a fleet of ships - which tried to invade.

Because religion was so closely associated with politics, playwrights had to be very careful. Shakespeare avoided talking directly about Christianity, but throughout his plays there are references to Heaven and Hell.

Hamlet, for example, can't bring himself to kill his uncle while he is praying, because he will go straight to Heaven - the opposite of what Hamlet wants.

People in the 1500s and 1600s believed that every living thing had its place in the universe, which had been set out by God. This order was called the Great Chain of Being, and it included everything from God and the angels at the top, to humans, animals, plants, rocks and minerals towards the bottom.

The Divine Right of Kings was the belief that the king or queen was in charge because they were God's chosen representative on earth, and they were only answerable to God.

These beliefs can be found in Shakespeare's plays. When Macbeth commits the sin of regicide, the killing of a king, he disrupts the Great Chain of Being and the Divine Right of Kings. This affects the natural order of things and terrible storms and earthquakes happen as a result.

In Shakespeare's time, people believed that your physical and mental health were controlled by the four humours in your body. Different humours were also linked to personality types, for example:

It was believed that too much of one humour could make you ill. To fix this imbalance doctors would use leeches for bloodletting , or encourage the patient to vomit.

These beliefs appear in Shakespeare's plays. For example, in Romeo and Juliet , Tybalt references choler and 'gall', which means bile:

Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting
Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting.
I will withdraw: but this intrusion shall
Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall.
-- Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, scene 5

In Shakespeare's play Macbeth the main tragic character is very ambitious. Which humour might he be linked to?

Yellow bile, which would result in a choleric personality. The audience would have recognised Macbeth as a choleric character because of his ambition. He wants to become king so much that he resorts to murder.

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Beliefs and superstitions in Shakespeare's England

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William Shakespeare was an English actor, poet and playwright who was born in 1564. Find out more with Bitesize. For students between the ages of 11 and 14.

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Special Effects in Shakespeare's Times (Form)

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Special Effects in Shakespeare's Times (Form)

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Playwrights in Shakespeare's time used language to describe 'special effects' much of the time; but acting companies could also produce very dramatic special effects. Thunder and lightning filled the theatre for storms. There were a variety of effects to suggest magic was at work. Many special effects needed special ingredients. Buying these made a performance more expensive, so special effects were not used all the time.

How were special effects produced?
The easiest way to make the noise of thunder was to beat drums offstage or roll a cannonball across the floor of the Heavens over the stage. Some companies used a thunder machine - a wooden box balanced like a seesaw. A cannon ball could be rolled from one end to the other to make a thundering noise. Storms needed lightning, too. Lightning flashes were made by throwing a powder made from resin into a candle flame. It lit with a flash. The companies could make lightning bolts, too. The machinery for this was called a swevel. They fixed a wire from the roof to the floor of the stage. They fixed a firecracker to the wire and lit it when they wanted the effect. The firecracker shot from the top of the wire to the bottom, making sparks all the way.

Were the special effects dangerous?
Sometimes, special effects could go wrong. On 29 June 1613, the Globe burned down during a performance of Shakespeare's Henry VIII. It was big news. It is unlikely anything this spectacular happened very often. However, many of the ingredients used to create special effects smelt very, very bad. Sulphur has a rotten egg smell, while saltpetre (made from dung) smells bad when mixed up and even worse when set alight. Both were used to make gunpowder. When the witches in Macbeth are making their spells and one of them talks about 'the fog and filthy air' the air inside the theatre may have been horrible to breathe in, if not actually dangerous.

Did you know?

On 29 June 1613 there was a performance of Shakespeare's Henry VIII at the Globe. Some small cannon were fired. The company didn't use cannon balls, but they did use real gunpowder, held down by wadding. A piece of burning wadding caught in the thatch and set the theatre alight. It burned down in about an hour.

Firecrackers

Firecrackers were made by filling rolls of thick paper with gunpowder, which produced sparks and then a bang. You could buy gunpowder from grocers or ironmongers.

What about magic?
Magical spirits, devils and gods and goddesses often appear in plays from Shakespeare's time. Good spirits and gods and goddesses usually entered through a trapdoor in the Heavens. The actors were lowered on a rope or a wire. This was called 'flying in'. Evil spirits and devils came up from Hell, under the stage, through a trapdoor in the stage. Companies often set off firecrackers when devils appeared or magic was used. In one production of Dr Faustus the actors playing devils even put firecrackers in their mouths to suggest they were breathing fire!

Theatre companies used smoke mostly as a magic effect, although it was sometimes used to suggest a fire. They could make black, white, yellow and red smoke - depending on the chemicals they mixed together. They used real fire as little as possible, it was very dangerous in a wood and thatch building. If they needed flames they burned strong alcohol mixed with a variety of salts, depending on the colour they wanted the flames to be.

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Special Effects | Shakespeare's Globe

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Playwrights in Shakespeare's time used language to describe 'special effects' much of the time; but acting companies could also produce very dramatic special effects. Thunder and lightning filled the theatre for storms.

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Free Sample Topics English Literature: Macbeth (AQA) Macbeth: Context Lesson Progress Macbeth: Context Back to Lesson Next Topic Back to Lesson Next Topic

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Key terms and questions for writing about novels

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Edexcel Literary Heritage Coursework Guidance

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Edexcel Literary Heritage Coursework Guidance

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Pp.9-11.

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Folder D in the commentaries.

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Folder K in the commentaries.

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Macbeth episode 2 - Lady Macbeth - GCSE English RevisionPod - Podcast

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Back we plunge into the murderous world of Scottish power games. This week, we take a look at Shakespeare's presentation of Lady Macbeth. Is she a witchlike being, consumed completely by evil thoughts... - Listen to Macbeth episode 2 - Lady Macbeth by GCSE English RevisionPod instantly on your tablet, phone or browser - no downloads needed.

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Macbeth episode 2 - Lady Macbeth - GCSE English RevisionPod

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Folder H in the commentaries.

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Please ignore that it says Twelfth Night - this is a link to the Macbeth edition.

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KS3 English Shakespeare Twelfth Night Complete Play (with notes) (CGP KS3 English): The Complete Play

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This book includes the complete text of William Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night', with notes throughout explaining difficult passages and tricky vocabulary in everyday English. Everything's clearly laid out on A4 pages, so there's no hunting for footnotes. To make sure you've picked up the main poin...

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Folder I in the commentaries.

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Macbeth Detailed Character Information | Shakespeare Learning Zone | Royal Shakespeare Company

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Take an in depth look at Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo and Macduff, including photo galleries and study grids to complete.

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How does the theme of ambition weave through Shakespeare’s plays? In 21st Century Western culture we generally regard ambition as a ‘good’ thing. School children are urged to be ambitious, while employers…

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Macbeth episode 3 - Morality - GCSE English RevisionPod - Podcast

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Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. We hope you have all had a fantastic festive period and are super excited to get back to some hardcore revision. And what better way to start than with a look at...

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Macbeth episode 3 - Morality - GCSE English Revision Pod

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Macbeth is an extremely violent play.

Macbeth takes the throne of Scotland by killing Duncan and his guards, and tries to hold on to it by sending people to murder Banquo and Macduff's family. Finally, he attempts to keep his reign by fighting Macduff. These might be the scenes of violence which are the most obvious in the play, but there are others throughout. Even before any characters are on stage, the theatre's special effects of thunder and lightning, made with gunpowder, cannonballs and fireworks, would have sounded, and smelled, like a battle.

After the Witches, one of the first characters we see is the Captain, wounded in battle in Act I, scene 2. 'What bloody man is that?' asks Duncan, drawing attention to him. So when the play begins, the violence of the battle has already been happening. We are not told the causes of 'the revolt' but merely its 'newest state', that is, just the latest developments.

Those developments are described very graphically by the Captain, who tells us of Macbeth fighting Macdonwald:

'Till he unseam'd him from the nave to th' chops,
And fix'd his head upon our battlements'
- Act I, scene 2

So, before we even meet Macbeth, he has sliced someone in half and chopped his head off as a prize. This might seem in character for the killer that we know Macbeth to be. The difference is that Macbeth's actions here are celebrated by the king: 'O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!'. Later in the scene, Duncan sentences Cawdor to death. So what the play gives us is two different types of violence: one that is acceptable, and one that is criminal; the first holds Scotland together, the second tears it apart.

Violence is definitely linked to power in the play: the most successful king seems to be the one who is the best at killing. What this means is that the world of Macbeth is caught in a repeating circle of violence:

'It will have blood, they say: blood will have blood'
- Act III, scene 4

is how Macbeth sums this up. It also leaks into the language of the characters, who make their points with bloody images. Perhaps the most unsettling one belongs to Lady Macbeth, who imagines a baby:

'I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out'
- Act I, scene 7

She is trying to persuade Macbeth to keep his promise, but has to do so like this because the language of violence is the most convincing in Macbeth's world.

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Macbeth is an extremely violent play. Macbeth takes the throne of Scotland by killing Duncan and his guards, and tries to hold on to it by sending people to murder Banquo and Macduff's family. Finally, he attempts to keep his reign by fighting Macduff.

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Macbeth episode 4 - Bravery - GCSE English RevisionPod - Podcast

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What does it mean to be brave? Neither Mr Forster nor Mr Gallie have much of an idea, but thankfully Shakespeare does! Download the hand out here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tEDN-LstVhctUSOQHwH... - Listen to Macbeth episode 4 - Bravery by GCSE English RevisionPod instantly on your tablet, phone or browser - no downloads needed.