How to Find and Understand Grade 9+ Essays
Last Monday I showed you how to use Google’s Gemini to revise Macbeth.
But what happens when you find a brilliant essay which is way too complex to easily understand? Like these. You can find them on a range of plays.
You copy each paragraph into Gemini, with a prompt to tell it to rewrite it for you. That’s what I’ve done in this post. Wherever you get to in this post, scroll to the poll to let me know how useful it has been. Your response will help me write really helpful posts.
Or you can learn more quickly by reading essays at the grade you want.
Yes, here’s my essay writing a guide to Macbeth, with 26 essays to 4 different exam papers. Multiple essays at each grade you want.
My Prompt to Gemini
This is a paragraph for an essay about Macbeth. Rewrite this in formal language which an average 16 year old student would understand. Keep the same references and quotes, unchanged. Your writing should be a paragraph for an essay.
The Grade 9+ Essay
Literary critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge believed Macbeth to be a completely serious play, "wholly tragic" without any humour. He even argued that the funny scene with the drunken porter in Act 2, Scene 3 wasn't even written by Shakespeare!
Coleridge also missed all the puns and wordplay Shakespeare uses throughout the play (though he was mistaken about that). Interestingly, Coleridge did notice something important: unlike many other Shakespearean tragedies, Macbeth lacks characters who struggle with moral decisions. According to Coleridge, this absence of characters questioning right and wrong strengthens the play's seriousness.
Shakespeare emphasizes the moral horror of Macbeth's actions. Even before the murder, Macbeth recognizes its evil. He understands that killing Duncan is wrong on multiple levels. First, Duncan is his relative and subject, demanding loyalty ("kinsman and his subject"). Second, Duncan is a guest in Macbeth's own castle, making him doubly untouchable ("his host"). Killing such a good and respected leader ("so clear in his great office") adds another layer of guilt.
Shakespeare strengthens this clear-cut morality by changing the source material. Unlike the real king in historical accounts, Duncan is a flawless ruler. Shakespeare also makes Macbeth the sole murderer, unlike the original story where he has accomplices, including Banquo. This might have been partly to avoid offending King James I, a descendant of Banquo, but it also removes any political justifications for the crime. By focusing on a single, morally reprehensible act, Shakespeare keeps the focus on Macbeth's personal choices and the terrible consequences they unleash.
Unlike tragic heroes like Brutus or Othello who kill because they believe their victims deserve it, Macbeth has no excuse. Duncan is innocent and doesn’t deserve his violent death. Macbeth himself admits his only motive is blind ambition ("I have no spur... but only / Vaulting ambition"). This ambition isn't directly mentioned, but it's interesting that the witches appear right after Macbeth's victories as Duncan's army leader. It's almost like they know exactly when to tempt him psychologically with the idea of becoming king. At first, Macbeth is surprised by the witches' predictions ("thane of Glamis, thane of Cawdor, and king"). We don't know exactly why he's scared at first, but maybe the idea of being king secretly excites him. When the news arrives that he's Thane of Cawdor, just like the witches said, his doubt turns to belief. Two out of three prophecies are true, making the last one – becoming king – seem inevitable. The witches' power makes him believe it will happen, no matter what.
The witches don't tell Macbeth what to do to become king, they just shower him with titles – Thane of Glamis, Cawdor, and King. It's Lady Macbeth who figures out the "doing" part. She sees her husband struggling between wanting to be king and fearing the crime he has to commit to get it ("wouldst not play false / And yet wouldst wrongly win"). So, she constantly pressures him to act like a man. For her, a real man takes action and gets what he wants, no matter the cost. She even mocks him, saying a true man wouldn't be afraid to do what he desires ("Art thou afeard... in thine own act and valour / As thou art in desire?"). In her mind, even thinking about killing Duncan makes it a promise Macbeth has to keep. She imagines herself killing her own baby if she swore to do something, even though that's horrific. Up to this point, Macbeth has resisted such violence. He believes a man can be strong without breaking promises or hurting loved ones. But Lady Macbeth is so determined, he gives in to her simpler idea: a man kills to get what he wants. That's why it's important that Lady Macbeth doesn't try to justify the murder as good or bad. She pushes the idea that killing Duncan is manly and heroic, even though it goes against normal moral rules.
Everything in Macbeth's world reflects the evil of his choices. Nature itself seems to react to Duncan's murder with obvious signs: strong winds, earthquakes, and even "strange screams of death" (2.3.61–69). Even animal behaviour gets messed up. Duncan's horses, breaking the natural order, attack and eat each other, just like Macbeth betraying his king and family. A powerful falcon, the "king" of birds, gets killed by a lowly mousing owl, a weak bird that usually hunts tiny creatures (2.4.15–16). Most disturbingly, the sun disappears the morning after the murder. The sun, like the falcon, is a symbol of royalty and life itself. The darkness signifies the heavens being upset by human actions ("troubled with man’s act" 2.4.7). But there's an even darker meaning: the sun is "murdered" just like Duncan, with darkness strangling the light ("dark night strangles the traveling lamp" 2.4.9). This lack of sunlight reflects Scotland's moral decay that lasts until Macbeth is gone. Most scenes happen at night or in sinister, dark settings, and there's no mention of sunshine except for a brief moment in England (4.3.1).
Nature continues to punish Macbeth for his crimes throughout the play. Even though he's broken the natural order, he still expects things to work normally. For example, after killing Banquo, Macbeth leaves him hidden in a ditch, thinking he's safe ("safe in a ditch" 3.4.28). But Banquo's ghost appears to Macbeth, terrifying him. Macbeth is not just scared, but also surprised that the natural order is broken ("The time has been... But now they rise again" 3.4.94–99). He uses strange words: "they rise" instead of "he rises" (implying more than one ghost) and "crowns" for heads (maybe seeing both Duncan and Banquo). This ghost seems to be Macbeth's punishment. The unnatural murder creates unnatural movement in the dead. Even Lady Macbeth starts sleepwalking, a clear sign of "a great perturbation in nature" (5.1.10).
Ironically, Macbeth trusts the witches' new prophecy a little too much. They tell him he's safe until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Castle ("Who can impress the forest... bid the tree / Unfix his earthbound root?" 4.1.109–12). He thinks this means he's invincible forever! But that shouldn't make sense for Macbeth, of all people. After all, the dead rose against him already, so why wouldn't trees be able to move too? And guess what, that's exactly what happens. Nature keeps punishing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth for their crimes, undoing everything evil they do.
Unlike some tragedies where right and wrong are blurry, Macbeth focuses on what happens after someone makes a bad decision. Here, the focus is on Macbeth's moral decline, not the initial bad choice itself. A critic named H. B. Charlton saw a similar theme in Richard III: bad choices lead to bad consequences ("the wages of sin is death"). But Macbeth shows us why this happens. It's not just about religion, it's about psychology. We see how Macbeth hardens his heart and becomes psychologically damaged after killing Duncan. He can't even face what he's done ("I am afraid to think what I have done. / Look on ’t again I dare not": 2.2.66–67). He has others kill people for him so he can avoid feeling guilty. Murder becomes an addiction for him, and he doesn't even care who he targets anymore.
However, Macbeth's world isn't entirely black and white. Some critics oversimplify it. The play doesn't just show sin and punishment. There are deeper questions too. For example, the witches are a mystery. We don't know where they come from or where they go when they disappear from the action in Act 4. Are they evil or something else? Do they make people commit crimes, or just tempt them? Macbeth kills after the prophecy, but Banquo doesn't do anything evil after his. Does this mean the witches only plant ideas? Or does Banquo secretly want to be king, and keeps quiet because he has seen the prophecies come true for Macbeth? Even though he's related to the current king (James I), does Shakespeare imply that Banquo is sinful? Or is Banquo noble because he takes no action to bring his fate about?
Even basic things become confusing in Macbeth. Does Macbeth actually want to be king? Lady Macbeth pushes him hard, but in Acts 1.5 and 1.7, it seems like she desires the crown more than him. He only mentions ambition once, when he's trying to find reasons to kill Duncan, not because he truly craves the throne. Instead of being obsessed with being king, Macbeth seems...unmotivated. Why does he feel forced to kill Duncan, especially since the witches' prophecy makes him king anyway? Critic A. C. Bradley noticed this lack of desire and said Macbeth acts like he's doing a horrible duty, not fulfilling a dream.
Modern critics also challenge old ideas. King Duncan seems like a good guy, but some critics are suspicious about how we first meet him (Act 1.2). We hear about the brutal fighting, where even the good guys were savage. In fact, Macbeth and Banquo are compared to people who crucified Jesus ("another Golgotha," 1.2.44). Duncan himself celebrates the victory and the violence, even linking honour to getting wounded. He's not necessarily guilty, but this gentle king is still part of a society that values violence and killing as manly. Isn't that exactly what we hate about Lady Macbeth? Looking at the play from a cultural perspective makes the lines between good and bad characters blurry. They both participate in and are shaped by the same violent social norms.
Duncan and Lady Macbeth are on opposite ends of Scotland's social divide. Duncan, the king, is too old to fight, while Lady Macbeth, though tough, can't fight because she's a woman. Traditionally, women follow their husbands and raise children. Lady Macbeth breaks the rules – she plans the murder and shames her husband into doing it, even saying she'd kill her own baby! It's easy to call her evil, but that ignores the bigger picture. Lady Macbeth is stuck in a role that doesn't allow her to be a hero, no matter how strong she is. So, she pushes Macbeth to achieve greatness for her.
Things get even more complex. Lady Macduff, unlike Lady Macbeth, accepts her role as a wife and mother who isn't a warrior. But even accepting her place doesn't protect her. When Macduff leaves to fight Macbeth in England, he abandons her, making her and their son easy targets for Macbeth's killers. The obedient wife dies just like the rebellious murderer.
The play is full of unfairness. Critics call Lady Macbeth "unnatural" for defying expectations, but even those who disagree see her as bad because she cuts off all human connection. But things get confusing when Macduff's wife calls him "unnatural" too. Leaving his family defenceless seems like he doesn't care. His wife even complains he lacks "natural love" for his kids, comparing him to a bird who fights for its young. Ross tries to explain by saying these are "cruel times" caused by Macbeth's tyranny. Macduff's situation shows a common struggle: balancing public duties and family life. The wife stays home, while the husband tries to handle both. But this play shows a tragic extreme of this conflict.
Malcolm, Duncan's son, is supposed to be a good man alongside Macduff. But even Malcolm isn't perfect. After disappearing for a while following Duncan's murder, he shows up in England where Macduff is trying to get help against Macbeth. Malcolm seems cautious and quiet, but then he starts confessing all sorts of sins he doesn't seem to have committed! He says he's greedy, lustful, and full of sin with no qualities of a good king. Shakespeare’s audiences probably believed him, and some students still do on first read. It makes sense – Malcolm's been gone, and all we know is he ran away after his dad died. When this unknown prince gives this long, dramatic speech about how awful he is, with no hint he's lying (except maybe because he's young and overreacting), it's easy to believe him. And if we believe him, we feel terrible for Macduff. Malcolm, the only hope to save Scotland, seems even worse than Macbeth! He even sounds like Macbeth, who talked about destroying the natural order (remember "milk of human kindness"?). Eventually, Malcolm takes it all back, but those words can't be erased. Once we hear them, we can't forget, and they might secretly colour our opinion of Scotland's future king.
Macbeth isn't a simple play about good vs. evil. It's more like a puzzle with lots of pieces. Sure, there are some clear things, like the fact that murder is bad. But when you look closer, the play raises all sorts of questions that make it hard to say who's right and who's wrong. It's like the play is open to interpretation, and different people might see different things depending on their perspective.
I asked ChatGPT and Gemini to Summarise the Essay
Coleridge's Serious Interpretation
Coleridge viewed Macbeth as a wholly serious tragedy devoid of humor, stating it to be "wholly tragic" without any humor.
He doubted that the funny scene with the drunken porter was penned by Shakespeare, suggesting that Shakespeare didn't write it.
Coleridge noticed the absence of characters grappling with moral dilemmas, enhancing the play's seriousness.
Moral Horror and Clear-cut Morality
Macbeth recognizes the evil of his actions even before committing them, understanding that killing Duncan is wrong on multiple levels.
Shakespeare portrays Duncan as a flawless ruler, emphasizing Macbeth's guilt, referring to him as "so clear in his great office."
The playwright makes Macbeth the sole murderer, removing any political justifications for the crime, as Macbeth admits, "I have no spur... but only / Vaulting ambition."
Macbeth's Blind Ambition
Macbeth's motive is solely blind ambition, evident in his admission, "I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition."
The witches' prophecies manipulate Macbeth's desires, making him believe in their inevitability, as he acknowledges, "The greatest is behind."
Nature's Reaction to Evil
Nature reflects the evil of Macbeth's choices through various disturbances, with "strange screams of death" and the sun being "murdered."
Duncan's murder disrupts the natural order, resulting in unnatural occurrences, such as horses attacking and eating each other.
The darkness symbolizes Scotland's moral decay under Macbeth's rule, as "dark night strangles the traveling lamp."
Punishment by Nature
Nature continues to punish Macbeth for his crimes, challenging his belief in invincibility, as "the time has been / That when the brains were out the man would die, / And there an end."
Macbeth's actions result in sleepwalking for Lady Macbeth, indicating a disturbance in nature, as she cries, "Out, damned spot!"
Moral Decline and Psychological Impact
Macbeth's moral decline is central to the play, showcasing the consequences of bad decisions, as he admits, "I am afraid to think what I have done."
Macbeth becomes psychologically damaged, relying on others to carry out his violent acts, as he orders, "The very firstlings of my heart shall be / The firstlings of my hand."
Complexities and Interpretations
The play raises questions about the witches' intentions and Macbeth's true desires, as the witches proclaim, "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!"
Critics challenge traditional interpretations, questioning the morality of characters like Duncan and Lady Macbeth, as Duncan celebrates the victory and the violence.
Tragic Irony and Ambiguity
Malcolm's confession of sins complicates his character, adding to the play's ambiguity, as he claims, "But I have none."
Macbeth isn't a straightforward tale of good versus evil; it's a complex puzzle open to interpretation, as it raises deeper questions about human nature and societal norms.
The bullet points seem pretty good to me, but some of the quotes don’t quite fit them.