Ok, so last week I’m relaxing in Tenerife, walking up and down the world’s third highest volcano, Mount Teide:
When I got back down, I have a message from Kelly. Never heard of her, but she wanted me to look at a link.
And that’s when everything changed.
The link was to Tilf.io, and this site promised to mark my essays, and give excellent feedback.
I didn’t believe it at first. Can you trust it? It's just a brainless AI, right? That's what I wanted to know.
So I tested it with literature answers which were marked by senior AQA examiners, and published in my guides. And guess what - Tilf's marking was spot on from Levels 1 to 5*.
That's not even the best part, though.
You want to know how to improve, right? How to get the grade above, or two grades above.
And that's where Tilf is awesome. The advice it gives is better than that given by the senior examiner. More precise and easier to understand.
Maybe you're an English teacher. I have even better news.
You can mark your whole class using Tilf, for no extra cost. None!
And the advice your students get is fuller and better than you could give, even if you had 20 hours in your working day.
The promo code SALLES10 will give you a 10% discount on the first 3 months’ subscription, you don’t need a fourth!
But you can get your first essay marked for FREE. Just click the link
*If your essay is a grade 9, Tilf probably won't tell you. But the advice it gives you to get 100% will still spot on.
Grade 8 Essay from my Guide to Writing Essays on Macbeth
Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as violent for several purposes. His violent actions are respected by his peers and Duncan. His ambition and guilt also cause him to become more violent in his language. However, his violence is encouraged and developed most by the powerful women of the play, Lady Macbeth and the witches.
The extract portrays Macbeth as a violent warrior, as he is praised as “brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name”. This implies that a Jacobean audience valued violence, strength and valour, and saw these as signs of masculinity. Men had a duty to dominate, which differs from a modern perspective. We can see this dominance when Macbeth is described fighting “with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution”. This steaming sword is portrayed violently as smoking with the blood of his victims.
The strength of “steel” is a SYMBOL for Macbeth’s strength in mastering this “bloody” weapon, which further emphasises his violence. The manner in which he killed Macdonwald where “he unseamed him from the nave to th’chaps” makes killing appear easy. This level of ruthless violence might* horrify a modern audience as he butchers his enemy. We would also be horrified that he is rewarded for this with the title “Thane of Cawdor”. However, perhaps* Shakespeare was keen to portray Macbeth as a Jacobean role model of masculine strength. This will make his audience sympathetic to his downfall, because Macbeth fulfils society’s expectations.
After killing Duncan, Macbeth suffers from guilt. This leads to both physical and verbal violence, which we see in his first reaction to Lady Macbeth’s death. The souring of their relationship is reflected in his statement, “she should have died hereafter”. His harsh, emotionless tone reveals how guilt has caused his mind to stop functioning normally. This will also lead to violence. His attitude CONTRASTS to the equality they shared at the beginning of the play when he called her “my dearest partner of greatness”. But Macbeth’s guilt at his own violence has ruined this.
It is also a CONTRAST to the way Macduff responds to the death of his wife: “But I must also feel it as a man.” Shakespeare makes Macduff focus on how he must “feel” in order to reveal his emotions and show how his first reaction is not to turn to violence. So we understand that Macbeth chose violence as a consequence of his ambition.
In addition, his violent actions towards Banquo have been encouraged by his wife, who had feared Macbeth was “too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness”. This illustrates how she believes Macbeth needs to conform to masculine norms by becoming less kind and more violent. We imagine Macbeth as pure and innocent through the comparison to “milk”, implying that Macbeth is not strong enough to commit violence in order to fulfil his ambition of being king. This may* explain why she asks the supernatural to “unsex” her. She can be Macbeth’s cruelty, but to do this she decides to emasculate him. She therefore begins to instruct him, “sleek o’er your rugged looks/Be bright and jovial”, which tells him to become positive rather than negative. This also introduces the THEME of appearance and reality.
Macbeth has a violent curiosity, which we see when he returns to the witches and demands to know more, saying “But one word more” and “tell me more”. We become unsympathetic towards him because he feeds his violent ambition. The witches are not typical of Jacobean women, who would be submissive. Instead, they use Macbeth’s status and violence to achieve their own form of power.
Consequently, Shakespeare doesn’t just show that bravery and ambition combine to cause Macbeth’s violence. He also shows that the witches, as powerful women, create his violence, so that Shakespeare can explore the role of women in Jacobean society.
Original 855 words
25 marks
Thesis Statement Yes
Explanations 22
Quotes 11
Named Methods 4
Society/era/patriarchal/Jacobean/contemporary/ historical reference etc 9
Shakespeare 5
Exploratory Could, Might, May, Perhaps, Probably 3
Conclusion Yes
Paragraphs 8
Words per paragraph 107
My Comments
Ok, this is a potential grade 9 essay.
But the student fails to write about Shakespeare’s purposes or ideas in the thesis statement. It would have been such an easy fix. You can bet they knew those ideas!
The extract is dealt with quickly, in two paragraphs, so the student can write about the rest of the play. Because the extract is in the first Act, it is easy to work through the play chronologically, to write an argument.
Instead, though, the student doesn’t. They link the paragraphs about Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff well, but the rest could go in any order.
Had they dealt with Lady Macbeth’s encouragement of violence in the killing of Banquo first, the student could then have traced this as a cause of the later rift in the marriage. This consequence of violence would then have formed part of an argument which shows violence turning against its perpetrators. This links to Shakespeare’s cautionary tale, and therefore to a higher grade. This is so obvious that even the examiner is going to notice it – see their last bullet point below.
Why settle for 25 marks, when a slight change can get you 30?
Examiner Comments
You can see how the answer begins as a good explained response for Level 3.
But by the end it has become detailed and developed.
The first three paragraphs deal with implicit or abstract ideas, like ambition, guilt and bravery.
The answer becomes clearly Level 4 when the student writes about Macbeth being a victim of society’s expectations.
The comments about Macduff move into Level 5, as they are thoughtful.
The analysis of the word ‘milk’ takes the answer further into Level 5.
By the end of the answer, all the AOs are in Level 5.
To improve, the student should think about how Shakespeare constructs the text to deliver his ideas.
You can sample the guide here.
Let’s Compare This Marking to Tilf.io
Feedback
Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as violent for several purposes. His violent actions are respected by his peers and Duncan. His ambition and guilt also cause him to become more violent in his language. However, his violence is encouraged and developed most by the powerful women of the play, Lady Macbeth and the witches.
(This introduction effectively sets up the argument and provides a clear thesis.
It would be beneficial to directly reference the extract in this opening to anchor your analysis.)
The extract portrays Macbeth as a violent warrior, as he is praised as “brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name”. This implies that a Jacobean audience valued violence, strength and valour, and saw these as signs of masculinity. Men had a duty to dominate, which differs from a modern perspective. We can see this dominance when Macbeth is described fighting “with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution”. This steaming sword is portrayed violently as smoking with the blood of his victims.
(Strong analysis of the extract with a clear link to Jacobean values.
Consider exploring further how this portrayal of violence contributes to the tragedy of Macbeth's character.)
The strength of “steel” is a SYMBOL for Macbeth’s strength in mastering this “bloody” weapon, which further emphasises his violence. The manner in which he killed Macdonwald where “he unseamed him from the nave to th’chaps” makes killing appear easy. This level of ruthless violence might* horrify a modern audience as he butchers his enemy. We would also be horrified that he is rewarded for this with the title “Thane of Cawdor”. However, perhaps* Shakespeare was keen to portray Macbeth as a Jacobean role model of masculine strength. This will make his audience sympathetic to his downfall, because Macbeth fulfils society’s expectations.
(Excellent use of textual evidence to support your argument.
The speculative language ('might', 'perhaps') could be replaced with more assertive analysis to strengthen your argument.)
Mr Salles note: this is the one piece of advice I disagree with – using speculative language is a way top students show that they are ‘evaluating’.
After killing Duncan, Macbeth suffers from guilt. This leads to both physical and verbal violence, which we see in his first reaction to Lady Macbeth’s death. The souring of their relationship is reflected in his statement, “she should have died hereafter”. His harsh, emotionless tone reveals how guilt has caused his mind to stop functioning normally. This will also lead to violence. His attitude CONTRASTS to the equality they shared at the beginning of the play when he called her “my dearest partner of greatness”. But Macbeth’s guilt at his own violence has ruined this.
(You've effectively linked Macbeth's violence to his psychological state.
To enhance your analysis, consider discussing how this shift in Macbeth's character aligns with Shakespeare's broader thematic concerns.)
It is also a CONTRAST to the way Macduff responds to the death of his wife: “But I must also feel it as a man.” Shakespeare makes Macduff focus on how he must “feel” in order to reveal his emotions and show how his first reaction is not to turn to violence. So we understand that Macbeth chose violence as a consequence of his ambition.
(This comparison with Macduff is insightful and helps to further your argument about Macbeth's character.
Consider elaborating on how this contrast between Macbeth and Macduff serves to highlight the tragedy of Macbeth's choices.)
In addition, his violent actions towards Banquo have been encouraged by his wife, who had feared Macbeth was “too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness”. This illustrates how she believes Macbeth needs to conform to masculine norms by becoming less kind and more violent. We imagine Macbeth as pure and innocent through the comparison to “milk”, implying that Macbeth is not strong enough to commit violence in order to fulfil his ambition of being king. This may* explain why she asks the supernatural to “unsex” her. She can be Macbeth’s cruelty, but to do this she decides to emasculate him. She therefore begins to instruct him, “sleek o’er your rugged looks/Be bright and jovial”, which tells him to become positive rather than negative. This also introduces the THEME of appearance and reality.
(Your analysis of Lady Macbeth's influence is well-argued.
To strengthen your argument, consider discussing how this manipulation by Lady Macbeth and the theme of appearance vs. reality contribute to the play's exploration of violence and ambition.)
Macbeth has a violent curiosity, which we see when he returns to the witches and demands to know more, saying “But one word more” and “tell me more”. We become unsympathetic towards him because he feeds his violent ambition. The witches are not typical of Jacobean women, who would be submissive. Instead, they use Macbeth’s status and violence to achieve their own form of power.
(This paragraph effectively highlights Macbeth's agency in his downfall.
Consider further exploring the witches' role in the play and how their manipulation of Macbeth reflects on his character and the theme of violence.)
Consequently, Shakespeare doesn’t just show that bravery and ambition combine to cause Macbeth’s violence. He also shows that the witches, as powerful women, create his violence, so that Shakespeare can explore the role of women in Jacobean society.
(A strong conclusion that ties together your main points.
To further enhance your analysis, consider discussing the implications of Shakespeare's exploration of gender roles and violence on our understanding of Macbeth's character and the play as a whole.)
Level: 5
Overall feedback: Your essay provides a thoughtful and detailed analysis of Macbeth's violence, effectively using textual evidence and considering the play's historical context. You've shown a clear understanding of the characters' motivations and the thematic concerns of the play.
What went well: Effective use of textual evidence to support your analysis; insightful comparison between characters; clear understanding of the historical context and its influence on the play.
Even better if: To further improve, ensure that your analysis is assertive and avoid speculative language. Additionally, consider exploring the broader implications of your arguments on the play's themes and Shakespeare's portrayal of violence and ambition.
What do you think? I’m so impressed I’ve asked to invest in the company.
So AI software?
Do you recommend Tilf for power and conflict poetry anthology questions? Just wondered if you had tested any on it and found it to be accurate. Thanks so much for sharing.