Intro Quiz: Banquo and Macduff (Part 2/2)

Video: Banquo and Macduff (Part 2/2)

﻿Hello, and welcome to Miss Power's next Macbeth lesson on Banquo and Macduff. For today's lesson, you will need paper or a book to write in, a pen and your memory. If you can find somewhere quiet where you can work and not be disturbed, that would be fantastic. And also, if you can turn off any distractions, that would be really helpful. So if you're ready, let's go. Here's today's key question, how does Shakespeare present Banquo, Macduff and King Duncan as contrasts to Macbeth? Now, if you studied last lesson with me, you know that we've already covered Banquo. Today's lesson will be in five parts. In part one, I will share with you some key vocabulary and terminology. In part two, I will share with you an act summary. In part three, I will share with you some key moments and you will answer some questions. And in part four, you'll apply your learning by completing a short writing task. And finally, as always, part five is a short review quiz. Part one, key vocabulary and terminology. In this lesson, we will be revisiting the words, contrast and dramatic irony. Now contrast means a difference, for example, the company lost money this month in contrast to last month where they made a profit. Banquo's sense of morality contrasts with Macbeth's lack of morals. So as you can see, both sentences contain a clear difference. Now let's apply that key vocabulary to some sentences. All you have to do is pick up a sentence that has contrast using it correctly. Let me read the sentences out to you. It was cold yesterday, but in contrast, it is hot today. The cold afternoon contrast with the hot morning, which one sounds correct to you? Which one makes more sense? Please pause the video now to compete your task. So how did you do? The answer was sentence number one, which was, it was cold yesterday, but in contrast, it is hot today. The next phrase that we're going to study today is dramatic irony. And this is where the irony, it takes place with, sorry, this is the irony, it takes place when the suggestions of a situation, speech, et cetera, are understood by the audience by not some or most of the characters. Part two, act summary. I'm going to share with you act three, I'm going to read it out to you, and if you studied my other lessons, this won't be the first time that you've seen it, but if it is, do not worry, feel free to pause the video and copy it down if you wish to do so. Macbeth is now king, Banquo is privately doubtful of Macbeth and believes he may have murdered King Duncan. Macbeth speaks of his fears of Banquo, and the idea that Banquo will beget a line of kings and arranges to have him murdered. Lady Macbeth tries to get Macbeth to relax and be jovial with their guests now that Duncan is dead, but Macbeth hints that he has plans for Banquo and doesn't reveal them to his wife. Banquo is murdered, but his son Fleance escapes. At a banquet, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo sitting in his chair. The ghost then disappears and reappears again. Macbeth is alarmed by this and Lady Macbeth attempts to calm him. The guests leave and Macbeth resolves to further violence without including Lady Macbeth in his plans. The witches discuss events so far, the ruler of the witches predicts his downfall. Others are becoming more suspicious of Macbeth and he has become a tyrant ruler. Macduff leaves for England to help raise an army against him. True or false, Banquo is privately doubtful of Macbeth and believes he may have murdered Duncan. Three, two, one, that's true. True or false, Banquo and Fleance are murdered. Three, two, one, that's false, only Banquo was murdered, True or false, at a banquet, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo sitting in his chair, true or false? Three, two, one, that's absolutely true. Last one then, Macduff leaves for Ireland to help raise an army against Macbeth. Is that true or false? Three, two, one, that's false, he leaves for England. How did you do? I really hope that you scored four out of four, if you didn't, do not worry, just jot down the answers now into your little booklets. Part three key moments, this is where we look in particular at King Duncan and Macduff. So let's look at key moment number one. And this is from act one, scene three, and this is where we look at what type of person King Duncan is. "No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest, go pronounce his present death. And with his former title, greet Macbeth" "I'll see it done." "What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath one." So this section of the text really highlights what honourable and generous King Duncan is, he rewards Macbeth for his loyalty and his nobility. And he's a very gracious King, and this is one of his strengths. "See, see, our honourable hostess. The love that follows us is sometimes is our trouble, and we still thank as love. Herein I teach you how you shall bid God, yield us for your pains and thank us for your trouble." And this is just an example of how polite he is being towards lady Macbeth as his hostess, he is polite and he is gracious and he is kind, and this is what makes his death even more shocking. He is a model king, he is a model man. So the fact that they could commit regicide in their own battlements makes it even worse, makes the scene, the crime even worse for the audience. Now, Macbeth, act one, scene seven. "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 the newest gloss, not cast aside so soon." So this is when Macbeth starts to be a little bit more conflicted, and he says, no, we're not going to do this. And the reason why he says he won't do it is because of the golden opinions that he now has now received as a result of King Duncan's rewards and the way that he talks about him, the hath that he says he has honoured me of late, he's talking about his king. So this conflicted moment highlights how well King Duncan has treated Macbeth. Now, if you were to think further down the line and think about how well Macbeth treated his subjects when he was king, well, that's in massive contrast, but I know at this particular point in the play, this is him being conflicted, but also recognising how good his king has actually been to him. Let's look at act two, scene three, and this is where Macduff finds Duncan's corpse. And what we have here is we have some genuine emotion. He's almost speechless, he can only repeat, "O horror! Horror! Horror!" These exclamatory sentences highlight the pain, the suffering, the disgust at finding his beloved king murdered. He says the tongue nor heart cannot conceive, nor name thee. He can't take it in his heart, he can't say what he has seen. It's so horrific and so unimaginable. And then when he finally is able to speak, he's still very bitty, "Awake! Awake!" Just like, O horror! O horror! "Ring the alarum bell! Murder and treason!" Is just the short snappy exclamatory sentences, trying to create some action as if this can be fixed or we need to take some action to find out what's happened, but he's unable to express himself because he is suffering. And he knows that this is horror, that the natural order has now been destroyed and their beloved king is no more.

And in act four, scene three, this is where Macduff learns about the fact that Macbeth has murdered his wife and children. "He has no children, all my pretty ones, did you say all? O hell-Kite! All? What all my pretty chickens, and their dam at one fail swoop." So as you can see Macduff when he's emotional speaks in a very similar way with very short snappy sentences. Did you say all, all? O hell-kite, the old short, emotionally driven sentences. And of course they would be, this is one of the most horrific thing that this man could find out apart from the death of his king. And if you look a bit later in act four, scene three, he blames himself, "Sinful Macduff, they were struck for thee." So he starts to feel the guilt, he feels guilty he left his wife and children unattended to try to fix and save his country, to try and fix and save the natural order. So this is a man that was noble, that went off to find Malcolm, to try and save Scotland, and as a result lost his wife and his family Part four, applying our learning. Here's the key question. How does Shakespeare use the character's King Duncan and Macduff to expose weaknesses in Macbeth's character? You're advised to write for about 15 minutes, but that's to include your writing and your proofreading and your planning time. Your words to include all dramatic irony and contrast. And just like last lesson, I've picked out some quotations to try and help you a little bit. Now there are five this time, so it's a little bit harder, but I know that you're going to do absolutely fine. Remember, you must include all of the pink quotations, but it would be fantastic if you could use all five quotations. So if you feel ready to start, you can pause the video now and time yourselves, 15 minutes, off you go. However, if you feel like you would like some extra support with some sentence starts, as always on the following slides, they are there waiting for you. So either good luck or let's move on. So here are your sentence frames. Shakespeare presents King Duncan as, the audience learns that Macduff, Shakespeare creates the impression that, and Shakespeare includes. So these sentence frames haven't changed, they're always the same. They're always talking about Shakespeare's intention or what Shakespeare does, what he use is what he creates. And always there's a reference to the audience because as always, when something is created by Shakespeare is for the intention for all the reception of his audience. So all that's left for me to say to you is good luck. Your 15 minutes starts now. Shakespeare presents King Duncan as a gracious, honourable, and fair King, which contrasts to Macbeth's 'hell-kite' rule. Duncan is kind and generous and rewards Macbeth for his loyalty at the start of the play by gifting him the title of Thane of Cawdor. Additionally, he is gentlemanly to the honourable, sorry, to the honourable hostess, Lady Macbeth. Shakespeare's use of dramatic irony is intense here, as the audience is well aware that Lady Macbeth is plotting against him and planning his murder. Initially Macbeth is held in golden opinion, therefore his fall from grace by even considering regicide is shocking for the audience. So there's your first example answer. How does your work compare to that one? I bet you got most of the stuff on there, if not all of it. Remember if you didn't, don't worry, that's what I'm here for. So let's have a look at a more developed example answer. Shakespeare constructs King Duncan as a model king, he presents King Duncan as gracious, honourable and a fair king, which is in contrast to Macbeth's tyranny and 'hell-kite' rule. Duncan is kind and generous, and rewards Macbeth for his loyalty at the start of the play by gifting him the title of Thane of Cawdor. Additionally, he is gentlemanly towards the honourable hostess, Lady Macbeth. Shakespeare's use of dramatic irony is intense here as the audience is well aware that lady Macbeth is plotting against him and planning his murder, creating a sense of unease. Initially, Macbeth is held in golden opinion, therefore his fall from grace by even considering regicide is shocking for the audience. Macduff is a device used by Shakespeare to expose Macbeth fake horror at the death of King Duncan, whereas honourable and devastated Macduff can only repeat horror as what he has seen is beyond words. Again, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony here as the audience is well aware who killed Duncan. MacDuff's love for his country and morals guides him to protect his country and fight for what is right, which is placing the rightful heir on the throne, even at the cost of losing his own family. Isn't that interesting? Doesn't a second developed answer include all of the quotations, but also really explains in detail the reasons behind the quotations being used? I hope that you did really well, I'm certain that you would have, but remember you can always make a list of improvements that you want to apply to your next piece of writing. So we've made it to the end of the lesson, and it's time to complete the review quiz. It's only five questions long, and remember it gives you your score straight away, so it's really worthwhile doing. All that's left for me to say is goodbye from Miss Power. I hope that you've had a great day. It's been a pleasure to teach you and I can't wait to see your next lesson.

Exit Quiz: Banquo and Macduff (Part 2/2)

Completed: Banquo and Macduff (Part 2/2)

This is the second lesson where we will explore how Shakespeare presents Banquo, Macduff and King Duncan as contrasts to Macbeth. In this lesson we will examine King Duncan and Macduff and how they expose weaknesses in Macbeth’s character. We will look at a four key moments to help us to explore the contrast between the characters in depth.

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Banquo and Macduff (Part 2/2)

Introductory Quiz

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Final Quiz

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