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Guidance on writing about character development in Macbeth and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It includes examples of how to structure your answer, key vocabulary, and analysis of characters such as Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, Banquo, Jekyll, Hyde, Sheila, and Eric.
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Knowing what order to write your ideas in can sometimes be difficult. For Macbeth and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde , you will be given an extract. However, you do not have to begin with this extract. Look at the example below to see this illustrated for you. This extract is from chapter 7. Therefore, I will include it later in my answer. The question says ‘starting with this extract’ but it doesn’t mean you have to start your essay with this extract. To answer a question like this, I would need to consider all of the places in the novel I could use. This question is about secrecy and the unknown. Therefore, these are the places I might use.
Exercise two: structuring your essays Look at the example plan for the previous essay. Then, using the 2 essay questions below, create your own plans. Example plan Intro—unknown runs throughout novel. Typical of gothic horror. Novel in non-chronological order. Para 1 —Chapter 1 description of house. Para 2 —Chapter 3 —Jekyll’s will Para 3 —use extract Chapter 7 Para 4 —Chapters 9&10 and how this reveals secrets but left not knowing what will happen to Utterson. Conclusion—the effects on the reader overall. Practice question 1 Practice question 2 How does Priestley present Eric in An Inspector Calls?
Macbeth Loyal - At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is shown to be loyal to the crown and to Scotland. Courageous - Shakespeare depicts Macbeth to be a courageous soldier. Honourable - Macbeth is shown to be an honourable character who is duty-bound to King Duncan. Anxious - When Lady Macbeth reveals her plan to Macbeth, he is initially anxious about the consequences. Uncertain - In Act 2 Scene1, Macbeth is clearly uncertain about his feelings. Fearful - Once they have killed the king, it is evident that Macbeth is fearful. Traumatised - Macbeth behaves in such a way that presents him as traumatised, following the murder of King Duncan. Ruthless - As the play progresses, Macbeth’s actions become increasingly ruthless. Ambitious - Whilst earlier in the play he was shown to be inferior to Lady Macbeth’s determination, by Act 3, Macbeth is shown to be equally ambitious. Unwavering - By the end of the play, Macbeth’s dialogue conveys his unwavering determination to remain king. Lady Macbeth Controlling - Lady Macbeth is a controlling character who coerces her husband to do her bidding. Ambitious - She is presented as an ambitious character who is driven by the desire to accumulate more power. Manipulative - Lady Macbeth is manipulative; she toys with Macbeth’s emotions to force him to do as she wants. Calculating - In this extract from Act 1 Scene 5, it is clear that Lady Macbeth already has plans for the ‘fatal entrance’ of Duncan and therefore we view her as a calculating individual. Domineering - Whilst a Jacobean audience would’ve expected to see a male to take charge of his wife, Lady Macbeth is instead the domineering spouse. Decisive - Whilst Macbeth seems uncertain, Lady Macbeth is decisive in her actions. Duplicitous - Lady Macbeth’s duplicitous nature is revealed in Act 1 Scene 6 when she warmly welcomes Duncan into her home, despite her plan to kill him. Unwavering - Even though Macbeth has doubts about their plot, Lady Macbeth’s resolve to commit regicide is unwaver- ing. Fragile - Though she was shown to be power-hungry at the beginning of the play, by the end she is depicted as a fragile character. Unstable - Lady Macbeth is depicted as sleep-walking and hallucinating. This suggests to the audience that her mind is unstable.
Jekyll Respectable - Jekyll is a well-respected doctor and friend. Mysterious - Even from Jekyll’s first appearance in the novel, his behaviour is depicted as mysterious. Intelligent - Jekyll’s innovative experiments show him to be an intelligent doctor. Erratic - As the novel progresses, Jekyll’s behaviour becomes more erratic. At one moment he is happy to socialise and the next he has locked himself up in his own house. Alienated - In chapters 6 and 7, Jekyll is shown to have alienated himself from his friends and associates. Determined - Despite the troubles he faces, Jekyll remains determined to experience life as Hyde.
Hyde Ruthless - Hyde is completely ruthless when enacting violence upon others. Unperturbed - He appears entirely unperturbed by his violent acts. Vicious– Stevenson conveys Hyde as a vicious character who revels in the aggression he displays. Cruel - Hyde’s actions are senseless and cruel. Violent - In both chapter 1 and chapter 4, Hyde is shown to behave in an unnecessarily violent way. Ferocious - Hyde’s actions are shown to be ferocious. Animalistic - When Stevenson compares Hyde to an ape, he suggests that Hyde is animalistic. Utterson Respectable - Utterson is a respectable lawyer who is ‘austere’ with himself. Loyal - Utterson is described a man who will remain loyal even when his friends experience trouble. Concerned - When Utterson raises the issue of the will with Jekyll, he appears concerned by its contents. Calm - Despite Poole’s protestations that Jekyll has been killed, Utterson remains calm. Cautious - Utterson is clearly cautious of Jekyll’s associations with Hyde. Rational- Utterson approaches his search for Mr Hyde in a methodical and rational manner. Persistent - Despite Jekyll’s request for Utterson to leave the issue alone, Utterson remains persistent in discovering the truth about Hyde. Lanyon Rational - While Stevenson shows that Jekyll is concerned with ‘transcendental’ science, Lanyon is shown to be a rational scientist. Outspoken - Lanyon is outspoken on the issue of what he calls Jekyll’s ‘unscientific balderdash’. Energetic - In chapter 2, Lanyon is shown to be energetic as he leaps up from his chair to greet Utterson. Enthusiastic- He is an enthusiastic character who welcomed Utterson with ‘both hands’. Theatrical - In chapter 2, Stevenson describes Lanyon as a theatrical character. Mysterious - However, in chapter 6, there has been a monumental change in Lanyon’s manner and appearance. This sud- den change is unexplained and is very mysterious.
Birling Self-interested - Birling’s concern for his business’ union with the Crofts shows that he is, at heart, uninterested in Sheila’s engagement and is self-interested instead. Self-obsessed– Priestley shows Birling to be self-obsessed at the beginning of the play. Pompous - Birling’s lecture to the young men, at the beginning of the play, presents him as a pompous individual. Stubborn- Birling’s unwillingness to accept anything the Inspector says shows him to be stubborn. Naïve- Priestley cleverly employs dramatic irony to present Mr Birling as naïve. Outspoken - Despite being exposed as a selfish character, Birling continues to be outspoken for the entirety of the play. Materialistic - When Birling offers Gerald the port that supposedly Gerald’s father also has, he is shown to be materialis- tic. Arrogant - Birling is certain of his views. However, the audience are aware that they are untrue and therefore we view Birling as arrogant.
Mrs Birling Condescending - At the beginning of the play, Mrs Birling is shown to be condescending towards both her husband and her children. Snobbish - Mrs Birling has a snobbish attitude towards the working class. Uncaring - Despite the gravity of the situation, Mrs Birling appears uncaring. Cold- Mrs Birling’s response to the news that Eva has died depicts her as a cold character. Ignorant- Mrs Birling’s obliviousness to her son’s drinking problem demonstrates that she is ignorant to what goes on around her. Arrogant - Much like Mr Birling, Mrs Birling is presented as an arrogant character, unwilling to accept any responsibility. Sheila Childish - At the beginning of the play, Sheila is shown bickering in a childish manner with her brother. Materialistic - Sheila’s great concern for the ring Gerald has chosen for her shows that she is materialistic at the beginning of the play. Assertive - Despite being childish at the beginning of the play, by the end Sheila is shown to be assertive in expressing her views at the end. Insightful - Sheila appears to be an insightful character and warns her mother to be truthful. Intelligent - While her parents’ unwillingness to accept responsibility shows them to be arrogant, Sheila’s willingness and eagerness to learn from her mistakes, shows her to be an intelligent character. Mature- While her parents appear most concerned by their public image, at the end of the play, Sheila has clearly ma- tured a great deal and is willing to accept responsibility.
When you read a model answer, I’m sure many of you wonder what it is that that person has done to make it so effective. You can see it’s good. But, why is it so good? Below, you will find a list of tips and tricks to help you make your writing sound more sophisticated. Model answer During this soliloquy, Lady Macbeth contemplates her husband’s character and considers him ‘too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness’. Shakespeare’s choice of met- aphor here not only emphasises Lady Macbeth’s desire for her husband to be more cruel, it also highlights the concept that femininity or female qualities were considered a sign of weakness. Tip number 2 : embedding subject terminology. You can see that above, the word soliloquy has been used. This is a subject specific term used when discussing plays. Are you familiar with all of the following? soliloquy dramatic irony stage directions foreshadowing iambic pentameter blank verse prose Tip number 3 : embedding quotations. In the above answer, you can see the quotation has been embedded into a sentence. This means you do not copy the entire line of the quotation out. Nor, do you say something like “This is proved by the quote”. Tip number 1 : using sequence markers. Some students find it really difficult to get started on their answer. Using a sequence marker shows the examiner that you can locate where we are in the text. Try using the following sequence markers in your writing. during initially at the beginning before after eventually subsequently at that point when
Model answer During this soliloquy, Lady Macbeth contemplates her husband’s character and considers him ‘too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness’. Shakespeare’s choice of met- aphor here not only emphasises Lady Macbeth’s desire for her husband to be more cruel, it also highlights the concept that femininity or female qualities were considered a sign of weakness. Tip number 4 : showing an understanding of writer and reader. It’s really important to remember that these texts have been constructed by an au- thor. Therefore, we should show an awareness that the writer has made deliberate de- cisions. We should also show an awareness that the reader/audience has a response to this. You can use the following verbs The author The text The reader Writes Implies Infers States Shows Understands Depicts Suggests Knows Describes Indicates Interprets Portrays Reflects Gleans Conveys Symbolises Realises Highlights Reveals Anticipates
Writing an effective and interesting conclusion is an important skill when writing an aca- demic essay. This will be particularly important as you move up into further and higher education. Often, students just summarise what they’ve already said in the main body of their es- say. This does serve as a conclusion. However, to make it an effective and interesting conclusion, you need to outline what conclusions you have come to as a result of writing your essay. Model conclusion Stevenson not only uses his plot but he also uses the structure of his novel to include mystery and the idea of the unknown throughout. He successfully employs these techniques to make the novel suspenseful. In doing so, the reader is left feeling uncertain and uncomfortable which will have inevitably have been Steven- son’s intention in creating a gothic horror novel intended for mass consumption. Look at the model answer below. This has been taken from the essay answer on page 6. How to write an effective conclusion
The model answer above hits assessment objective one. It achieves this by stating why the two poems have been chosen and how they fit the essay question. It also hits A01 when it compares the two poems. The model answer hits assessment objective three when it outlines the writer’s ideas/intentions or the historical context in which it was written. You can see how this has also been achieved in the model answers below.
How do poets present the effects of conflict in Remains and one other poem of your choice? Unlike traditional war poetry which either depicts the glory of war or the bleak battlefield, Poppies and Remains both deal with modern concerns regarding warfare. In Remains, Armitage depicts the debilitating effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. While, in Poppies, Weir gives a voice to a mother impacted by her son’s departure for war. In both poems, the poets explore the impact on the individual as a result of conflict. However, in Remains, we get an insight into the violence of war. For example, the speaker recalls shooting a looter, describing the bullet as it ‘rips through his life’ and that he sees ‘broad daylight on the other side’ of the looter’s body. These graphic images not only portray the horrendous sights seen in war, they also illustrate the clarity with which the soldier remembers the incident. For example, Armitage’s use of the violent verb ‘rips’ shows just how quickly and viciously the man’s life was ended but it also shows that this vivid memory has remained with the soldier who shot him. Weir, on the other hand, demonstrates the impact on those who are left behind when their family members go to war. The speaker says she ‘resisted the impulse to run my fingers through the gelled blackthorns of your hair’ and that she longed to ‘play at being Eskimos like we did when you were little’. The speaker clearly wishes that she could treat her grown up son the way she did when he was a child, suggesting to a reader that she wishes she could protect him. Nevertheless, the speaker remains ‘brave’ but ‘threw’ the front door open as her son leaves. Weir suggests that family members feel that they must appear strong for those leaving but the use of the verb ‘threw’ shows us that the speaker has feelings of pent up anger and frustration. A clear similarity between the two poems is that both poets demonstrate the emotional impact con- flict can have on an individual. Armitage demonstrates that the trauma soldiers suffer can leave them with mental health problems. For example, the speaker says that the looter is ‘here in my head’ and that the ‘drink and the drugs won’t flush him out’. Armitage’s use of metaphors illus- trates the significant and damaging impact on soldiers, and suggests that some may have to resort to substance abuse to cope with the memories of war. In Poppies, however, Weir indicates that once her son has left for war, the speaker is left in an emotionally fragile state. She goes to his bedroom where she ‘released a song bird from its cage’. This metaphor implies that the pent up anger she had previously felt is now able to come out as she mourns her son’s departure. She also leaves the house without ‘reinforcements of scarf, gloves’. Not only does this imply that the mother is in such a state that she no longer cares enough to equip herself against the cold weather, the fact that she has no ‘reinforcements’ suggests that she has been left feeling vulnerable. Both poems end with a feeling of sadness and loss, suggesting both speakers will never return to normal life. In Remains, the poet ends with the line ‘his bloody life in my bloody hands’. The repeti- tion of ‘bloody’ is interesting as it indicates the guilt the soldier feels he has been stained with. It is also interesting to note that Armitage chooses to end the poem with a couplet as opposed to the four line stanzas of the rest of the poem. Until now, the poet has used the poem to depict the events of the shooting or the impact on the soldier. The final two lines, however, summarise the feeling of guilt that the soldier has to live with. Poppies ends with an equally unhappy tone. The speaker says ‘I listened, hoping to hear your playground voice, catching on the wind’. The poet once more returns to the mother’s desire to re- vert back to the years when her son was small and she was able to protect him. Weir leaves the ending of her poem relatively ambiguous as we are uncertain as to why the mother is ‘hoping’ to hear his voice. We are not sure if she simply misses him or whether he has died at war. This end- ing, much like the ending of Remains, indicates that this conflict has left this mother with a strong feeling of loss she will have to live with. Ultimately, both poets explore the impacts on individuals and shows us the lasting impacts conflict can have, even when those individuals are not on the battlefield. Weir highlights the emotional impact on family members left behind whilst Armitage shows us the long-lasting impacts on sol- diers mental wellbeing. Rather than celebrating the exploits of war, both poets ask their reader to consider the devastating consequences beyond the battlefield. Introduction outlines argument. See page Main body of essay follows the structure which is laid out on page 18 Conclusion acts as a summary and con- cludes main findings from essay.