Knowing the text in detail is key to unlocking its meanings. Using quotations correctly demonstrates that we know the text and makes our points clear. In this video we will look at some useful tips for demonstrating knowledge of the text in a concise way, and then look at textual elements in greater detail.
To do this we are going to look at two of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. Assessment objective 1 requires candidates to show detailed knowledge of their text and support it with appropriate references.
Knowledge of the content of the text is relatively easy to demonstrate; what often trips candidates up is the way they demonstrate that knowledge. Quotations must be relevant and concise, and it is crucial not to re-tell plot points as it wastes valuable time and energy in exams.
The details and quotations used to demonstrate knowledge of the text in work parallel with the context, language, form and structure of the play found in assessment objective 2 and assessment objective 3 to create the sensitive and informed response required by assessment objective 4.
Let us begin with Romeo and Juliet as our text. We will start by thinking about good use of quotations and links between separate areas of the play. One way to easily refer to different sections of the play is to use Freytag’s Pyramid of dramatic structure. The structure falls in to five sections.
The exposition sets the scene. The rising action is where things begin to create complications. The climax is the turning point of the story. The falling action is a series of events which lead to the denouement. And the denouement is the result of everything which has happened since the exposition.
This is the dramatic structure of Romeo and Juliet. As you can see everything centres around the killing of Tybalt and Mercutio in Act 3 Scene 1.
Throughout the exposition and rising action there is a lot of comedy provided by Mercutio. The comedy dies at the climax when he dies and puts “a plague” on both houses. Our AO3 knowledge of context tells us that one of the most famous plagues is from the bible. According to the bible God sent a plague which killed every first born son in Egypt. In Romeo and Juliet we see the death of both first born children – Romeo, and Juliet, and the Capulet heir apparent Tybalt. This means that we could consider Mercutio as foreshadowing the deaths of these three characters.
Romeo’s response to the death of Mercutio also foreshadows the events which lead up to the denouement and his death. The idea that “others must” end the woe demonstrates the idea that Romeo is not in control of his own destiny. This is accurate in two ways.
Firstly it is “others” who control his “black fate” during the falling action; he is “exile[d]” by the Prince, made part of Juliet and Friar Laurence’s plans without being told about them, the victim of Balthazar’s enthusiasm to keep him informed, and the victim of a quarantined house in Mantua. Secondly, the modal auxiliary “must” refers to the level of need. Without intervention Romeo will die.
Now we shall look at the dramatic structure of Macbeth the play and the character development of Macbeth the character.
Similar to Romeo and Juliet the Climax of Macbeth is a death. In this case Banquo’s in Act 3 Scene 3. The final moments before the climax are a conversation between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth which ends with Macbeth. Here we will apply a little of our AO3 knowledge of language, form and structure. Macbeth’s speech is written mainly in blank verse and ends with two couplets and a line of prose. It contains multiple references to vision, “eye”, “invisible”, “light”, and a lexical set, or semantic field, of violence and death, “bloody”, “tear to pieces”, “night’s black agents”, “crow”, “prey”.
The concept of vision is a recurring motif in Macbeth and reflects the themes of prophecy, and secrets. The semantic field of violence links to the recurring symbol of blood throughout the play, and to the themes of violence and betrayal
Earlier in the rising action we also see him make reference to vision and violence through his “black and deep desires” which he must not let “light see”. Again the speech is structured. This time it is rhymed iambic pentameter. We can therefore say that these types of reference and a metered speech rhythm are typical of Macbeth during the rising action and demonstrate his focused ambition.
However, once we pass the climax and enter the falling action Macbeth’s speech patterns begin to change. Macbeth is quite literally haunted by his actions. Not only does he see Banquo’s ghost but he is also being driven mad by his guilt. Here we again apply our knowledge of AO3 language, form and structure and find Macbeth is now speaking in prose rather than blank verse. One of the reasons Shakespeare used prose was to demonstrate insanity. Straight prose is quite jagged and has no rhythm which reflects the disordered state of mind associated with insanity.
The witches further prophecies from Act 4 Scene 1 make Macbeth paranoid, obsessive, and, in many ways, foolhardy. He fears Macduff but feels invincible as the only conditions by which he can be “vanquish’d” involve unlikely events such as “Great Birnham wood” moving location, and fighting a man not “of woman born”. This fear and invincibility leads him to react with greater violence throughout the falling action.
By the time we reach the denouement of the play and Macbeth’s final battle with Macduff the “brave Macbeth” from the first act who murdered the “rebel” Macdonwald has been replaced by the “tyrant” Macbeth who has committed regicide and multiple murders.
As we enter this final showdown Macbeth is still using more of a prose structure. Not only does this reflect his disordered mental state, it also allows Shakespeare to structure the dialogue to mirror the fight. Each final line has a different length giving it impact.
“To one of woman born” POW!
“Untimely ripp’d” THWACK! and so forth.
Macbeth’s final couplet returns him, in death to his original character. As he is using a poetic structure we can say his mind is clearer and his challenge to “Lay on, Macduff”, combined with his willingness to face his probable death as prophesied by the witches is reminiscent of the first description of “brave Macbeth”, “valour’s minion”, a man who deserved that name.
As you can see from these two examples good quotes are easy to embed. A good quote does not need to be long. Personally I would say that if a quote is longer than six words then it better be the greatest quote ever. In most cases, as you saw, one or two words is enough.
Short quotes are easier to remember with accuracy.
Unless you have an eidetic memory you will never memorise every line of the play and nothing is worse than having long, inaccurate or paraphrased quotes. Mercutio’s earlier “plague” quote is often misquoted as “a plague ON both your houses”.
By embedding the quote as we did earlier we both avoid inaccuracy and create a nicer, more precise and concise writing style.
Quotes also give us opportunity to demonstrate our knowledge of language, form and structure. By keeping our quotes short we can perform single word level analysis as demonstrated with “others” and “must”.
Drama AO1 video transcript
Knowing the text in detail is key to unlocking its meanings. Using quotations correctly demonstrates that we know the text and makes our points clear. In this video we will look at some useful tips for demonstrating knowledge of the text in a concise way, and then look at textual elements in greater detail.