The following is a sample UK - SAT Question for Macbeth:
Question
You are directing Macbeth. Write about how you would stage Act 2, scenes 1 and 2, to bring out the nature and moods of the characters, and the overall mood of the scenes.
Hints
Consider the following:
- How the actors speak, to show the characters' feelings and make the meaning clear.
- How the actors move about the stage.
- How the characters relate to each other.
- Set, props and special effects.
Model answer
Scene 1 sets the mood for the murder which takes place in scene 2. I would therefore emphasise the tenseness and sense of menace in the air. Banquo should sound uneasy and worried when he speaks of the 'cursed thoughts' that put him off trying to go to sleep. On the other hand, he is a good man. This is clear when he tells Macbeth that he will only follow his advice if he can still keep his 'bosom franchised' - his heart free of guilt, and his 'allegiance' (loyalty to Duncan). For this reason I would tell the actor to show his kindness to Fleance. This could come across when Banquo talks about the stars as candles, perhaps to put Fleance at his ease or entertain him. Banquo's unease should also come across when he takes back his sword and challenges Macbeth, before realising who it is. When the two men speak they should keep a physical distance from each other, to show that they are now rather distant as friends. Their politeness to each other shows their awkwardness. When Macbeth hints at something he may want Banquo to do, Banquo's answer - that he will not do anything bad (see above), shows that he suspects Macbeth a little already. I would tell the actor to make Banquo suggest this by his not looking at Macbeth when he gives his answer, and by speaking in a firm tone that makes it clear that he will not be persuaded to do anything bad.
When Macbeth 'sees' the dagger, I would make this an entirely imaginary one, because to a modern audience a real dagger dangling on a string would look silly. However, I would change the lighting at this stage to suggest either some sort of witchcraft at work, or Macbeth's fevered brain. Ultra-violet light, with a red spotlight might suggest this. I would tell the actor to make it clear that the speech falls into four parts: when Macbeth thinks he sees the dagger; when he decides it was just his imagination; when he thinks about the murder and imagines Murder as a person striding like Tarquin, but also like a ghost; and when he finally stirs himself to action. I would tell the actor to stand in four different positions for these parts. When he sees the dagger, he could reach for it and move slowly, as if following it. When he dismisses the idea, he could turn away from the 'dagger' and speak sharply. When he talks about the stones he should appear fearful, but at the end he should move quickly, because he is becoming, once again, the 'man of action', who dismisses words with the line 'Whiles I threat, he lives'. In scene 2, Lady Macbeth should appear excited at first, and slightly drunk, because alcohol has made her 'bold'. Her mood should change slightly, becoming more anxious, when she hears Macbeth and worries that he has not yet committed the murder. When Macbeth comes on stage, the two should speak their short lines rapidly and urgently, to show their tension. We should see Macbeth's bloody hands properly for the first time when he says, 'This is a sorry sight.' At this point the actor should speak in a heartfelt way that shows Macbeth's deep regret. Here and for the rest of the scene, the actor playing Macbeth should bring out his regret and terror at what he has done, as well as the way in which his imagination carries him away - so that he imagines he heard a voice crying 'Sleep no more!'. The actress playing Lady Macbeth should seems unimaginative and practical by comparison, especially when she answers his poetic speech about sleep with the puzzled line, 'What do you mean?'
Another point to bring out is the way they both refer to water. She should sound sensible, practical and unimaginative when she says, 'A little water clears us of this deed'. He should sound desperate when he says that his bloody hands will turn the whole ocean red.
The knocking at the end should get louder and louder, and Lady Macbeth more and more urgent. Macbeth himself could appear to be almost in a dream, as if he hardly cares about being caught. He even wishes that the knocking could wake Duncan!
I would make the set very bare, perhaps with large dark shapes looming up, and a lot of rather menacing shadows thrown by lighting from the side of the stage. There should be flickering light from torches too, and corners that are only lit up for a moment, to show the struggle between good and evil in the play.
Comment
This is a good answer because it makes the most of the hints. It looks closely at what the lines reveal about the characters, assessing the relationships between characters, and the differences between them. It shows an understanding of how differences are shown by the way in which characters speak, as well as by the meaning of what they say - Macbeth too imaginative for his own good, and Lady Macbeth thinking they can pretend the murder never happened and live happily as King and Queen. It shows an awareness of the structure of the scenes and of the speeches - especially of Macbeth's soliloquy. It also shows a real awareness that the play is meant to be performed, and some imaginative ideas about how to emphasise the meaning and mood of the scenes. Finally it shows that the writer knows about the rest of the play - and yet does not make the mistake of too much about it rather than focusing on the two set scenes.
Using quotations
Use short quotations to back up the points you make in your answers and to show that you understand what they mean and why they are important. Always put them in quotation marks.
