Macbeth

I wrote this GCSE Macbeth essay earlier, Has anyone got any tips? Also if anyone is able to give a rough estimate of what grade do you think it might get (my exam board is AQA) I'd be really grateful. Thanks for anything you can do
How does Shakespeare present Macbeth throughout the play?
Throughout the didactic play, Shakespeare presents Macbeth a ‘noble’ and ‘valiant’ figure. Written in the Jacobean Era, The monarch, James, was fearful of revolt and paid Shakespeare to illuminate the consequences of participating in such a treasonous crime throughout this cautionary tale. Whilst at the start of the play Macbeth is presented the idolised caricature society should embody, we see Shakespeare craft Macbeth as a character with a crave for power which hence catalysed himself a change towards a juxtaposed malicious and violent figure, posing the question: do those we look up to also hide under such a ‘pleasant’ facade?
At the start of the play, Shakespeare, an admirable contemporary playwright, exemplifies Macbeth’s loyal and devout personality, to satisfy James in the knowledge he projects an ideal obedient society upon the audience. When returning from a ‘bloody’ battle, Macbeth uses the declarative ‘so foul and fair a day i have not yet seen’ which creates a sense of assertion, notifying the audience that if we follow Macbeth, we too will have a similar confidence to confide in. The noun ‘day’ shows the longevity of Macbeth’s faithfulness, and displays the harsh realities he has lived in during conflict, when his life is constantly threatened. Shakespeare arguably did this to show the ostensible strength any soldier will have when they show commitment to their country. However, the semantic field of equivocation ‘foul and fair’ perhaps emphasises Macbeth’s complexity, and the malevolence he hides within. It is a clear mirror to the Witches in Act 1 Scene 1, which poses the thought for the reader that Macbeth is a ‘thunder[ous]’, warped and dehumanised figure deep within. Perhaps the fricatives are possibly reminiscent of fire, showing the audience the global effect of Macbeth’s malevolence. This then makes us see that he is clearly Banquo’s foil as we see Banquo an honest and curious man. Shakespeare may have used this ambiguous language to bypass James and to instead reach the wider society with the message - evil is obsequious. James’s book Daemonology was devoted to exploring the extent of witchcraft and supernatural in society, and perhaps Shakespeare is almost using Macbeth as a symbol of warning to the audience to show how Macbeth subtly incorporates evil into his own life, instantaneously foreshadowing a continuous demise. Shakespeare may have derived this from Aristotle’s theory of systematic thought, which suggested society must synthesise observations and reasons, and Macbeth clearly acts as the antithesis to both of these requirements showing how far he is from a morally ‘brave’ man.
By the end of the play we see Shakespeare present Macbeth, A 'Murdering Minster’, as becoming a carcass of his prior appearance and having his ostensible presentation a mask of violence and usurp, to show the ‘serpent’ he was always destined to become. When Macbeth seeks the ‘Weird Sisters’ they use the metaphor ‘something wicked this way comes’ to almost welcome him into this world he is now sharing with these supernatural creatures. Furthermore, this shows the Christian society the effects on anybody who dares overthrow the Great Chain Of Being (the system of life) - As Macbeth has gone against the decisions of God, the rightful chooser of the king, he has found himself plummet below even ‘humans’. He is now deep inside the gates of ‘Hell’. The noun ‘something’ emphasises Macbeth’s dehumanised state in the world, and his irrelevance to mankind. Additionally, the adjective ‘wicked’ illuminates his cruel morals, which Shakespeare clearly wanted society to abolish and disassociate themselves with. Furthermore, the ‘castle’ which originally had a ‘pleasant seat’ is now a biblical symbol - the reincarnation of Hell, due to the overwhelming presence of Macbeth. Shakespeare may have done this to appease James in the knowledge that society understands the consequences of overruling the monarch. Perhaps this even mirrors the fate of those who participated in the gunpowder plot, and Shakespeare wants society to understand the drastic measures put in place to keep the closest thing to God save - the King. Anyone who tries to disrupt this will meet the same ‘fortune’ as Macbeth - death.
Overall, Shakespeare uses Macbeth as the foil to what those in society should become. He is keen to emphasise the darkness of power, and the control it can evoke. He wanted to magnify the need to keep the king safe, and remind us of our place in the Chain Of Being. In answer to my previous question, Shakespeare clearly wants to warn us of those ‘Hags’ who hide their evil under a ‘seat’ of normality - we must beware.

Hi, I'm in Y13 currently so I haven't looked at Macbeth in a while. Though, your response looks really sophisticated and thought through, better than some of the A level responses I have seen. Personally I think it would land you into Band 6. I think you could maybe explore the question further, maybe another paragraph of analysis. Maybe something about Macbeth as a King or his mental state. Perhaps the relational authority in the marriage, the fact that Lady Macbeth has control of Macbeth or to what extent Macbeth is malevolent or manipulated, whether Shakespeare wanted to possibly present Macbeth as a sympathetic character or just a plain villain responsible for his own demise. Other than that, I think your response is great.