ISC English – Full Detailed Revision Set
1. Macbeth – Act 5 FULL LESSON EXPLANATION
Act 5 shows the collapse of Macbeth’s power, Lady Macbeth’s guilt, and the restoration of rightful order.
Scene 1: Lady Macbeth Sleepwalking
- Lady Macbeth walks while asleep, revealing her guilt. She rubs her hands repeatedly as if washing blood.
- Key point: Earlier she said 'A little water clears us', now she cannot cleanse guilt.
- She mentions murders indicating hidden knowledge. The Doctor says her illness is beyond medicine.
- Theme: Guilt and psychological breakdown.
Scene 2: Scottish Nobles Gather
- Malcolm, Siward, and others join against Macbeth. His own men desert him.
- Symbol: His weakening rule mirrors his moral decay.
Scene 3: Macbeth’s Overconfidence
- He still trusts the witches’ prophecies. He mocks fear.
- Announces he will 'die with harness on', showing stubborn pride.
- Shows tragic flaw: Blind ambition and false security.
Scene 4: Birnam Wood Moves
- Malcolm orders soldiers to use branches as camouflage.
- Prophecy fulfilled: Nature seems to rebel against Macbeth.
Scene 5: Lady Macbeth Dies
- Macbeth responds coldly: 'She should have died hereafter'.
- Delivers 'Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow' soliloquy expressing life’s futility.
- Theme: Meaninglessness of ambition once achieved.
Scene 6-7: Battle
- Macbeth still fights bravely but hope is lost.
- He kills Young Siward proving physical strength but moral weakness.
Scene 8: Final Confrontation
- Macduff reveals he was 'from his mother’s womb untimely ripped'.
- Prophecy fulfilled in unexpected way: Macbeth misinterpreted fate.
- Macbeth is killed, Malcolm becomes king. Order restored.
Major Themes:
- Ambition’s corruption, guilt, fate vs free will, kingship and tyranny, deception vs reality.
Important Quotations:
- 'Out, damned spot! Out, I say!' – guilt consuming Lady Macbeth.
- 'Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow…' – nihilism and despair.
- 'Turn, hell-hound, turn!' – Macduff’s moral justice.
2. Beethoven – Poem FULL LESSON EXPLANATION
Beethoven’s greatness emerges despite cruelty and suffering.
Summary:
- The poem narrates the highs and lows of Beethoven’s life.
- His father forces him harshly to become a genius.
- Deafness isolates him but music inside him becomes stronger.
- His achievements prove the victory of spirit over struggle.
Key Themes:
- Triumph through adversity.
- The relationship between pain and creativity.
- Identity shaped by inner rather than outer world.
Poetic Devices:
- Repetition: 'Listen' engages audience.
- Imagery of sound vs silence shows internal music.
- Contrast: suffering vs greatness.
Message:
- True greatness comes from endurance and faith in one’s passion.
3. There Will Come Soft Rains – Poem + Story
Poem by Sara Teasdale and story by Ray Bradbury share a dystopian warning.
Poem Summary:
- Nature will continue unaffected even if war destroys humans.
- Birds, frogs, spring all remain indifferent to mankind.
- Theme: Human self-destruction vs eternal nature.
Short Story Summary:
- Automated house keeps operating after nuclear war kills owners.
- Technology cannot save humans from their own violence.
- Fire ultimately destroys the house – nature reclaims power.
Key Symbols:
- Silhouettes of family: memory of vanished life.
- Fire: destructive power of nature.
- Clock announcements: mechanical routine without meaning.
Central Themes:
- Technology’s limits.
- Hubris of humanity.
- Nature’s superiority and survival.
4. ISC Exam Strategy
For 5-mark answers:
- Identify context clearly.
- Provide 2 focused points linked to theme.
For 10-mark answers:
- Structured paragraphs with topic sentences.
- Use at least 2 quotations.
- Link to character and themes.
- Strong concluding sentence.
5. Practice Questions
A. Macbeth:
1) (10m) Show how Act 5 conveys consequences of unchecked ambition.
2) (5m) Explain significance of Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking.
B. Beethoven:
1) (10m) Describe how suffering shapes Beethoven’s genius.
2) (5m) How does the poem evoke sympathy for Beethoven?
C. Soft Rains:
1) (10m) Discuss the theme of technology vs humanity.
2) (5m) Explain one key symbol used in the story.
