Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Summary:

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays as well as his shortest tragedy. The play follows

the standard conventional form of the rise and fall of a great man and, as the title suggests, the

play is centered on a protagonist Macbeth. The story follows Macbeth in his struggle between

loyalty to his king and his “vaulting ambition”. Once power-hungry lust has overtaken Macbeth,

he and his lady pay a terrible price for violently seizing the royal throne.

Activity 1: Movie Clip viewing

Curricular Goal/Rationale: Students will listen, speak, read, write, and view while specifically

studying the opening scene of the play. They will watch three movie versions of the first scene of

the play from various time periods and compare them to gain a deeper understanding of the

performance aspect of Shakespeare’s work. I believe this activity would be effective because

students are critical observers of movies in their personal lives, even if they don’t recognize it.

Students are constantly evaluating the movies they see and they can use these skills to watch the

Macbeth movie clips and form opinions on which clip best captures the feelings of Macbeth. The

most important aspect of this activity is viewing as students gain a better understanding of

Shakespeare’s work as a performance piece from very early on in the study of the play.

Therefore as the play is studied the students can relate back to the movie versions they viewed

and have a mental picture of the text to help them comprehend the play.

Grade Level: This activity would work well with any high school English class because it

requires students to watch movie clips and form opinions. The activity itself would not change

depending on the grade level but the expectations for students’ depth in response would change

as the grade level advanced. Grade 11 students may have background knowledge from media

study or theatre classes that would allow them to discuss more advanced film techniques.

Timeline: This activity would take place while reading the play, specifically after reading the

first scene of the play. The length of this activity would be one class (60 minutes).

Materials/Needs:

- TV and DVD player or projector

- DVD or a file to play from the computer with the movie clips:

Orson Welles (1948 version), Roman Polanski (1971 version), Jack Gold (1983 version)

- Graphic organizer (optional)

- 3 pieces of paper, each with a different director’s name (Hang each page on a different wall of

the room prior to the start of the lesson)

Instructional Steps:

1. Read Act 1, Scene 1 (Witches’ first scene) out loud and encourage volunteers to read in a

witch’s voice.

2. Have a class discussion on the following questions:

- How do you envision the scene?

- What would the witches look like? What are they wearing?

- What would the setting for the scene be?

- What are the witches planning in this scene?

3. Hand out the graphic organizer or have students copy down the following chart:

Orson Welles Roman Polanski Jack Gold

4. Explain to the students that they are going to watch the opening scene from three different

movies versions of Macbeth. Ask them to take down notes about each scene and to consider the

following: setting, costumes, actors, line delivery, music, special effects, props, and lighting.

5. Play the first movie clip by Orson Welles and allow the students a few minutes afterwards to

write down their thoughts. Repeat the movie clip if necessary.

6. Play the second movie clip by Roman Polanski and again allow the students a few minutes

afterwards to write down their thoughts. Repeat the movie clip if necessary.

7. Finally play the third movie clip by Jack Gold and allow the students a few minutes afterwards

to write down their thoughts. Repeat the movie clip if necessary.

8. Ask the following questions and have students walk to the wall with the director’s name of the

movie clip that, in their opinion, best answers the questions. Ask students to bring their

comparison sheet with them. Once students are at the wall of their choice, choose a few students

from each wall to tell you why they think that movie was the best choice. After each question,

have them walk to the next appropriate wall.

- Which version did you like best?

- Which version do you think was "scariest"?

- Which version had the best music and special effects? How did they impact the scene?

Why do you think the director chose those?

- Which version had actresses that looked the most like what you pictured when we read

the scene?

- Which version was the least like you pictured when we read the scene?

Additional Considerations: This activity could be followed up a group project that could involve

students planning and designing their own version of the witches’ scene. The students could plan

the set, costumes, staging, and the way the witches would deliver the lines. Also, if the school

had access to video cameras and movie producing computer software the students could film

their own scene and make a DVD to share with the class.

Personal Connections: I used this movie comparison activity during my teaching last term and I

found students really enjoyed watching the movie clips, particularly the Orson Welles clip from

1948. I had used the activity as a journal entry only and now instead suggested it be used as a

class discussion because I think there would be great interaction between students who disagreed

on which movie clip worked best. I found there was a wide range of opinions on which movie

clips students enjoyed.

References:

When the Hurlyburly's Done: Directing and Acting Shakespeare's Macbeth. (n.d.). Retrived

September 23, 2009 from UbD Educators Website: http://ubdeducators.wikispaces.com/

Dana+Witches+on+YouTube+Activity

Orson Welles: Macbeth Intro. (2007). Retrieved September 23, 2009 from You Tube Website:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1_I36qHDts

Activity 2: Tracing a Word

Curricular Goal/ Rationale: Students will read and write by thoroughly examining the passages

in the play to extract meaning and then apply the information to represent and view word

collages that make a visual statement about a word used in the play. After tracing a word in the

play and finding all the lines that deal with the specific word, students will use the information to

visually represent the word to give deeper meaning and understanding. I believe this activity

would be effective because it encourages students to use close reading skills to find passages and

compare them to look at the overall impact of a particular word. As well, students are able to

creatively express what they find through a new medium that engages student interest through

the use of technology.

Grade Level: I would use this activity with grade 11 students because the tracing a word activity

requires students to independently make meaning out of passages in Macbeth and having a prior

knowledge of a few of Shakespeare’s plays would help students be more successful with the

activity. As well, students in grade 11 will more likely have experience working with computer

programs necessary to complete the word collage in the second part of the activity.

Timeline: This activity would take place after reading at least the first two scenes of the play or

after the play has finished being read. The length of this activity would be two or three classes

(60 minutes each).

Materials/Needs:

- Tracing a Word hand out

- Wordle, Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Word computer program

- Access to a computer lab for two classes

- Example of a word collage

Instructional Steps:

1. Assign students to groups of 2 or 3.

2. Distribute the Tracing a Word hand out.

3. Explain to students that they will be working in their groups to trace a word throughout the

first two acts of the play (or the whole play). Each group will be assigned a different word from a

list of common words. Every time they find their word in the first two acts they will record in on

a sheet of paper or entry log that will be handed in with their final project. Go over the guidelines

on the worksheet for recording an entry and look at the example.

4. The groups of students will then have all class to find and trace their word.

5. The next class the groups will take the information that they have collected about their word

and make a word collage using Wordle, Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Word in the computer

lab. The Wordle program may need to be taught to the students. Adobe Photoshop would work

best with a class that has already used the program. Microsoft Word could be used if students

were to print out the information and cut and paste it on a larger sheet of paper.

6. In order to design their word collage groups will have to make some creative choices

including which quotes or their own connections between quotes they want to include in their

word collage. Then they will enter the words on the website and create a collage by changing

font, colour, and format.

7. Once the students have decided on a collage that they believe best portrays their word they

will print it out and hand it in along with their log of word entries.

Additional Considerations: Students may need more than one class in the lab depending on the

difficulty of the program being used. More complex programs could also include images in the

collages. As well, you may want to consider having each student in the group create their own

collage and make their own choices about the word to have three different interpretations. The

collages can then be hung in the classroom as art and also can be referred back to when

discussing the same words later in the play. A gallery walk could also be used to ask students to

experience and possibly assess each other’s work.

Personal Connections: I have not had an opportunity to use the tracing a word project or make

word collages with a class. A former teacher has used the Tracing a Word project many times

and feels it helps students to begin to understand the imagery and themes in the play by

connecting the words and comparing them. I have seen word collages used by a collaborating

teacher in another subject and the students really enjoyed making them and deciding which

words to place impact on by the formatting choices they made.

References:

Feinberg, J., (2009). Wordle. Retrieved on September 21, 2009 from http://www.wordle.net/

Shakespeare, W. (1993). Shakespeare Set Free: Teaching Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth & A

Midsummer Night's Dream (The Folger Library) (P. O’Brien Ed.). New York:

Washington Square Press.

Activity 3: Literary Device Wall

Curricular Goals/ Rationale: Students will listen, speak, read, write, and view information

specifically related to the literary devices found in Macbeth. Students will learn about the main

literary devices used in the play and through locating them in the text and orally presenting their

importance to their classmates, they will gain an insight into how the literary devices add

meaning to the play. I believe this activity would be effective because it introduces the

importance of literary devices in a more natural way by having students first find literary devices

that relate to popular culture and then gradually introducing quotes that use literary devices

throughout the remaining study of the play. Instead of having one or two dry classes on literary

devices, students will see these writing techniques as important to the every class study of the

play. As well, the oral presentations encourage students to become more comfortable with

informal speaking in the classroom and may help students relax during future class discussions.

Grade Level: I would use this activity with Grade 11 students because the activity would work

better with a group of students who already has exposure to Shakespearean plays and to literary

devices. Also, I would like to use examples of literary devices from plays they have already

studied so that they would be familiar to the students. Students in grade 11 may have also had

more opportunities to speak about Shakespeare in front of their peers in other classes and

therefore may be more comfortable with the oral component of this activity.

Timeline: This activity would take place before reading the play and continue during the reading

of the play. The length of this activity would be one class (60 minutes) and possibly 5-10

minutes in each class following.

Materials/Needs:

- Literary device worksheet

- Overhead or Projector

- Book computer lab (optional)

- Literary device wall sheets (before class arrange sheets on the wall)

- Scrap paper

- Markers

- Sticky tack

Instructional Steps:

1. Hand out literary device worksheet.

2. Using the overhead or computer on the projector, discuss the definitions of each literary

device and give a Shakespearean example of each. Do not use examples from Macbeth as they

will be finding them throughout the play. Instead use examples from plays they have studied in

grades before.

3. Students will record the examples on the literary device worksheet for future reference.

4. Have students form groups of 2 or 3 and assign each group one of the literary devices

discussed. Give each group 3 pieces of scrap paper.

5. Groups will then have approximately 15 minutes of class to find three popular sayings or

quotes from movies that fit the literary device assigned. Students can either think of examples

from memory or use computers to find examples.

6. In the last 10 minutes have groups come back and share the literary device examples they have

found. Have them add the examples underneath the literary devices on the wall.

7. Explain to students that throughout the play students will each find 5 literary devices examples

(no more than 2 per literary device) and write them on a scrap piece of paper to add them to the

wall sheets. They will need to write the example large enough for all to see. At the end of class

the students who want to add a literary device to the wall will read the quote where a literary

device is used to the class, describe the meaning, and then add it to the wall.

8. Give an example from Macbeth and add it to the wall.

Additional Considerations: Ensure that students write their names on the corner of the example

added to the wall so that you will be able to keep track of students who have added them.

Students could also be given a record sheet that they need to record the literary device example

they gave and the date and be required to get your signature on the class when they present.

Personal Connections: I had the opportunity to use this activity with a class last year. Students

were hesitant at first to find literary devices but once they got used to finding them they were

more comfortable coming up and presenting them to the class. They often asked each other for

help finding literary devices and discussed what they would say with classmates to practice. I

found that some of the harder literary devices to recognize (imagery, symbolism) were not being

used so during one class I had a “2 for 1” day where if students found examples for those literary

devices they would be given double the marks for the example. In my class this activity was one

of the activities that students could choose to participate in from a list and interestingly every

student, even those who were not as comfortable with public speaking, choose to participate in

the literary device wall. I did not do the popular culture or movie examples with my class last

year but now reflecting on the activity believe that it would allow the students to feel more

comfortable with the activity by first using quotes from movies that are familiar to them.

Tracing a Word

Macbeth

Start at the beginning of the act and find the word every time it appears. Each time you find the

work, make an entry on a sheet of paper.

You will be assigned one of the following words:

Blood Hands Sleep Man Death Fair

Guidelines for each entry:

1. Write out the passage that contains your word and give act, scene, and line numbers.

Record enough of the passage to make its meaning clear and avoid cutting it off in mid-

thought. Identify the speaker.

2. Clarify the meaning of the passage by putting it into your own words (paraphrasing).

Then briefly explain what is happening in the play at the time the words in this passage

are spoken.

3. Draw conclusions about how the word is used. For example, compare the passages to the

ones recorded earlier by explaining how the meaning of your word is affected by the

character who uses it and the situation in which it is used.

4. At the end of the act, use the entries to draw more conclusions: What character uses the

word most often? How does the meaning of the word change as different characters use

it? Is there an unusual use of the word? How does this word affect the act you studied?

Sample Entry:

This is what an entry might look like for the word blood in Act 1:

1. a. Quotation Duncan: What bloody man is that? He can report,/ As seemeth by his

plight

and speaker of the revolt/ That newest state. (1.2.1-3)

b. Paraphrase Who is that bloody man? It looks like he has been fighting against the

and revolt and can give us the latest news of the battle. King Duncan is on or

clarification near the battlefield and wants to know how the fight is going.

c. Conclusions First quote; no comparison yet. Duncan trusts a bloody soldier whose

blood gives him the authority to report on the battle.

Literary Device Definition Example

Irony

Contrast between how a

person, situation, statement,

or circumstance appears to

be and what is actually

happening.

Personification

A figure of speech that

gives human characteristics

to an animal, an object, or

an idea.

Alliteration The repetition of the first

letter of two or more words

in a phrase.

Simile

A figure of speech

comparing two unlike

objects or ideas by

connecting them with the

word “like” or “as”.

Metaphor

A figure of speech in which

a word or phrase literally

denoting one kind of object

is used in place of another

to suggest likeness or

analogy between them.

Foreshadowing The use of hints or clues to

suggest what will happen

later in the play.

Repetition A phrase which contains

the same word more than

once.

Rhyme

The repetition of words

with an identical sound,

most often found at the end

of lines.

Imagery Descriptions of people or

objects that appeal to our

senses.

Paradox

A statement that seems self-

contradictory or absurd but

in reality expresses a

possible truth.

Symbolism

A person, place or object

that has meaning on its own

but suggests other

meanings as well.

Allusion

A reference in a literary

work to a person, place, or

thing in history or another

piece of literature.