Learning Programme
Unit:6 / Subject: English / Year 9
Title: Macbeth
Learning objectives:
è Read and understand texts, selecting material appropriate to purpose.
è interpretations of writers’ ideas and perspectives.
è how writers use linguistic, grammatical, structural and presentational features
SMSC
The responsibilities, rights of being members of families and communities (local, national and global); ability to relate to others including a range of religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds; cultural traditions, respect for their own culture and that of others, an interest in differences, understand, appreciate and contribute to culture; right and wrong; moral conflict. They develop the knowledge, skills, make responsible moral decisions.
Rights and responsibilities of humans, behaviour and consequences, family as a driving force and influence on behaviour and choices.
Week / Description of work to be covered
1 / Class work
· Discuss the Concept of power Who has it? How do we define it? Are power and fame synonymous? How is power lost?
· Discuss Family relationships What kinds are there? What happens when they break down? There is possibility here to explore family relationships in contemporary drama (The Simpsons may come in handy).
· Evaluate Central characters Who are the central characters in drama that pupils are familiar with? How do we know that they are central?
· Learn the concept of Voice What do we mean by a ‘voice’? There is possibility here to discuss different kinds of narrative voice and how this applies to drama.
· Internet research tasks for pairs / small groups
Macbeth – who was he?
è http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/macbeth.shtml
è http://www.sff.net/people/catherine-wells/machome.htm
è http://students.roanoke.edu/t/tnunez/actualstory.html
Lady Macbeth – Who was she?
è http://www.fuzzyhistory.com/2008/07/lady-macbeth-by-susan-fraser-king/
è http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/macbeth-lady-macbeth-in-context/3041.html
The Macduffs – Did they exist?
è http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Macduff
è http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macduff_%28Macbeth%29
Students should write out what they have learned – no copying and pasting allowed! They can then report their findings back to the class. Some of these sites are contradictory, so there will hopefully be some discussion
· Research 17th century witchcraft ideas.
2 / Class work
· Macbeth / Macduff / Lady Macbeth on the wall Inside – quotations: what we know about him,On the outline – quotations: what other people say about him – opinions, Outside – questions we want answers to
· View Annotated extracts / text
· Revisit task title. Pick out key words. Relate key words to Assessment Objectives and Mark Scheme.
· Study of Act I
What do we learn? (annotated extracts and / or DVD extracts).
Higher Tier
Read the scenes in groups, noting anything relating to the task and anything requiring further explanation
Foundation Tier
Read the scene(s) as a class, drawing out understanding and any difficulties with language.
How do the chosen extracts illuminate the chosen task?
What can we add to Macbeth / Lady Macbeth on the wall? (post-its)
· Copy of task
· Decide Which short quotations relate to the task? Note them down. Compare them with the post-its added to Macbeth / Lady Macbeth on the wall last lesson. Can we improve on these? How? (It is likely that first choices of quotation will be overly long – this is a
è Paring down exercise, encouraging students to focus on short, key points from the text.) Look at one scene as a class.
è Repeat this exercise, in groups, with any further scenes looked at last time (H) or as a class (F).
Depending on chosen task there may be time for a new scene to be looked at.
3 / Class work
Resources:
· Quick quiz Act I
1. Focus for all tasks (except Macduffs) – Act I sc. vii
2. Watch scene on DVD
3. Read scene in groups / as a class
* This is a pivotal scene with a lot to look at, though the focus will depend upon chosen task.
Higher Tier
Activities:
Interrogate scene for:
· Balance of power
· Relationship between the protagonists
· The light it throws on the two central characters
· How the language they use influences our views about them
- Add to Macbeth / Lady on the wall
Foundation Tier
The Macduffs - Focus on Macduff
Activities:
· Read Act I sc. ii, lines 45-62 - which lines describe him?
· Read Act II sc. iii lines 44-136 - when we first meet him, what do you think?
· Watch Act II extract
Questions to address:
a. Why do you think that Macduff did not stay at Macbeth’s castle?
b. What do we learn about Macduff’s relationship with King Duncan?
c. What can we infer about his relationship with Macbeth?
d. Add quotations/questions to Macduff on the wall
· Focus on different interpretations of character. How does an actor reach a view on interpretation?
è Four very different interpretations of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are found below. All are equally valid.
è Compare and contrast. Using text/extract, in groups decide why the actors decided to interpret the characters so differently. Find evidence for your views.
You Tube clips:
è http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JLdA7QECiw
Act I sc vii Sean Connery / Zoe Caldwell
è http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZltamDxHjYs&feature=related
I.vii Nicol Williamson / Jane Lapotaire
è http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qah1b6ZYRAY&feature=related
I.vii Jon Finch / Franseca Annis
Macduff task
- Direct the same lesson, but on Lady Macduff. Use the following clips:
è http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMbB2PHBXmg IV. ii
è http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXDS3GMRpzI IV. ii – Polanski
è http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERUEeTYZVUU IV. ii – RSC
4 / Class work
Focus: Act II sc. ii and iii (part)
· Power, family relationships, central character, voice
· Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Macduff
Activities:
· Inference – having looked in detail at I vii, students predict what will happen next. Write this down.
· Watch scene vii and compare predictions with scene
· Explore possible different interpretations, using extract to support views – refer back to last lesson.
· Predict what will happen when the murder is discovered.
· Repeat previous exercise.
Macduffs
*As above, but only Act II sc. iii (part) and Act II sc. iv (part)
è http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCK4D69IQ7kPolanski
è http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ybDZ3jlyFE&feature=relatedIan McKellan
*The porter does not develop the plot and students are often unable to appreciate the humour.
· Quick quiz Act II
Focus: Act III sc. ii:
· Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
· Family relationships
· Power
· Central character
· Voice
Study the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth has changed. How do we know this? Students, in pairs, should look for evidence for this. Specifically use of language. Lady Macbeth’s language in particular has changed dramatically since Act II sc. ii
* Do not watch DVD extract at this point. Pupils need to be able to interpret for themselves.
Once students have analysed the scene and fed back their findings, watch the scene and compare their own findings with the actors’ interpretation.
5 / Class work
Exploring Act III sc. iv
Focus:
· The banquet scene
· Macbeth, Lady Macbeth (Macduff)
· Presentation of Banquo’s ghost - to see or not to see?
· In groups read scene. Feed back ideas about Banquo’s ghost.
Watch scene on DVD then clips:
è http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irIPrZ4ulPQ&feature=related
Polanski
è http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu-rE6Nc0QI
RSC Ian McKellan
· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk5BtMgTW7c
Nicol Williamson
· http://www.teachers.tv/videos/macbeth
Sean Pertwee
To see or not to see?
§ learn how to make comparisons/cross reference
Focus: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth (Macduff)
a. Whatever students decide, no-one other than Macbeth can see the ghost. How do we know this? Look for textual evidence.
b. What does Lady Macbeth think? How does she try to cover up what is going on? Look at Act I sc. vii – what similarities can you find?
c. Look at the relationship between them – how has it changed? How can we tell? Find evidence to support your view. (Role on the wall)
d. What is the significance of Macduff in this scene? (All tasks)
· Quick quiz Act III
· understand Macbeth and importance of Macduff
‘I will tomorrow and betimes I will’
Focus:
· Macbeth
· Central character
· Power
· Voice
· Macduff
· All tasks
* It isn’t strictly necessary to look at the section prior to Macbeth’s entrance, but students enjoy it.
è Having watched scene, students should try to work out what the prophecies might mean with the help of the text. Relate back to I iii (Banquo) and III.iv ‘Fleance is ‘scaped’
è Why do students think Macbeth should ‘Beware the Thane of Fife’? Is there any evidence that he might be a danger earlier in the play?
6 / Class work
Act IV sc. ii and iii
Understanding the growing significance of Macduff
Focus:
· Macbeth’s growing ruthlessness
· The significance of Macduff
· All tasks
Activities:
· Watch extracts DVD and You Tube extracts as lesson 6 above - How will Macduff react?
· Look at Act IV sc. iii when Macduff receives the news.
· ‘Beware Macduff’
· Roles on the wall
· Quick quiz
Understanding Lady Macbeth
work out what has happened to Lady Macbeth
Focus:
· Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)
· Act V sc. I
· Power, relationships, voice, central character
Activities:
· Watch and read scene
Questions to address:
a. Though Macbeth does not appear in this scene, he can be considered to be important. Why?
b. Why is Lady M so disturbed? Other than the obvious answer, think about her absence in Act IV.
understand why Macduff is important to the play
· Watch and read final 2 scenes
Questions to address:
a. Why is Macduff to desperate to kill Macbeth?
b. How does Macduff fulfil the witches’ prophecy?
7 / Class work
Macbeth in Act V
Objective: to understand how Macbeth continues to change
Focus:
Act V sc. iii
· Macbeth (Lady Macbeth)
· Power, central character, relationships, voice
‘Bring me no more reports’
· Macbeth’s confidence in sc.iii
· Macbeth and Seyton (depending upon class, it may be worth discussing the fact that Seyton was pronounced ‘Satan’ in Early Middle English. This is likely to confuse less able students.)
· Macbeth’s reaction to the doctor’s report.
Act V sc. v
· Macbeth’s reaction to the news of Lady Macbeth’s death. This is worth looking at in some detail. It is less straightforward than it initially appears.
· The first of the prophecies is fulfilled. How does Macbeth react?
Macduff task - The Macduffs’ importance to the play
· Macduff quiz
· It may be useful to look again at the relevant scenes on DVD
understand the end of the play
Quick quiz Act V
Focus:
· Act V sc. Vii and viii
· Macbeth
· Macduff
· Central character
· Power
· Relationships
· Voice
‘Bearlike I must fight the course’
· Macbeth’s character in vii and viii
· Macduff as nemesis
‘This dead butcher and his fiend-like queen’ – an accurate summary?
· Quick quiz Act V
Assessment arrangements:
Higher Tier
Explore central idea in task. Introduce students to the themes of:
- The concept of power
- Family relationships
- Central characters
- Voice / Foundation Tier
All Foundation tasks are character driven. Introduce students to:
- Macbeth
- Lady Macbeth
- The Macduffs