Macbeth Final Projects

Received Thursday, October 16th

This will be counted as a 200 point major grade. Your goal should be to accumulate 200 points. For this assignment, I will not assign extra credit. If you score more than 200 points, you will only get 200 points put into the grade book. This is a chance to choose assignments that fit your particular talents and style. I caution you NOT to simply choose things that your friends are doing or what you think is the least amount of work. When choosing to work with others, remember that you are doing just that – choosing. I suggest selecting peers with a work ethic similar to your own.

Performance/Presentation Dates will be : Mon. 11/10 and Tue. 11/11 (I will add Wed 11/12 if needed.) All other work due Monday, November 11th. Due dates are NOT negotiable and being absent on those due dates will not get you extra time.

There are work days in the Writing Lab on Fri. 10/24 , Wed. 10/29, and Tue. 11/6. Access to computers and a printer will be available at that time.

Costuming (75)

Research authentic Renaissance-style costumes for Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, Banquo, the witches, Duncan, Malcolm, and Donalbain. You must present an oral report about the costumes (fabric, various parts of the attire, their uses, custom of dress, etc.) with your ORIGINAL, COLOR drawings on large quality art paper. In addition, you will turn in a typed, MLA formatted paper (500-750 words) explaining your research findings and design choices. NOTE: This choice is designed for people with some artistic ability. If you do not have artistic ability, skip this one.

Test (50)

Create a test for Macbeth. You must have 25 CHALLENGING true/false questions, 25 CHALLENGING multiple choice questions, 25 CHALLENING fill-in-the-blank questions, 5 CHALLENGING quote analysis questions, and 1 CHALLENGING essay question. You must prepare a COMPLETE answer key (including answers to the quote analysis and essay) and organize the test with clear instructions for students.

Newspaper (50)

Put together a newspaper of the day, for example, The Morning Macbeth. This must be a four page newspaper packed with information from the play. You will need pictures and headlines to go with your stories. You should have at least two “news” items (Macbeth Named Thane of Cawdor!), 1 editorial (opinion) (Banquo Should Have Been Named King Instead of Macbeth), 3 feature articles (human interest stories about sightings of witches, advice column, recipes for the Renaissance kitchen, etc.) The more information included, the better. Choose this one if you understand the different types of newspaper articles and how a newspaper is put together. If you do not have a basic understanding of newspapers, do not choose this one.

Letters (50)

Write a set of 5 letters (one full TYPED page each with meaningful content that reflects you read and understood the play) Caution: Do NOT “under-do” this one!

  1. Letter from Malcolm to Macbeth stating how he fears Macbeth will kill him
  2. Letter to Malcolm from Banquo after Malcolm has fled.
  3. Letter from the witches to King Duncan.
  4. Letter from Lady Macbeth to her doctor explaining her dreams
  5. Letter of your choice from one character to another.

Scrapbook (50)

Make a scrapbook that the Gentlewoman who serves Lady Macbeth would have kept through the action of the entire play. Include all major characters and events and for the sake of the project assume she knows all that happens. In addition to pictures, include some diary entries, newspaper clippings, letters, etc. Be creative! This project is designed for someone familiar with scrapbooking who can also go beyond these instructions in thinking of things to include.

Memorization (50)

Memorize one of the following passages and recite it to me. You do NOT have to recite it in front of the class, but I would love it if you would. You will start with 50 points; for each mistake or time I need to prompt you, you lose a point.

Choose One – Note that #3 comes from two different places in the play

  1. Macbeth’s part in Act I, scene vii, lines 1 – 27 beginning with “If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well” and ending with “And falls on the other.”
  2. Macbeth’s part in Act III, scene i, lines 48 – 71 beginning with “To be thus is nothing:” and ending with “And champion me to the utterance!”
  3. Macbeth’s part in Act I, scene iii lines 131 – 143 beginning with “This supernatural soliciting” and ending with “But what is not.”

AND Macbeth’s part in Act V, scene v, lines 17 – 28 beginning with “She should have died hereafter: and ending with “Signifying nothing.”

Make an appointment to do this before school (7:30-8:00) or immediately after school. (I mean 3:31. )

Board Game (25)

Include all major characters, the basics of the plot, and some of the themes. Turn in a game board, all pieces necessary to play, and EXPLICIT directions on how to play.

Decorative Timeline (25)

You must list at least 15 plot events, in order; use three from each act. Include 7 illustrations and 8 quotes from the text. Connect each image or quote to an event on the timeline. Caution: Do not “under-do” this one.

3D Display (25)

Make a 3D (like a diorama) of one scene in the play. Include a typed explanation of what you have created and the choices you made in creating it.

Artistic Interpretation (25)

Implement any form of visual art (sculpture, painting, etc.) that reflects the emotions, symbols, themes or deeper meanings of the play. Include a typed explanation of your piece. Again, this is for students with artistic talent.

Words, Words, Words (25)

Make a dictionary of 25 words from the play that you did not already know the meaning of before we read the play. You MAY NOT USE THE WORDS THAT ARE DEFINED FOR YOU BY THE TEXTBOOK!!!!! Choose OTHER words. Define each and quote the line from the play where each was found. Also cite the line.

Photographs (50)

Take a series of 25 photographs that reflect the mood of this play. Either print them from a computer or have them printed. For each photograph, include an explanation of how it reflects something from the play. An example might be a photo of a red traffic light reflecting in puddles on the street and how it reminds one of the blood on the Macbeths’ hands. Obviously this is designed for someone with access to a digital camera and printer. Photographs and TYPED explanations must be put together into some sort of booklet or album.

There are 2 more options that involve filming/acting. I will give those to you next week after we have read more of the play. They are 125 points.

Put Macbeth on Trial – (125)

With a group of others, no more than 5 in one group doing this for the grade, develop a courtroom scene and put Macbeth on trial. Let me explain. Five people can put this together and act in it. If 5 is not enough, you can get other friends to “guest star” in your skit but they will not be receiving points. Also, the 5 of you can play multiple parts. Write a skit that puts Macbeth on trial for the murders of Duncan, Banquo, and the Macduffs. This is 125 points, so it needs to be good. Everyone must have a speaking part. Rehearse and know the lines. You may hold 4x6 note cards to prompt yourself, but you must use them discretely and still use gestures and blocking. Do the blocking and use props and costumes. You do not have to spend money for the costumes, so you will have to work with what you have in your own closets. You may set the court case in modern times, but stay TRUE TO THE STORY OF THE PLAY! Do not change the facts of the plot. You may film it if you have the equipment to do so and burn it to a cd. I will play it in class. Your other choice is to perform it in front of the class. This is meant to be a choice for people who are willing to put in the hard work this will take. You are going to have to get together outside of class and work together well. * Requires a self-grade and reflection – see bottom of page.

Act Out (125)

With a group of others, no more than 5, act out three scenes (you can do four if you need to get enough material for each person) from the play. (Caution: Choose scenes with substantial content.) Again, you may have others “guest star” and play small roles, however, they will not be earning points. One person can play more than one character and be in more than one scene. The danger here is having one person not do enough to earn the 125 points. You cannot be a witch in one scene and say just a few lines and be done. Choose your scenes carefully and cast carefully so that each person is doing about the same amount of performing. Rehearse and know your lines. I want them mostly memorized without you reading all of them for the entire scene. You may hold 4x6 note cards to prompt yourself, but you must use them discretely and still use gestures and blocking. Use props and costumes. I want to see that you have rehearsed and thought about how you are performing the scene. You can modernize the props and costumes, but you must use the original Shakespearean language.You may film it if you have the equipment to do so and burn it to a cd. I will play it in class. Your other choice is to perform it in front of the class. This is meant to be a choice for people who are willing to put in the hard work this will take. You are going to have to get together outside of class and work together well. * Requires a self-grade and reflection – see below

**Self-grade and reflection: Type a brief essay in which you personally (not as a group) explain the process of putting this together. Describe to me all of the steps, who did what, and why you made the choices you did. Include the grade out of 125 points that you deserve for your part in this activity. Explain clearly why you deserve that grade and be very specific in explaining your participation. This may be turned in the school day after you perform.