Macbeth

Lessons and Resources

 

Collection of Lessons from the same source

There are four lessons. The first consists of a lecture, a discussion, and a reading; the second asks the students to "make some connections between the characters and words"; the third is a continuation of the second; and the fourth gives directions for skits which are loosely connected with Macbeth. 

Macbeth Lesson: Historical Background of Shakespeare A Historical Overview of Shakespeare

Macbeth Lesson: Word Journals A Historical Overview of Shakespeare

Macbeth Lesson: Vocabulary A Historical Overview of Shakespeare

Macbeth Lesson: Improvisation A Historical Overview of Shakespeare

 

The Folger Shakespeare Library

In this lesson, students will emulate a key practice of Renaissance theater: doubling. The goal of this lesson is for students to experience—to see, hear, and feel—the differences between characters (especially supernatural versus royal) when students, as actors, have to take on more than one role. They will need to understand Shakespearean language, and will need to create distinctive personas so that the audience can differentiate between characters during presentation. Teaching Shakespeare: Lesson Plan

This is an exercise aimed at getting students to understand how primary resources may inform the text and ideas of Shakespeare's drama. Specifically, students will examine Macbeth 1.7 in conjunction with a primary source from 1599 to gain an understanding of historical context as a literary device. Teaching Shakespeare: Lesson Plan

The objective of this lesson is for students to critique Shakespeare's text in terms of plot, themes, and character motivation and development through comparative analysis with Holinshed's 1577 book, The Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Ireland. Students will study this likely source of Macbeth and examine Shakespeare's decisions in crafting his version of the story. Teaching Shakespeare: Lesson Plan

Usually when you tell students that they will be reading Shakespeare, you hear, "I don't understand what he is sayin'." or "I don't understand what is going on!" This lesson will introduce students to Macbeth by having them act out the scene where Duncan's murder is discovered. The trick is that all of the stage directions and characters' names have been removed from the text.

This activity will enable students to use dialogue only to discover the structure and format of a scene, understand language and plot, and formulate introductory decisions about characters in the play. Teaching Shakespeare: Lesson Plan

Your students will be reading a short section of a scene very closely and developing tableaux as a start to the performance process. Teaching Shakespeare: Lesson Plan

This activity involves the whole class in a simple but effective dramatization of the Third Apparition's prophecy in 4.1 regarding Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane. The exercise employs a series of theater games that culminate in a reenactment of the moment in 5.5 when Birnam Wood approaches Dunsinane. Teaching Shakespeare: Lesson Plan

In introducing Shakespeare to students, the best place to start is with the rhythm of the language in Shakespeare's songs. Children respond to the sound and beat of Shakespeare as much as they respond to his wonderful stories and characters. Shakespeare's songs are also short, self-contained (in terms of what's going on in the rest of the play), and often include vivid images and word pictures. Teaching Shakespeare: Lesson Plan

In an effort to understand the strong personalities of the two main characters, the students will examine how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth relate to each other in individual scenes and throughout the play. By taking elements of that relationship and making them physical, students will analyze the Macbeths' marriage on many different levels. Teaching Shakespeare: Lesson Plan

The length of Shakespeare's plays is enough to strike terror into the hearts of most students, especially ones who expect "the two-hours' traffic of our stage" promised by the Prologue in Romeo and Juliet. Taking inspiration from The Reduced Shakespeare Company's hilarious and brief The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) and Cam Magee, an actor and dramaturg from Washington, D.C., we present our own very concise version of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Teaching Shakespeare: Lesson Plan

This lesson will allow students to examine the term "tragedy".  It will guide students to scrutinize each of the plays' characters and eventually lead them to discover what makes a character tragic. Teaching Shakespeare: Lesson Plan

Students will use online resources in order to examine patterns of imagery in Macbeth. By comparing these patterns to those of other Shakespeare plays, the students will draw conclusions about the different reasons Shakespeare uses imagery in the play.  Teaching Shakespeare: Lesson Plan

Students will use video clips to help them reflect on the issues surrounding updating and modernizing Shakespeare. Then they will prepare their own text for modernizing or updating. Their performances will spark a discussion on the various ways to present effective Shakespeare today. Teaching Shakespeare: Lesson Plan

The Tragedy of ? -- After reading one of Shakespeare's tragedies, students sometimes ask, "Why is this play called The Tragedy of Hamlet or Julius Caesar? Why couldn't the play be called The Tragedy of Ophelia or Brutus?"  In many of Shakespeare's tragedies, the secondary characters support the main character as the primary tragic figure. Or do they? This lesson will allow students to examine the term "tragedy".  It will guide students to scrutinize each of the plays' characters and eventually lead them to discover what makes a character tragic. Teaching Shakespeare: Lesson Plan

BBC Lesson Plans

Shakespeare: Macbeth - Humans and the Supernatural This lesson is focused on Act 5 scene 3. All students will be aware that there is a shift in mood when Macbeth is thinking about the witches' predictions and when he is thinking about his own life and his wife. Most will be able to use adjectives precisely to describe the differences in mood and tone. Some will offer insights into why the witches are not seen after Act 4 scene 1. BBC - Schools - KS3 Bitesize - English Lesson Plan - Shakespeare: Macbeth - Humans and the Supernatural

Shakespeare: Macbeth - Guilt and Conscience All students will understand that Lady Macbeth's conscience emerges in her sleepwalking scene. Most will be able to make connections fluently between the scenes. Some will be aware of how Lady Macbeth's conscience breaks through in counterpoint with Macbeth's suppression of his own. BBC - Schools - KS3 Bitesize - English Lesson Plan - Shakespeare: Macbeth - Guilt and Conscience

Shakespeare: Macbeth - Good and Evil  This lesson is focused on Act 4 scene 1 and Act 5 scene 3. All students will have an understanding that to some extent the Macbeths destroy themselves. Most will be able to use the imagery associated with disease and health to justify their ideas. Some will be able to articulate a balanced argument as to whether they are ultimately destroyed by Good or Evil. BBC - Schools - KS3 Bitesize - English Lesson Plan - Shakespeare: Macbeth - Good and Evil

Shakespeare: Macbeth - Ambition and Loyalty  This exercise is focused on Act 1 Scene 7 but can also be related to Act 5 Scene 3. All students will understand that there is a conflict in this scene between Macbeth's ambition and his loyalty towards his King and be able to select quotations to prove this. Most will understand how Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband through insisting on loyalty to her. Some will make connections between the Macbeth's lack of loyalty and the desertion of the thanes later in the play. BBC - KS3 Bitesize Teachers - Lesson plans

"All will be aware that the way Lady Macbeth talks to Duncan is different from the way she talks to Macbeth . Most will be able to use some of the key terminology to articulate their ideas. Some will be able to draw meaningful comparisons between the language of the two scenes." BBC - Schools - KS3 Bitesize - English Lesson Plan - Shakespeare: Macbeth - Set Scenes - Act 1 scenes 6 and 7

Shakespeare: Macbeth - Writing Task  All will have some understanding of the kinds of information advertisements use. Most will have a grasp of the style and language used. Some will be able to write an effective advertisement. BBC - Schools - KS3 Bitesize - English Lesson Plan - Shakespeare: Macbeth - Writing Task

This lesson is background to the study of Macbeth Learn.co.uk - learning resources for the national curriculum, online lessons, GCSE revision, exam support, and much more ...

This lesson concentrates on the story (plot and narrative) of the play. Learn.co.uk - learning resources for the national curriculum, online lessons, GCSE revision, exam support, and much more ...

 

EDSITEment Lesson Plans

Shakespeare's Macbeth: Fear and the “Dagger of the Mind” This is Macbeth's situation. Just as the three Weird Sisters predicted, or perhaps precipitated, his fondest wishes, his secret dreams of power, have all come true. But so too have his darkest fears. In the course of the play, we see Macbeth struggling against those phantoms, struggling to master or eradicate his own fears. EDSITEment - Lesson Plan

Shakespeare's Macbeth: Fear and the Motives of Evil EDSITEment - Lesson Plan

 

KidReach

"These questions are used to introduce issues and ideas that you may confront in your reading, and they are designed to encourage you to think about these issues." The KidReach Reading Center

This a thirteen-day lesson plan, consisting mostly of a list of things to do -- give short lectures, show film clips, assign student activities. Students are new to Shakespeare, Renaissance, and Elizabethan times. Each student has a classroom computer and on-line access (this may be adapted to allow students to work in groups). Students have basic knowledge of the elements of a drama. The KidReach Reading Center

 

Assorted Lesson Plans

Macbeth: What's Up with the Crime Scene? Surfing with the Bard Teacher Zone ~ Lesson Plans

A translation of the play into a contemporary, chatty style. The Macbeth Page

William Shakespeare developed many stories into excellent dramatizations for the Elizabethan stage. Shakespeare knew how to entertain and involve an audience with fast-paced plots, creative imagery, and multi-faceted characters. Macbeth is an action-packed, psychological thriller that has not lost its impact in nearly four hundred years. Macbeth

Welcome to the Globe Theatre and Shakespeare's play MACBETH, written approximately 1606. The correct title of the play is THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH, which, creatively enough, means that it is a tragedy. The play has everything any audience could wish: witches, treachery, murder, and enough blood to satisfy the most ghoulish of audiences. The themes are certainly current--faithlessness, deception, and ambition. This play, written nearly 400 years ago, is still performed today on the stage and in films. How it is staged varies considerably. As you study the play, remember that Shakespeare wrote for the stage--MACBETH was intended to be acted, not read as a short story. P. Miller: Shakespeare Project

This unit covers the character of Lady Macbeth. Schoolsnet / Lessons / SAT Key Stage 3 English / Lady Macbeth

Shakespeare Coursework: Macbeth Essay Structure Macbeth Essay Plan

These K-12 lesson plans were developed by teachers in Tennessee. The Gateway to Educational Materials - Experimental Search

The following unit has been developed for an eleventh grade honors English course in a high school that is a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school serves a community of predominately white middle class students and the classroom encompasses twelve females and ten males. Our unit plan will cover a wide magnitude of discussions, activities, and universal themes to ensure that the plan may be used in more diverse classrooms and school districts. Macbeth Unit Plan

Macbeth: Study Questions Macbeth Study Questions

Macbeth Worksheets with questions Macbeth Study Aids02

Improv Macbeth in One Hour

Students will describe and compare characters and situations in dramas from and about cultures and historical periods, illustrate in improvised or scripted scenes, and discuss how theater reflects a culture ArtsWork - Macbeth

Script write  a eulogy given after the death of Macbeth http://ns2.d20.co.edu/kadets/shakespeare/txt/CW6.txt

One of the most fascinating issues in Macbeth  is the relationship between
Macbeth and his wife. Students like to debate the nature of their characters
and the ways in which each affects the other. http://ns2.d20.co.edu/kadets/shakespeare/txt/CW5.txt

Evaluative Essay: Macbeth http://ns2.d20.co.edu/kadets/shakespeare/txt/COMP3.txt

"After an in-class discussion students will be able to analyze Shakespeare's Macbeth in regards to the various elements of fiction. Students will use technology to produce a Power Point Presentation or Web Page to demonstrate their knowledge of Macbeth." Integrated Lesson Plan

Students are directed to search the internet for appropriate modern-day careers for Macbeth. The page is very short. macbeth

This site has a section called "Workbook Analysis," which asks students to "jot down" their responses to questions. There are a varying number of questions for each scene of the play. Lesson Tutor: Teaching and studying Shakespeare's Macbeth: A detailed course outline.

"Objective: Students will be able to write statements from Lady Macbeth's viewpoint that express her attitude toward Macbeth and reveal his ambivalence about committing the murder of Duncan." http://home.cogeco.ca/~rayser3/macalan.txt

William Shakespeare's Macbeth Revised for youngsters by Brian Beckenstein Lesson Exchange: Macbeth: Shakespeare for Elementary Students (Elementary, Literature)

Shakespeare Navigators at Click Notes Macbeth Navigator: Lesson Plans, etc.

This study guide offers ideas for presenting Macbeth to a high school class. The activities have been divided into sections Penguin Classics Penguin Books Ltd.

The purpose of this lesson is to get the students into groups and thinking about critical questions regarding Macbeth. These critical questions, then, will lead to the formation of theses for upcoming Macbeth papers. http://english.sxu.edu/~hughes/lessons.htm

"Goals  To develop an awareness of integrity, respect, and good judgment by assessing historical and personal character development and applying writing skills to compositions concerning character traits. . . . " Character Education - Lesson Plan

Discuss the four prominent themes that are presented in Macbeth Teaching Macbeth

"Students are asked to examine the emotions expressed in Macbeth's 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow' soliloquy." http://ns2.d20.co.edu/kadets/shakespeare/txt/LANG3.txt

A complete set of assignments for a Macbeth unit. The target audience is Year 11 students in Australia. The students are asked for a plot summary, for quotations illustrating the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, for a research report on a choice of topics, and for an actor's analysis and performance of a key passage. Macbeth Assignment

"Macbeth" is one of Shakespeare's great
tragedies.  It is a classic piece of literature that
can be studied and understood even by elementary age
students. Lesson Plans

Integrating Shakespeare & the Internet Integrating Shakespeare & the Internet Language Arts Lesson Plan, Thematic Unit, Activity, Worksheet, or Reading or Writing Teaching Idea

Macbeth is the story of the quest of Macbeth and his Lady to attain the throne of Scotland. Macbeth is a gifted leader, a fierce warrior, an imaginative, sensitive soul. But he wants to be king, even if it requires doing something drastic. His wife, Lady Macbeth, has an even stronger passion for power that pushes him relentlessly toward both glory and tragedy. ClassZone.com
 

Extension Activities to Inquest - Macbeth  Actis Inquest - Macbeth

Lesson Tutor: Macbeth Lesson Tutor: Teaching and studying Shakespeare's Macbeth: A detailed course outline.

Distance Learning Center: Macbeth ADE Distance Learning Center

Using the Digital Notebook to Visualize Thematic Links and/or Character Motivation in Macbeth ALEX - Alabama Learning Exchange

Best Practices in Technology Education --  "The integration of technology into the English and literature classroom helps attract students to the fascinating realm of research.  By using technology, students who are sometimes reluctant to look through shelves of books for material they can use often become captivated as they search the Internet and quickly find the information they need.  As their interest increases, they become eager to delve deeper into their research, thus enhancing their understanding of the subject." Betty Hall, English Teacher, Best Practices Page

To develop an awareness of integrity, respect, and good judgment by assessing historical and personal character development and applying writing skills to compositions concerning character traits. Macbeth Character Lesson

Macbeth: CAPT" style response which focuses on the skills of: Identifying, Developing an opinion, Critical stance and Connection with personal experiences

Multiple Intelligences and Bloom's Taxonomy Assignments

Character Study in Macbeth

Assorted Projects

Students perform a scene(s) from a Shakespeare play(s). They record a colloquial translation using PowerPoint software that is projected on the wall during the performance.

Macbeth

 

WebQuests

Macbeth WebQuest The Great Gatsby
 

An Internet WebQuest on the Shakespearen Authorship Question WILL THE REAL WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE PLEASE STAND UP

Macbeth WebQuest Teachers Page

MACBETH IS A BAD, BAD MAN
An Internet WebQuest on Evil in Literature

Macbeth Quest:  Historic King / Tragic Hero

Comparing the Play and the Film Showing Differences Between the Two

 

ThinkQuest

An Indepth Analysis of Macbeth Macbeth: An In depth Analysis

Macbeth ThinkQuest Macbeth

 

Study Guides

Spark Notes Macbeth

Macbeth Study Aids Macbeth Study Aids02

Interactive Quiz Macbeth Quiz

This study guide offers ideas for presenting Macbeth to a high school class. The activities have been divided into sections teacher's guide to Macbeth

Enotes: Probably composed in late 1606 or early 1607, Macbeth is the last of Shakespeare's four great tragedies, the others being Hamlet, King Lear and Othello. It is a relatively short play without a major sub-plot, and it is considered by many scholars to be Shakespeare's darkest work. Macbeth Summary, Essays, Quotes Shakespeare Macbeth Enotes

The Penguin and Signet Classics Teacher's Guide, by Linda Neal Underwood Penguin Classics Penguin Books Canada Dev
 

Classic Notes  ClassicNotes: Macbeth

A Teacher's Guide to Macbeth Reading Guide Frame

Give Me Notes: Macbeth Macbeth by William Shakespeare Notes - GiveMeNotes.com - Quality Free Essays, Term Papers, Homework, Thesis, Notes and Book Reports.

Ultimate guide to Shakespeare's Macbeth Resource guide to Shakespeare's Macbeth

Macbeth Study Guide  http://www.ferndale-rep.org/macbeth.pdf

 

Resources

Welcome to the Web's first edition of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. This site has offered Shakespeare's plays and poetry to the Internet community since 1993. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

A collection of teaching ideas and activities for Shakespeare teachers. Follow the direct links below to those intended for Macbeth students, or use the link above to find general introductory activities as well as those intended for other plays. Shakespeare Alive! Teaching Materials

Welcome to Shakespeare High: Your Shakespeare Classroom on the Internet!

Teaching Shakespeare Surfing with the Bard Teacher Zone ~ Lesson Plans

If you were to ask any foreigner to name a Scots king, he would eventually mention Macbeth, and his knowledge would be based on Shakespeare’s famous play. However, Shakespeare’s drama was written more than 500 years after the real Macbeth was on the throne and the plot of the fictitious drama has somewhat overshadowed the true life of Macbeth. Macbeth - Case Study

Macbeth a Royal Play

Major Themes in Macbeth

 

Date this page was last edited: 07/12/2004