MACBETH

By William Shakespeare

 

1. WORKSHEET: Ideas are tricky to convey in a second language class! Illustrations can be more powerful than words–especially in the realm of ideas! Print a “cartoon” worksheet for each student to fill in and keep.

 

2. THE CURTAINS OPEN: Wheel of Fortune

Preview the ideas and issues in the lesson with a contest.

A. COMPETITION: Wheel of Fortune

Play Wheel of Fortune to introduce the plot, action, characters, and vocabulary for this classic.

B. GAME WORDS/PHRASES: King, witch, guilt, choice.

 

3. WITCH: Visitor

A sudden, unexpected knock at the door creates delight and wonder in a classroom.

Surprise visitors interrupt the daily routine, tell their story, pose dilemmas,

and answer questions.

Rehearse the Visitor Script ahead of time and put together a costume. Knock on the door, burst in the classroom, and portray the visitor! Engage the class by asking them questions and allowing them to ask you questions, too! Make a flamboyant exit!

 

4. VOCABULARY

When learning new vocabulary words becomes tedious drill — students can recite the definitions but they often have no clue what the words really mean. Try exercises that train students to think and use reasoning skills while they learn new vocabulary.

A. Trust: To know you can rely on someone.

B. Praise: To say good things about.

C. Witch: A person believed to have magic powers.

D. Prophecy: To tell the future.

E. Suspicious: To imagine something is true.

F. Guilt: Feel sorry for doing something wrong.

COMPETITION

A. Before class write the list of words on the board.

B. Pronounce each word. Students repeat.

C. Explain the contest! Teams of 2-3 are to race to look up the words and compose one example sentence using the word. First team to give the definition and use the word correctly in a sentence scores 2 points. Other teams can score 2 points for a correct sentence.

D. Do all the vocabulary words in turn.

 

5. MACBETH: Theater on a String

Theater is riveting. Before the curtain rises the plot, action, characters, and setting are only a script on paper. Theater relies on the audience’s imagination and suddenly there is magic. This is theater on a string!

INSTRUCTIONS

A. Stretch a rope/line across the front of the room. Get two students to hold the two ends — hold it up high so all can see!

B. Use the props to tell the story by hanging them on the line with clothes-pins as you tell the story.

C. Find clever ways to clarify the plot, action, characters, and ideas in the story. Let the class repeat the names and the story line! Go back to the beginning often and check their memory then resume the story!

PROPS

1. The props must be big enough for the students in the back to see!

2. The paper dolls should be 20IN-24IN tall. The same paper doll can be Prospero, Odysseus, Hamlet, Romeo, or the Merchant of Venice! Save them–change the costumes for each classic. Clothes do make the person!

 

YOU TUBE

Search for BBC Shakespeare Animated Tales MACBETH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC9G_CZVAL8

 

6. QUESTIONS: Tic Tac Toe

Questions can teach students HOW to think rather than WHAT to think.

Ask questions that will require reason and imagination.

Draw the Tic Tac Toe Board on the blackboard. Make two Teams: Ask the first person from Team “X” a question. If correct, that team puts an “X” on the Tic Tac Toe Board. Team “O” gets the next question. Continue asking questions until one team wins.

QUESTIONS:

A. Spell “witch” — backwards!

B. Name the five main people in the story.

C. TRUE/FALSE: France invaded Spain.

D. Who killed King Duncan?

E. Whose idea was it to kill King Duncan?

F. What do you think the witches looked like?

G. Explain the plot of the story in your own words.

H. What is a prophecy?

I. What are two bad choices Macbeth made?

J. What did guilt do to Lady Macbeth?

K. Who were you cheering for in the story–Macbeth or Malcolm?

WALLS AND CORNERS

One Tic Tac Toe team stand around the room leaning against the walls and corners. Other team go and face someone. Discuss these questions one-by-one, rotating after each one.

1. Some people believe witches can tell the future. What is your idea?

2. Name three things that make people feel guilty.

3. What happens to people when they feel guilty? (Examples: drink, become bitter, commit suicide)

4. Why is guilt so powerful?

5. How can you get rid of guilt?

 

7. RE-TELL THE STORY

Now it is the students’ turn! Take all the clothes-pins and props off the line. Hold up each prop in turn and ask the class to explain the plot, action, characters, and ideas in the story. Prompt them if necessary.

 

8. CHOICES: You Tube Video

Apply the ideas in the lesson in an imaginary YOU TUBE Video.

Choice – to pick between this or that.

QUESTIONS

1. What is the best choice you’ve made?

2. What is the worst choice you’ve made?

3. What choice and consequence has changed your life?

4. What are the three most important choices you will ever make? Example: nutrition, health/fitness, occupation, friends, spouse, beliefs, conduct.

YOU TUBE VIDEO

Small groups create a 30SEC pretend YOU TUBE video about choices. Perform for the class or use a cell phone to video and show it to everyone.

 

9. MACBETH’S E-MAIL

Correspondence is revealing. Some E-MAILS are polite. Some ask questions.

Some are confessions. Some express wishes.

A. Read this E-MAIL from Macbeth to the witches.

Dear Witches,

I wish I never knew you. Why did you tell me the future?

I believed you. I made bad choices.

Don’t tell me anything else.

Macbeth

B. Explain that everyone will pretend to be any character in the play and write an E-MAIL.

C. These are not long epistles–allow 2-3MIN.

D. Then everyone find a group, exchange the E-MAILS, and read them aloud.