An Examination of Tragedy Through William Shakespeares Macbeth Kristen Kurzawski John A.

Brashear High School

Overview Rationale Objectives Strategies Classroom Activities Annotated Bibliography Overview This unit teaches the well-known William Shakespeare tragedy Macbeth. It has been created for a twelfth grade English class that meets five days a week with 40 to 45 minute instructional periods each day, and it will take approximately one month to complete. We will begin our examination of tragedy by discussing a series of definitions of tragedy before reading the play. We will use these definitions throughout our reading to identify tragic elements of the play. Students will also follow several image and language clusters throughout the play to help unlock the complexity of the language and help them examine the themes of the play. Finally students will act scenes out in front of the class. Each scene will be performed twice to give us two different versions of each scene to discuss. This will allow the students to see how the staging of a play and performance of an actor can produce different interpretations of a scene. These three basic elements of the unit will make Shakespearean tragedy more accessible to the students and elevate their ability to analyze literature. The annotated bibliography included gives a variety of books, essays, and movies that were helpful throughout the creation of this unit. Each entry in the bibliography details the useful elements of each piece. Most of the sources could be used to teach any Shakespeare play, not just Macbeth. Also included is a recommended text for students. It is extremely important to choose a text that fits the needs of the students in the class. Fortunately, my school offers teachers the choice of several different texts for use in the classroom. However, if the text recommend in the bibliography is not available for your students, there is text recommended specifically for the teacher that offers tips to aid reading comprehension.

Rationale This unit has been designed for twelfth grade students in the Pittsburgh Scholars Program. These students are used to independent work outside of the classroom and are capable of extensive discussion within the classroom. Pieces of this unit could be adapted for use in a variety of classrooms, however the unit in its entirety would be difficult to complete without students willing to do work outside of class on a nightly basis. The students in my classes have all scored proficient on the state standardized tests in reading and writing. These students are also generally considered to be college bound, and most enter a four-year institution following high school graduation. For that reason, it is extremely important that these students develop the ability to comprehend and analyze complex pieces of writing. It is also necessary to expose the students to the themes and concepts of Shakespearean tragedy, as many of them will encounter more Shakespeare in college. As Jacob H. Adler stated, One must, I think, assume that Shakespeare is at least in the mind, if not in the writing, of all dramatists writing in English, and probably of all modern dramatists in the Western World(qtd. in Epstein). Therefore, a working knowledge of Shakespeare is an important element in the students cultural knowledge. I plan to teach this unit at the beginning of the second quarter of the year, and it will set off the reading of three of William Shakespeares tragedies. Students will begin with this unit on Macbeth, move on to a unit on Hamlet, and then finish with an independent reading of the play Othello. This is a formidable task for most students. When hearing the words William Shakespeare most students shudder and immediately assume that they will not understand anything written by Shakespeare. The language of the plays is intimidating to most, and I have found that teaching Shakespeare inevitably means overcoming the preconceived notions students possess about his plays. Peggy OBrien from the Folger Shakespeare Library said that students find Shakespeare . . . hard because they believe hes hard (qtd. in Epstein). In addition, when students learn that they are expected to read not one, but three Shakespeare plays they immediately begin to beg for a reprieve. They hope to wear me down until I agree to drop one or two of the plays. I am reluctant to succumb to their pleading, but I understand where they are coming from. Many students have only been exposed to dry readings and interpretations of Shakespeares plays. Many directors have a sense of automatic Shakespeare. They think you can just push a button and have a play unwind . . . [then] of course it is going to be boring (Marowitz qtd. in Epstein). In fact, we have all experienced a dry performance of a Shakespeare play before, and most English teachers have experienced it on numerous occasions. Considering our own experiences with Shakespeare we should not be surprised at students reactions when learning the next assignment involves reading a play by Shakespeare. Any teaching of Macbeth needs to have some

excitement or action built into the unit in order to engage students. After all, the play is about murder and betrayal, and who does not like a good story about murder? I feel incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity and the materials to create a unit that effectively teaches students to understand, enjoy, and appreciate Shakespeare. William Shakespeare has turned into this evil troll of a writer that students fear and hate. Shakespeares plays are about love, murder, intrigue, deception, passion, and confusion, yet students rarely see any of this excitement in the William Shakespeare plays they read in English class. This is a travesty I hope to correct with this unit. Macbeth has all of the wonderful plot elements to make it a fascinating story, if only the students give it a chance. It seems impossible for students to find the play boring with witches, ghosts, prophecies, and murder, but they do. At the heart of this unit is the goal of creating understanding and appreciation. In my attempts to create an interesting unit on Macbeth I also had to take into account that my students would be reading two more tragedies by Shakespeare. Beyond just building interest in Shakespeare the students would need to learn a great deal about tragic form. This is often a difficult balance to find. Students can have a great deal of fun working with a piece of literature, but then that work seems to lack depth in its analysis of a piece. College bound high school seniors need to be engaged in Shakespeare, but they really need to develop sophisticated reading skills and detailed knowledge of Shakespeare. With these things in mind this unit is designed to engage students through the acting and discussion components, but it will also teach students a framework of ideas they can use to analyze tragedy. My hope was to create a unit that could be used as a basic template for the teaching of Shakespearean tragedy. The goal was for students and teachers to use the basic concepts and ideas presented in this unit to analyze any tragedy by Shakespeare. I hoped to help students find patterns in tragedy to enable them to move beyond basic comprehension of the play to deep analytical and critical thinking about the play. I want the students to question the play, the characters, and Shakespeare himself while reading the play. Most students do not move beyond simple discussion directed by the teacher, but with this unit I hope that they will begin to ask thoughtful questions of their own. This would demonstrate independent analysis, which is a skill that will benefit the students throughout their lives. Overview of Tragedy Any examination of tragedy must begin with Aristotle. In any essay or criticism of tragedy Aristotles The Poetics is frequently referenced. In chapter six of the work he describes tragedy by stating that the action in tragedy is serious

and should excite pity and fear in the audience. In addition, the characters are generally higher types. Many interpretations of what exactly Aristotle meant by these ideas can be found throughout literary criticism, but echoes of these ideas can be seen in William Shakespeares tragedies. Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello all contain characters of a higher type with their tragic figures of noble birth. In addition, all of these plays can be said to be very serious and evoke pity from the audience. Shakespearean tragedy, however, does not simply follow Aristotles definition of tragedy. By the time Shakespeare created his plays the concept of tragedy had evolved. In Tom McAlindons essay What is Shakespearean tragedy? he examines the concept by reviewing the history of tragedy and through this examination creates a good definition for tragedy. Tragedy is an intense exploration of suffering and evil focused on the experience of an exceptional individual distinguished by rank or character or both. Typically, it presents a steep fall from prosperity to misery and untimely death, a great change occasioned or accompanied by conflict between the tragic character and some superior power. It might be said, therefore, that conflict and changethe first intense if not violent, the second extreme together constitute the essence of tragedy. (2) This definition provides a clear way to examine tragedy through Macbeth. The title character of the play demonstrates McAlindons idea of the steep fall from prosperity. When the play begins the audience meets Macbeth through a description of his daring and prowess on the battlefield. For brave Macbeth well he deserves that name/ Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel,/ Which smoked with bloody execution,/ Like Valours minion carved out his passage/ Till he faced the slave;/ Which neer shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, / Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops, / And fixed his head upon our battlements (1.2.16-23). The audiences first impression of Macbeth is one of awe at his strength and courage while fighting for his country. King Duncan is also equally impressed by Macbeths bravery and states, O, valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! (1.2.24). Shakespeare sets Macbeth up as a character to be admired immediately, and Macbeth immediately demonstrates the prosperity that McAlindon discusses when Macbeth is rewarded for his valor by being named Thane of Cawdor. The prosperity, according to McAlindon, must be followed by a steep fall and death. The path to Macbeths fall centers on the murder of King Duncan which leads to the second part of McAlindons definition, conflict and change comprising the center of a tragedy. The intensity of Macbeths conflicted feelings over the idea of murdering Duncan are brought out in the famous dagger soliloquy, Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible / to feeling as to sight? or art thou but / a dagger of the mind, a false creation, / proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? (2.2 36-39). His conflicting emotions toward the murder cause him and

the audience to question his sanity and evoke the supernatural influences of the witches. Here the audience sees that the conflict is not just caused by Macbeth own thoughts; there are external forces at work. Even after the murder he is still conflicted when he says, I am afraid to think what I have done; / Look ont again I dare not (2.2.51-52). Later, when Macbeth plans Banquos murder he seems unfazed by the idea of killing another innocent man. However, after the murder when Macbeth sees Banquos ghost the audience again begins to see the emotional conflict occurring within Macbeth as well as the presence of the supernatural causing additional conflict. Eventually, his conflicted feelings over killing Duncan and Banquo seem to leave him, and Macbeth and Scotland experience extreme change. The hero Macbeth is now the tyrant, the moral Scotland of Duncans reign is now lost. Ross tells MacDuff, Malcolm, and the audience the extent of the damage Macbeth has released on Scotland when he states, Alas, poor country, Almost afraid to know itself. It cannot Be called our mother, but our grave; where nothing, But who knows nothing, is once seen to smile; Where sighs and groans and shrieks that rend the air, Are made, not marked; where violent sorrow seems A modern ecstasy: the dead mans knell Is there scarce asked for who, and good mens lives Expire before the flowers in their caps, Dying or ere they sicken. (4.3.164-173) Shortly after delivering this speech, Ross informs Macduff of the slaughter of his family that he left behind in Scotland. Rosss speech and the brutal slaying of Macduffs wife and children demonstrate the extreme change in Macbeths behavior. At the beginning of the play the audience meets a hero willing to sacrifice his life for king and country, at the end of the play that hero has become a butcher, killing indiscriminately. McAlindons definition of tragedy becomes complete in the play when Macduff beheads Macbeth. Using MacAlindons definition to analyze the play can lead to extensive discussion within class, and lead the students beyond simple comprehension to deep understanding of the play and its structure and form. Conflict and change for the worse are at the heart of tragedy. These ideas can be analyzed through the terms hamartia and peripeteia. Peripeteia is the reversal of fortune for a protagonist (Harmon and Holman 384). This is when McAlindons change occurs and there is no turning back. Within seminar discussions this was called flipping the switch. Deciding when the switch is flipped and death is inevitable should be a central discussion topic for students when reading a tragedy. Debating over when the peripeteia occurs causes students to read deeply into the text, support their opinions with evidence from the

text, and examine the language of the play. Debate over the hamartia can lead to important discussion as well. The hamartia is the error, frailty, mistaken judgment, or misstep through which the fortunes of the hero of a tragedy are reversed (Harmon and Holmon 242). This is what causes the downfall of the character, however, it is important to note that this is often misinterpreted as a tragic flaw within the character. Hamartia is not a tragic flaw. Harmartia can be an unwitting, even necessary, misstep in doing rather than an error in character. Hamartia may be the result of bad judgment, bad character, ignorance, inherited weakness, accident, or any of many other possible causes. It must, however, express itself through a definite action or failure to act (Harmon and Holman 242). For example, Romeo and Juliet demonstrates the lack of flaw bringing about the downfall of a character. Romeos banishment does not come as a result of a problem with his character, but from a series of events that truly make him fortunes fool. In fact, the hamartia can often be the heros strength. In Hamlet, the intelligence and care that Hamlet shows when creating his plan to prove Claudius murdered his father could also be interpreted as the hamartia. Many believe that most of the tragedy in Hamlet occurs due to Hamlets insistence in planning and carefully analyzing everything before acting. Identifying the peripeteia and the hamartia within a Shakespearean tragedy can demonstrate a students comprehension of the play and ability to do a clear analysis of the play. Identifying these elements of tragedy will also spark discussion and debate, encouraging an exchange of ideas between students. Finally, the other major components of a tragedy can be found through Northrop Frys look at tragedy. Fry examines tragedy through the sense of isolation, the role of a larger force, and the movement of time. In tragedy we see the isolation of the characters. Families and relationships are fractured, forcing the characters to survive, struggle, and make decisions on their own. Hamlet isolates himself from all of his friends and family, Ophelias family abandons her, Macbeth stops telling Lady Macbeth his plans. Tragedy is sped up by this isolation. Hamlet loses perspective, Ophelia goes insane, and Macbeth spins out of control. Fry also believes that there is often an unseen force at work on the characters within a tragedy. Nature responds violently to Duncans murder implying that some unseen force is controlling the events. By killing the king, who presides over earthly order, Macbeth sets off a chain reaction that unleashes anarchy in heaven and on earth: the eve of Duncans murder is unruly; a violent storm suddenly picks up; the earth shakes as if with a fever; Duncans horses turn wild and eat each other; and prophetic shrieks fill the night air (Epstein 423). In addition, the witches in Macbeth encourage him to make certain decisions. Shakespeare maintains the image and influence of the witches on stage even when they are not physically there. This can be seen through the animal images throughout the play which represent the supernatural. The raven himself / is hoarse / That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan / under my battlements say

Lady Macbeth after she learns that Duncan will be in her home that night and she will have the chance to kill him (1.5. 37-40). Lastly, Fry examines the element of time within the tragedy. Time speeds up in tragedy and becomes the enemy of the characters. Once the murder of Duncan is committed the play moves swiftly from death to death. Banquo is killed, MacDuffs family is slaughtered, and then Malcolms army invades. Events move quickly once the peripeteia occurs, and the outcome feels inevitable. All of these elements add to the mood and atmosphere created apparent in tragedy. William Shakespeares Life William Shakespeares parents were John Shakespeare, a Stratford glove maker who also worked in the wool trade, and Mary Arden, a girl from a prominent Catholic family. John Shakespeare was a well respected member of the town of Stratford and rose up the ranks through several pubic offices. Eventually he became high bailiff, the equivalent of a town mayor. In addition to his success in public office his fortunes grew as well. This, according to Stephen Greenblatts Will in the World, probably enabled William Shakespeare to attend a local school dedicated to teaching Latin. While no records exist for William Shakespeares entry into the school Latin was considered the language of the gentlemen classes, and John Shakespeare wanted his family to be recognized as having a high rank. He even applied for a coat of arms, a very lengthy and expensive process at the time. However, in 1572 John Shakespeares fortunes took a turn for the worse. He stopped attending public meetings, lost many of his holdings, and his application for a coat of arms was denied. The reasons for this sudden reversal of fortune are not known, but Greenblatt believes it may have stemmed from alcoholism. He cites Hamlet as a source for this line of thinking. When Hamlet blasts Claudius and the people of Denmark for their drinking customs there is a real bitterness in the words, and the lines are a bit extraneous to the plot of the play. Therefore, Greenblatt presumes that there is some personal reason for William Shakespeares hatred of alcohol. Regardless of the cause of John Shakespeares loss of fortune, it would have provoked his son to head off into the world sooner than he would have hoped, and it would have denied William Shakespeare the extensive education many believe he should have received in order to write his plays. Shakespeares birth date is generally thought to be on April 23, 1564. Records exist recording his christening in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford on April 26, 1564. Since children were generally christened three days after their birth, the 23rd is the agreed upon birth date. Ironically, Shakespeares death fifty two years later occurred on April 23, the very day we recognize as his birthday.

Very few records exist of William Shakespeares life after his christening until his marriage to Anne Hathaway in 1582. Much rumor and speculation can be found about the wedding, which was considered unusual because Shakespeare was only 18 at the time of the marriage and his bride was 26. Shakespeare was actually considered a minor at the time of the wedding, and he needed his fathers permission to wed. In addition, some sources claim that the wedding was arranged rather hastily (Epstein 23). Also, discrepancies exist in the marriage record. The church register reads Annam Whateley de Temple Grafton but the bond for the marriage lists the brides name as Anne Hathwey of Stratford (Epstein 23). The ages, circumstances, and existing records have created speculation of a scandal surrounding the wedding, but there is no evidence to support any one theory. Stephen Greenblatt also examines the strange circumstances and theories surrounding Shakespeares wedding. Greenblatt tries to connect some of the theories to Shakespeares writing, referencing Romeo and Juliets passion for each other making them wish to wed quickly as one possible reason for the hasty marriage. However, he also cites Richard of Gloucester in Henry VI observation that Yet hasty marriage seldom proveth well (4.1.18) and Count Orsino in the Twelfth Night advice to Let the woman take / An elder than herself. So wears to him; / So sways she level in her husbands heart (2.4.28-30). Greenblatt does not come to any one conclusion about the strange marriage except to state that From this supremely eloquent man, there have been found no love letters to Anne, no signs of shared joy or grief, no words of advice, not even any financial transactions (125). Clearly, while Greenblatt is reluctant to state why Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, he thinks that the marriage was an unhappy one. From 1582 to1592 there is no official record of Shakespeares life. Once again speculation abounds. Based on the wide range of knowledge revealed in the plays, people have variously speculated that Shakespeare was at one time or another a moneylender, gardener, sailor, scrivener, tutor, coachman, soldier, printer, schoolmaster, lawyer, and clerk. One theorist even maintained that Shakespeare joined the Franciscans and was buried in the habit of the order (Epstein 23-24). Obviously romance has taken over fact when discussing Shakespeares life. The only thing that can be said is that at some point Shakespeare moved to London, became an actor, and then began writing plays. The first mention of Shakespeare in London is as an actor in 1592. He is singled out in a pamphlet by another actor, Robert Greene, who criticizes Shakespeare. 1589 marks the start of Shakespeares playwrighting career according to public record. His three plays Henry VI, Titus Andronicus, and The Comedy of Errors. They were reported hits on the London stage and sparked the creation of the plays we study and love today. We are in possession of 38 of the plays Shakespeare created in lifetime. A thirty ninth play, Cardenio did not survive.

Macbeth is generally thought to be created in 1606 toward the end of Shakespeares writing career during the reign of King James. King James was very interested in the occult and witchcraft. He even wrote a book about witchcraft called Daemonologie. So it is thought that Shakespeare included the occult references and witches in Macbeth in honor of King James. Image and Language Clusters Following image and language clusters throughout the tragedy can be a simple way for students to gain access to the play. By searching for a repeating image or word students can begin to feel more comfortable with the play and have some sense of control over the unfamiliar language. In addition, these clusters can open the doors for a depth of analysis that students may not be able to achieve otherwise. Tracking clusters throughout the play is an easy task for students of any level. It can aid in comprehension and a sense of control over a piece of literature for low achieving students, but it also lends itself to sophisticated analysis for stronger and gifted students. Within this unit the students will look for animals, darkness and light, disease and medicine, the occult, supernatural, or references to the unnatural. These clusters all relate to dark themes in the play, can help unlock the motivations of the characters, or give insight into a characters true nature. In The Boydells Shakespeare Prints there is an engraving by Thews based on a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds of Act IV, scene 1 in Macbeth. The engraving shows the witches revealing the apparitions to Macbeth. Animals surround Macbeth and the witches in the engraving, demonstrating the connection between the animal clusters in the play and the witches. Students can examine this engraving as they study the lines spoken by the witches at the beginning of the scene. This will give them a visual representation of some of the clusters they have been tracking through the play. By paying attention to when clusters appear in the play and who uses certain images and language the students can learn more about a character. For example, by seeing who else besides the witches uses animals in his/her language students may begin to see the influence of magic or evil in other characters. Objectives Students will meet a variety of communication standards throughout this unit, but the focus of the unit will be to ensure that students read and use a variety of methods to make sense of various kinds of complex texts. This will be accomplished as the students work through the elements of tragedy in the unit. By identifying the peripeteia and hamartia the students will be making sense of the text. The students will also make sense of the text by using McAlindons,

Aristotle, and Frys definitions for tragedy. By identify what parts of Macbeth fit the definitions they will come to understand the text beyond just simple comprehension. Another standard that will be met throughout the unit is All students respond orally and in writing to information and ideas gained by reading and use the information and ideas to make decisions and solve problems. Through our daily class discussions and note taking students will be responding to the play orally and in writing. These discussions will ask them to argue and debate issues in the play, which requires them to make decisions and solve problems. In addition, the final essay the students write in response to the play will demonstrate their ability to write about the text make decisions about the play. The students will also be expected to Analyze and make critical judgments about all forms of communication, separating fact from opinion, recognizing propaganda, stereotypes and statements of bias, recognizing inconsistencies and judging the validity of evidence. This will occur not only through class discussion and essay responses, but also through the scene performances in the unit. The students will have to analyze and critique the scenes, looking at voice, movement, and interaction between actors to properly interpret the scene. Finally students will exchange information orally, including understanding and giving spoken instructions, asking and answering questions appropriately, and promoting effective group communications as well as listen to and understand complex oral messages and identify their purpose, structure, and use. This will occur throughout the unit, but specifically can be seen while students debate when the peripeteia occurs and identifying the harmartia. Students will need to listen to others and articulate their own thoughts in order to create a meaningful discussion. Strategies The activities set up throughout this unit require students to be familiar with a discussion model and small group work. My classroom is set up so that the desks sit in a U shaped formation. This provides the students with a clear view of each other and encourages discussion among students rather than discussion between a student and the teacher. Often on discussion days I will pull the chairs into a large circle to encourage more exchanges between the students. In classes with reluctant participants I have developed a class participation chart. This can be created with a simple class list. Every time a student speaks I put a mark next to their name on the chart. Before beginning discussion I inform the class the number of times each student is expected to participate. This number changes

depending on the class size. This is an effective and simple technique, but it does create expectations for points every time we run a class discussion. I only use this strategy as a last resort. In addition to the large group discussion the students should be prepared to do small group work. I always organize the groups myself within the first month of school. The goal of each group is to mix all ability and participation levels within one group. Also, since students work in the same group all year they even the shy students become more comfortable and increase their participation. This unit also requires students to perform scenes in front of the class. The groups set up for the small group work would be used in this activity because that group has already developed a bond and have become comfortable working with each other. Whenever students perform or speak in front of the class I ensure that the class is attentive by making each student responsible for an evaluation of the speech or performance. This evaluation is then used to calculate a percentage of the speaker or performers grade. This encourages students to take the process seriously and not cause distractions during the speech or performance. Students will also be expected to take notes throughout our reading of the play. Each student will choose an image/language cluster to follow through the play. They will be expected to note in their notebooks where the cluster pops up in Macbeth. In addition, I will ask students to note important passages in their notebooks to bring to class for discussion purposes. To model what makes a good passage I will begin the unit by giving the students handouts with important quotations from the previous nights reading. We will discuss these quotations and why they are important. After a few days of modeling I will ask the students to begin taking notes on their own that are similar to my handouts. We will also be using a series of definitions in our study of this play. I have prepared a series of handouts that provide the students with the definitions. They will receive the definitions at the beginning of our work with the play, and will be able to consult them throughout their reading and class discussion.

Classroom Activities WEEK ONE Days 1 and 2 We will begin the unit by reading and taking notes on Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth, King James, and important ideas of the time period. This information

will come from Norrie Epstein, Cambridge School Shakespeare, and the Folger Shakespeare Library website. Day 3 We will discuss the idea of tragedy. This will include examining various definitions of tragedy and looking at the elements of a Shakespearean tragedy. My definitions will come from A Handbook to Literature, Northrop Fry, Aristotle, and McAlindon (See Appendix B for definitions). Day 4 Hand out texts today. (Student texts are dual sided. They have a line-by-line translation on the left pages and the original text on the right.) Students are assigned groups at the beginning of the school year and work in these groups all year. Today I will assign each of these groups a scene to perform in front of the class at a later date. I hope to have at least six groups in each class so that the three scenes I have chosen will each be performed twice. We will discuss my expectations for the performances and how those performances will be assessed. Students will put these scenes together outside of class. Scenes chosen: - Act I, scene i, lines 35-85 (witches greet Macbeth and Banquo) - Act III, scene iv, lines 10-109 (Banquos ghost) - Act V, scene viii, (Macbeth and Macduff fight) See Appendix C for the performance rubric. Day 5 Today we will discuss the idea of image and language clusters in the book. Students will look for the following clusters while they read. - Animals - Darkness and Light - Disease and Medicine - Occult/Supernatural references or references to the unnatural While students read they will be expected to record lines or passages that make these references. We will discuss these clusters during class. Students will get to choose what clusters they look for while reading.

WEEK TWO Days 6 and 7 We will discuss Act I, scenes i-iii. - We will look at the mood created with the opening scene through the witches and the plural language. To see the impact of the language on the scene three students will get up and read/perform the scene in front of the class. - We will discuss the impact of the prophecies on Macbeth and Banquo. - We will discuss whether or not we should trust the witches. - We will also look at the image/language clusters Day 8 We will view the first set of performances. These performances show the witches greeting Macbeth and Banquo. After the performances we will discuss the similarities and differences. We will also discuss how the action creates interpretation. We will look at how the performances may have changed or influenced how students view the characters and the scene. Days 9 and 10 Discuss Act I, scenes iv-vii. - We will examine the introduction of Lady Macbeth. What is your first impression of her? We will discuss the idea of preposterous using the definition from the Oxford English dictionary. - We will look at the image/language clusters in these scenes. - We will examine the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Some of the students will read lines in front of the class using different emotions to play with the scene. - How do Lady Macbeth and Macbeth speak to each other? - The connection between Lady Macbeth and the witches will be explored. This can be connected to the discussion of the image and language clusters. WEEK THREE Day 11 Discuss Act II, scenes 1-2 - We will look at Banquos misgivings. What does he seem to be saying? - We will examine the language in the dagger soliloquy. We will look for image and language clusters in the soliloquy. - Show Roman Polanskis film version of the dagger soliloquy.

- We will also discuss the murder itself. We will look at Lady Macbeths actions vs. her words. Also, we will discuss the differences between Macbeth and Lady Macbeths reactions to their deeds. Day 12 We will be looking at Act II, scenes iii-iv today. - We will discuss the image/language clusters. - We will begin to really look at the unnaturalness of the play. How has the natural order of things been disrupted? How does nature react to the death of a king? This will be the introduction to the concept The Great Chain of Being. See Appendix B for the definition used in this lesson. - Examine the conversation between characters at the end of the act. What does it tell us? Day 13 Today we will discuss and define hamartia and peripeteia. We will define the terms and discuss whether or not we can identify these things at this point in the play. See appendix B for definitions given to the students. - Does Macbeth realize his error? - When is there no turning back? - When does he make the decision that leads him down the path to his destruction? Day 14 We will discuss Act III, scenes i-iii. - What does Banquo suspect? - Is it necessary to kill Banquo? - Why doesnt Macbeth tell Lady Macbeth his plans? - How is their conversation in scene ii different from their conversation in Act I, scene vii? - Examine the image/language clusters. Day 15 Today we will discuss Act III, scene iv. - Is the ghost real or imagined? - Look at image/language clusters, specifically those of illness/medicine. - Look also at the idea of the occult and 3 which have popped up throughout the play.

WEEK FOUR Day 16 We will view the second set of performances. These performances show Banquos ghost. After the performances we will discuss the similarities and differences. We will also discuss how the action creates interpretation. We will look at how the performances may have changed or influenced how students view the characters and the scene. Day 17 Today we will do small group work. The students will work in their groups identifying lines spoken by each character that reveal important things about the character. Students will find two quotations each for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. They will find one quotation each for Banquo and Duncan. Day 18 -First we will discuss the quotations chosen by each group. We will look at what is revealed about the characters by their lines. - Next we will begin our discussion of Act IV. We will identify the apparitions and their meanings. We will also discuss what Macbeths visit to the witches reveals about him at this point in the play. This discussion will be guided by Thews engraving in The Boydells Shakespeare Prints. Day 19 We will discuss Act IV, scenes ii-iii. - Why does Macduff decide to leave his family? - What is Lady Macduffs attitude toward her husband? Do the students agree with her statements? - Does the slaughter of Macduffs family change your view of Macbeth? - We will also look at Malcolms test of Macduff. He lists the qualities of a good king. Does Macbeth have any of those qualities? Day 20 We will do small group work today. The groups will examine how the idea of the breakdown of the natural order of things appears throughout the play.

WEEK FOUR Day 21 Begin our discussion of Act V, scenes i-iii Scene i discussion: -What has happened to Lady Macbeth? - What image or language clusters can be seen here? - What is the significance of the phrase damned spot as it relates to witchcraft? References to the damned spot and its connection to witchcraft can be found in King James book on witchcraft and many other sources. It was believed that witches allowed the Devil to suck their blood in exchange for a familiar: a bird, reptile or beast as an evil servant. Accused witches were examined for the Devils mark, a red mark on their body from which Satan had sucked blood (also known as the damned spot) (Gibson 166). - What does Lady Macbeth write in her sleep? Scene ii-iii discussion: - What are the image and language clusters here? - How has Macbeths attitude changed throughout the play? Students will deliver Macbeths lines in front of the class in different ways to show the possible emotional states of Macbeth. Day 22 We will discuss the end of Act V. - Why does the play end with the death of Macbeth and the crowning of Malcolm? - Why does Macduff kill Macbeth? Why not Malcolm? - Examine the deaths of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Are these the deaths they deserve? Is Macbeths a heros death? Day 23 We will view the final set of performances. These performances show the death of Macbeth. After the performances we will discuss the similarities and differences. We will also discuss how the action creates interpretation. We will look at how the performances may have changed or influenced how students view the characters and the scene.

Days 24 and 25 These two days mark the final discussions of the play. - Hamartia and Peripeteia: Where is the point of no return for Macbeth? Where does he realize his actions have set his fate? - Women in the Play: How are the witches and Lady Macbeth related? Is there a connection between Adam and Eve and Lady Macbeth? Are all the unnatural images and language clusters related to Lady Macbeth and the witches? Are the animal clusters only on stage when the witches are not? What is the relationship between women and the occult? (Connect to King James interest in the occult and witchcraft.) - Elements of tragedy: How are the elements of tragedy brought out through the play? WEEK FIVE Day 26 The objective Test on Macbeth will be taken today and the students will receive their essay question for the play. See Appendix D for the essay question.

Annotated Bibliography Aristotle. The Poetics. This is the source almost all critics will reference when discussing and defining tragedy. Aristotle covers tragedy in Chapter Six of this piece, however his ideas are so well documented in other sources that it is not necessary to go to the source for your information. Auden, W. H. Lectures on Shakespeare. Ed. Arthur Kirsch. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2002. This book contains a series of lectures Auden gave on all of Shakespeares plays in the 40s. The lectures are quite interesting useful in thinking about all of Shakespeares works. The lecture on Macbeth does not necessarily cover any new ideas about the play (Auden actually says this at the beginning of the lecture), but it breaks the play into three basic themes. This makes for an easily digestible analysis of Macbeth. This is a good essay to read early in your research of the play. Bloom, Harold. Shakespeares Macbeth. New York: Riverhead Books, 2004. This book begins with a long essay by Bloom and ends with the text of Macbeth. The essay is extremely useful, energetic, and entertaining. The text of the play, however, is sparse and not student friendly. The Boydell Shakespeare Prints. New York: Benjamin Blom, 1968. Probably my favorite find during the research process, this book of Shakespeare prints is beautiful and intriguing. The 100 prints contained in the book are etchings copied form original paintings in the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery. It is all that remains of an ambitious venture to translate scenes from Shakespeares plays into paintings. The prints are done by a variety of different artists and in a variety of styles, but all are fascinating and intriguing. The Macbeth prints are particularly interesting and would create wonderful discussion in the classroom when looking at image and language clusters in the play. Elizabeth. Dir. Shekhar Kapur. With Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, and Joseph Fiennes. Miramax, 1998. Cate Blanchett does a wonderful job of creating showing the turmoil and challenges facing a Queen. This is a wonderful film to show before the play to give the students some context for Shakespeare plays. While Macbeth is thought to be written during the reign of King James, this movie still sets the stage for political turmoil, echoing many of the ideas in the play.

Epstein, Norrie. The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard. New York: Penguin, 1993. This is a fabulous resource that covers everything a teacher would want to know about Shakespeare. It has pieces on his life, the Elizabethan stage, important terms, and each genre. It is a useful go-to resource that contains easily accessible information for virtually every question I had while working on my unit. Folger Shakespeare Library. 2006. Folger Shakespeare Library. www.folger.edu This website has extensive information and is extremely helpful. It has lesson plans, links to other helpful sites, and scanned original documents covering everything from religion, manners, and the role of a wife during the Elizabethan period. Fry, Northorp. Tragedy as Autumn. Anatomy of Criticism.1957. This is a good piece for examining the elements of tragedy. It helped me come up with a list of elements a tragedy should possess. It contains many helpful ideas that will help students understand the basic components of a Shakespearean tragedy. Greenblatt, Stephen. Will in the World. New York: Norton, 2004. This biography of William Shakespeare was extremely useful in putting a face to the name. While Greenblatt does admit that this biography of Shakespeare is ultimately made up of a series of educational guesses, it gave me many anecdotes I use to engage students. It also has some interesting literary analysis woven through the biographical information. Harmon, William and C. Hugh Holman. A Handbook to Literature. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1996. This is a book I use daily, and it was particularly helpful with this project. It contains wonderful, lengthy definitions of literary terms. The definitions have informative literary references to further illustrate the meaning of the terms. I am continually impressed with the wealth of information contained in this book. Macbeth. Dir. Roman Polanski. With Jon Finch and Francesca Annis. Columbia, 1971. Polanski works hard to create the eerie atmosphere of the play, but some students find it uneven and difficult to follow. I like to show clips of the film. The scenes with the witches and the dagger soliloquy are excellent and the jarring music adds to the darkness of the mood. Teachers should be aware that there is some nudity in this movie during the scenes with the witches, but it is not gratuitous and has never been a problem within my classroom or school.

Mcalindon, Tom. What is a Shakespearean tragedy? The Cambridge to Shakespearean Tragedy. Ed. Claire McEachern. New York: Cambridge UP, 2002. This is an excellent essay that clearly defines tragedy. Mcalindon reviews all of the historical important thoughts on tragedy throughout the essay. This was incredibly useful in my quest for a clear definition of tragedy. OBrien, Peggy ed. Shakespeare Set Free: Teaching Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Midsummer Nights Dream. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993. This is a book every English teacher should have. There are three different versions of Shakespeare Set Free, but this is the one I used during this unit. It includes numerous lesson ideas and classroom exercises. All of these exercises are wonderful, and each one goes a long way to making Shakespeares seem less cumbersome to students. It is extremely helpful for finding image and language clusters in the play. Royle, Nicholas. How to Read Shakespeare. New York: W. W. Norton, 2005. This book examines six of Shakespeares plays and some of his sonnets. Royle pulls passages from the plays and uses the passages to demonstrate deep reading of the text. This is an extremely useful model, and I found the information on Macbeth very useful. Rubie, Peter. The Everything Shakespeare. Avon: Adams Media, 2002. This book contains summaries and analysis of each of Shakespeares plays. It is a good basic source, but it lacks deep analysis. It would be good general reference tool for any teacher who covers many of Shakespeares plays.

Shakespeare in Love. Dir. John Madden. With Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes. Miramax, 1999. This movie tells the fictional story of how Romeo and Juliet was created. While this movie is rated R due to a very brief nude scene, it is a wonderful film to show before reading a Shakespeare play because it gives students an insight into Elizabethan England. Although fictional, it is a wonderful way to bring Shakespeare to life. When I show this in class I usually hold up a poster board to cover the screen during the nude scene. The scene is short, and not seeing it does not detract from the overall story.

Shakespeare, William. Cambridge School Shakespeare:Macbeth. Ed. Rex Gibson. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1999. This book contains activities and exercises for the classroom in addition to the text of the play. It also covers some of the major themes of the plays and the discussion questions are excellent. This is an extremely useful text of Macbeth for teachers, but is clearly not meant for student consumption. Shakespeare, William. Shakespeare Made Easy: Macbeth. Trans. Alan Durband. New York: Barrons, 1985. This is a very student friendly version of Macbeth, and I use it in my classroom. It contains a modern English translation of the text on the left side of the book and the original text on the right side of the text. It is useful for helping the students get past some basic comprehension problems.

Appendix-Standards Appendix A-Communication Standards C1. All students use effective research and information management skills, including locating primary and secondary sources of information with traditional and emerging library technologies. C2. All students read and use a variety of methods to make sense of various kinds of complex texts. C3. All students respond orally and in writing to information and ideas gained by reading narrative and informational texts and use the information and ideas to make decisions and solve problems C4. All students write for a variety of purposes, including to narrate, inform, and persuade, in all subject areas. C5. All students analyze and make critical judgments about all forms of communication, separating fact from opinion, recognizing propaganda, stereotypes and statements of bias, recognizing inconsistencies and judging the validity of evidence. C6. All students exchange information orally, including understanding and giving spoken instructions, asking and answering questions appropriately, and promoting effective group communications. C7. All students listen to and understand complex oral messages and identify their purpose, structure, and use. C8. All students compose and make oral presentations for each academic area of study that are designed to persuade, inform, or describe.

Appendix B-Student Definitions Tragedy Defined by McAlindon Tragedy is an intense exploration of suffering and evil focused on the experience of an exceptional individual distinguished by rank or character or both. Typically, it presents a steep fall from prosperity to misery and untimely death, a great change occasioned or accompanied by conflict between the tragic character and some superior power. It might be said, therefore, that conflict and changethe first intense if not violent, the second extremetogether constitute the essence of tragedy (2). Taken from: Mcalindon, Tom. What is a Shakespearean tragedy? The Cambridge to Shakespearean Tragedy. Ed. Claire McEachern. New York: Cambridge UP, 2002. Tragedy Defined by Fry - While comedy is about relationships and social interaction, tragedy is about isolating the individual. Characters, families, couples, relationships do not come together. The center of tragedy is the heros isolation - Time works against the characters. It moves too fast, leading to death. Once the switch is flipped (peripeteia) then time speeds up. - The universe will correct itself, fixing the problems caused by man - Nemesis happens in tragedy Taken from: Fry, Northorp. Tragedy as Autumn. Anatomy of Criticism.1957. Tragedy Defined by Aristotle - Tragedy contains serious action - Tragedy concerns characters of higher types like nobles and royalty. - Tragedy evokes pity and fear from the audience. Taken from: Aristotle. The Poetics.

Hamartia The error, frailty, mistaken judgment, or misstep through which the fortunes of the hero of a tragedy are reversed. Aristotle asserts that this hero should be a person who is not eminently good or just, yet whose misfortune is brought about by some error or frailty. This error is not necessarily a flaw in character, although hamartia is often inaccurately called the tragic flaw. Aristotle sees a movement from happiness to misery as essential to tragedy, and he says, It is their characters that give men their quality, but their doings that make them happy or the opposite. Hence, hamartia can be an unwitting, even necessary, misstep in doing rather than an error in character. Hamartia may be the result of bad judgment, bad character, ignorance, inherited weakness, accident, or any of the many other possible causes. It must, however, express itself through a definite action or failure to act (242). Taken from: Harmon, William and C. Hugh Holman. A Handbook to Literature. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1996. Peripeteia The reversal of fortune for a protagonistpossibly either a fall, as in tragedy, or a success, as in comedy (384). Taken from: Harmon, William and C. Hugh Holman. A Handbook to Literature. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1996. The Great Chain of Being A term that refers to the elaborate system of parallels and correspondences that governed the orthodox Renaissance view of the cosmos. The underlying principle of the universe is harmony. Everythingthe revolutions of the spheres, the ebb and flow of the tides, the structure of society, and the civic laws, domestic affairs, and psyche of manworks according to the principle of hierarchical order. The various elements of the universe, from the celestial to the vegetative, are links in a vast chain. At the top of the chain is God, the Prime Mover, who presides over the universe, and in the middle is the earth, around which the spheres revolve. There are nine angelic orders, arranged in groups of three, ranking from seraphim to angels. In the terrestrial realm, each of the four elements has its own status: fire is the lightest and purest; air is more noble than the next element, water; and earth is the heaviest. In political affairs, the king parallels God in heaven and serves as His deputy on earth. Beneath the

king are the various ranks and orders of nobility and gentry, corresponding to the angelic orders in the celestial realm. In domestic affairs, man occupies a higher position than woman, for whom he is king of the hearth. The lion presides over the animal kingdom, as does the oak in the vegetative world. Occupying a central point in the chain is man, who alone of all Gods creatures has the freedom to choose between angelic virtue or degenerate bestiality. Within the human psyche there is also a chain corresponding to that of Gods role in the universe, which in a well governed disposition rules over animal passions. Man thus constitutes a little world, or microcosm, which is a tiny replica of the outer world, or macrocosm. This entire system is based on what Shakespeare and Renaissance writers and philosophers called degree, the rightful rank or position of each link in the chain. To disturb degree in any way unleashes anarchy, the utter dissolution of the entire system (61-62). Taken from: Epstein, Norrie. The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard. New York: Penguin, 1993.

Appendix C-Performance Rubric Score Point 4 Originality and Connection to Language and Theme
The group creates a truly unique interpretation of the scene which moves away from traditional staging. The scene also demonstrates a strong understanding of the language and themes within the scene. The actors deliver all lines clearly and with enthusiasm and emotion. All actors stay in character and demonstrate a deep understanding of their characters motivations.

Score Point 3
The group creates an interesting interpretation of the scene that shows some movement away from conventional staging It also shows a good understanding of the language and themes of the scene. The actors deliver most of the lines clearly and are able to convey most of the emotion of the character. The actors stay in character for most of the scene and demonstrate a basic understanding of their characters motivations. The costumes and props show some sense of unity, but may not connect to the theme or mood of the scene very well.

Score Point 2
The group creates a coherent staging of the scene that follows conventional staging techniques and shows some understanding of the language and themes of the scene.

Score Point 1
The group creates a staging with little to no originality or connection to the language and themes of the scene.

Actor Delivery

Costumes and Props

The costumes and props create a sense of unity in the scene. They also help convey the mood and/or theme of the scene.

The actors lines may be difficult to understand and may lack emotion or enthusiasm. There are multiple breaks in character throughout the scene, and several actors do not demonstrate understanding of their characters motivations. The costumes and props show little unity and do not connect to the theme or mood of the scene.

The actors lines are difficult to understand and lack emotion and enthusiasm. The actors rarely stay in character, and show little understanding of their characters motivations.

Few costumes or props were used. What costumes and props were used did little to create a sense of mood or theme.

Appendix D-Final Essay Assignment Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is a play that follows the basic format for a tragedy. The characters are isolated, time flies by quickly, there is a greater force at work, conflict and change, and the tragic figure experiences a steep fall from prosperity leading to death. In addition, much of the tragedy in the play can be traced to the hamartia of the tragic character and the moment of the peripeteia. In an essay three to five pages in length identify Macbeths hamartia and when the peripeteia occurs in the play. Your essay must have the following: An introductory paragraph that grabs the readers attention, states the title and author of the play, and possesses a sophisticated thesis statement. Body paragraphs that clearly connect to the thesis, contain direct quotations from the play, and extensive elaboration on ideas. A conclusion paragraph that does not simply summarized the paper, but comes to an interesting and compelling conclusion to the ideas presented in the paper. Intelligent and thoughtful sentence structure. Sophisticated vocabulary. Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.