Lesson video

Hello, everyone, my name is Mrs. Riley, and I'm here today to do some learning with you.

In our lesson today, we are going to be analyzing a particular scene from "Macbeth." We'll be reading the script of the play and also watching an animation of this particular part that we're going to be focusing on in the next few lessons, so let's get started.

The outcome of today's lesson is to identify the reasons Macbeth considers for and against killing Duncan.

These are our key words in our lesson today, so let's start off by just saying each one out loud, my turn, your turn.

Are you ready? Soliloquy.

Internal conflict.

Suspense.

Manipulate.

Well done.

Let's see what each of these means.

A soliloquy is a speech in a play where the character speaks to himself or herself.

An internal conflict is a struggle within a person's mind over a problem or a question.

Suspense is the feeling of excitement or nervousness that you have when you are waiting for something to happen.

To manipulate is to control something or someone to your advantage, often unfairly or dishonestly.

So, in the scene that we're going to be analyzing today, we're going to be looking at a soliloquy so where a character speaks out loud to themselves, and in this soliloquy, they are facing an internal conflict, a kind of argument inside their own thoughts.

And at the end of this scene, it's going to leave our audience feeling suspense.

I wonder if you've ever read a book or read a chapter of a book, or you might've even got to the end of a book, and the author has really left you in suspense, either to read the next chapter or perhaps to read the sequel.

I know that I've read a book before where I have finished it and you're desperate to find out what's going to happen next, and that's what suspense is.

So all of these key words are really important in our learning today, and the word manipulate, we'll see why that's important later, when we focus on Lady Macbeth.

Okay, so in our lesson today, we have two learning cycles.

First, we're going to focus on sequencing the scene so just trying to get our heads around what actually happens in this scene and what order it happens in.

And then in the second learning cycle, we're going to be analyzing the scene a bit more.

We're going to be putting on our thinking caps and thinking hard about what this scene is about, how it makes us feel, so let's start with sequencing the scene.

Before we do that, let's recap what's happened so far in "Macbeth." Three witches meet on a heath and plan to meet Macbeth.

Macbeth has fought bravely, leading to victory, but the Thane of Cawdor is named a traitor and stripped of his title.

Macbeth and Banquo, who are friends, meet the witches on the heath, who predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and then the king.

They also predict that Banquo's sons will be kings.

Duncan then makes Macbeth Thane of Cawdor, and Macbeth starts to wonder if the witches' prophecies about him becoming king will also become true.

Macbeth writes a letter to his wife, Lady Macbeth, to tell her about the witches' prophecies.

Macbeth then rides home to Inverness, which is a place in Scotland, with King Duncan and his men.

Right, that was quite a lot of information, so let's check, or before we check, let's just have a look at these pictures.

Sometimes a picture can help us to sort of imagine what I've just read.

So, here we have a picture of Macbeth holding the flag in victory because they've won the battle, and we know Macbeth was very brave and fought very bravely.

Here we have the witches meeting on the heath, and here we have the witches making their prophecy, or predicting, that Macbeth is going to become king, so they say first they think he'll be Thane of Cawdor and then they think he'll be king.

And that's why we can see that sort of imaginary crown floating down on Macbeth's head.

And of course, after that happens, he's then made Thane of Cawdor, so you can understand why he starts to think that the witches' prophecies must be real.

Okay, now let's check what we've just learnt.

So, I'd like you to order these events in the order they happen in the play.

Let me read them to you: a, Macbeth heads home with King Duncan; b, Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor; c, Macbeth fights bravely in battle; and d, the witches make three predictions about the future.

I'd like you now to pause the video while you think about what order these events go in.

Pause the video now.

Okay, well done.

Let's go through the answer.

So the first thing to happen here is that Macbeth fights bravely in the battle.

We know that the Thane of Cawdor, the old Thane of Cawdor, is revealed as a traitor, so he comes out of the battle very badly, but Macbeth comes out very well because he's fought bravely.

The second thing that happens is that the witches make their predictions about the future.

They meet Macbeth and Banquo, and they predict those prophecies.

The third thing that happens is that Macbeth is then made Thane of Cawdor, which is one of the things the witches have predicted.

And finally, Macbeth heads home with King Duncan, I imagine, to celebrate the victory in battle and the fact that Macbeth has been made Thane of Cawdor.

Now we're going to read Act I, Scene vii.

Now, you'll see there that that's written out in Roman numerals.

We've got Act I, which is written like the capital letter I, Scene vii.

V is a five.

And then we've got two ones so a five and two ones.

Five plus two make seven, so this is Act I, Scene vii.

So, Macbeth says, "He's here in double trust.

First, I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed.

Then as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself." Okay, let's just think about that a little bit.

So he's saying here that Duncan is at his house in double trust.

He trusts him twice, first because he's a loyal subject but also because he's his host and as his host he should be protecting Duncan, not killing him.

Let's see the next line.

Ooh, "enter Lady Macbeth," that's a stage direction.

Macbeth says to her, "We will proceed no further in this business." Lady Macbeth says, "Are thou afeared?" Macbeth says, "If we should fail?" Lady Macbeth says, "We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking place and we'll not fail." So again, let's just pause there.

So Lady Macbeth has come in, and Macbeth is saying, "We won't proceed in killing Duncan," which is what they've discussed earlier.

And she's kind of saying, "Oh, are you scared?" And he's saying, "Well, what happens if we fail? What if we get caught?" And she's saying, "We won't get caught.

You just need to be courageous.

You need to be brave." So, in this first part here, this slightly longer part, you'll notice that Lady Macbeth isn't actually in the room, because we can see the stage direction that she enters afterwards, so therefore, this is a soliloquy.

That's our key word today.

He's saying this to himself, or to the audience.

It's helpful for the audience 'cause it gives us an insight into what Macbeth is thinking at this stage.

Okay, we'll carry on.

So this is another stage direction: "Nighttime.

The great hall of the castle.

All is quiet.

A flickering light appears.

Macbeth, with a servant, bearing a torch.

They halt." Macbeth says, "Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready, she strike upon the bell." "The servant departs, leaving the torch to glimmer on the spears and shields that hang upon the wall.

Its light, reflected on the polished surfaces, seems to form the shapes of daggers." Macbeth says, "Is this a dagger which I see before me? I have thee not.

A dagger of the mind? A false creation?" so what's happening here is that the light from the torch, which, of course, isn't an electric torch; it must be a flame, because they didn't have electricity when Shakespeare wrote this play; is casting shadows; that is, it's shining on the spears and the shields and those are blocking the light, which are casting shadows on the walls.

And Macbeth is seeing those shadows as a dagger.

It's like a vision.

He thinks he's seeing a dagger, but he's saying, "Is it in my mind? Or is it a real dagger?" Faintly, there is a sound of a bell.

Macbeth draws breath sharply (gasps): "I go, and it is done.

The bell invites me.

Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell that summons thee to Heaven or to Hell." So, that's the end of the act.

Now we're going to watch it.

We've read it and unpicked it a little bit.

Now let's watch it.

So enjoy watching this animation now.

(daunting music) (equipment clanks and clatters) <v Soldier>Argh!</v> <v ->Ah!</v> <v ->(squelches) Argh!</v> <v Macbeth>Ha!</v> (horse neighs) (gauntlet creaks) <v ->Argh! Urgh.

(retches)</v> <v Soldier>Ah!</v> (horse neighs) <v Soldier>Argh!</v> (soldier grunts) (equipment clanks) <v Soldier>Argh! (crackles and squelches)</v> <v Soldier>Argh.

(thuds)</v> <v Soldier>Argh!</v> (soldier yowls) (daunting music continues) <v Narrator>The news of Macbeth and Banquo's victory</v> came swiftly to the royal camp, but it did not cheer the king; for among the captured traitors was the lord who had once been Duncan's friend.

<v ->He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust.

</v> (solemn music) No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest.

Go.

Pronounce his present death.

And with his former title, greet Macbeth.

What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won.

(menacing music) (wind howls) <v ->What are these, so withered and so wild in their attire?</v> Live you? Or are you aught that man may question? <v ->Speak if you can.

What are you?</v> <v ->All hail Macbeth.

Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis.

</v> <v Witch>All hail Macbeth.

</v> Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor.

<v Witch>All hail Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter.

</v> (wacky music continues) <v ->If you can look into the seeds of time</v> and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then to me.

<v ->Lesser than Macbeth and greater.

</v> <v ->Not so happy.

</v> <v ->(laughs) And yet much happier.

</v> <v ->Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.

</v> (witches laugh) (bones rattle) <v ->Your children shall be kings.

</v> <v ->You shall be king.

</v> <v ->And Thane of Cawdor, too.

Went it not so?</v> (hooves pound) (horse neighs) (wind murmurs) <v ->The king hath happily received, Macbeth,</v> the news of thy success.

He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor.

<v ->What? Can the Devil speak true?</v> <v Macbeth>Glamis and Thane of Cawdor,</v> the greatest is behind.

<v ->Okay, I hope you enjoyed that.

</v> It's always useful reading things, but also, watching an animation really helps, as well.

Okay, let's check what we've just learnt.

True or false: Lady Macbeth tries to stop Macbeth from killing Duncan? Pause the video now.

Is it true or false? Well done.

It's false.

What would be a better justification for your answer: a, Lady Macbeth is very persuasive, or b, Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to kill Duncan, because she wants him to be king? Pause the video now, and choose a or b.

Well done, the correct answer is b: Lady Macbeth is very persuasive, but a better justification would be that Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to kill Duncan, because she also wants him to be king.

So let's focus a little bit on Lady Macbeth now.

What do we know about Lady Macbeth? Could you pause the video and talk with a partner or have a little think about what we know about the character of Lady Macbeth? Pause the video now.

Okay, well done, I heard lots of great ideas.

Let's see if they're the same as mine.

So, there's some illustrations from the animation of Lady Macbeth.

So, she is married to Macbeth.

She is cruel and ruthless.

She is ambitious, and she wants to be queen.

She is impulsive, and she doesn't worry about the consequences of her actions, so she's not going to sit and think, "Ooh, well, (tuts) shall I do this? Or shall I do this?" and write lists and make up her mind.

If she's impulsive (claps), she's going to make quick decisions without thinking about the consequences.

She thinks women are made weak by their maternal instincts, so she wants to lose her femininity.

Now, what that means is that her.

Maternal instincts are your kind of motherly instincts that you might have as a woman, and therefore, she thinks that if she's less like a woman, if she loses her femininity, that she will be made stronger.

Now, of course, we know today that that is complete and utter rubbish and that women don't need to lose their femininity or their maternal, motherly instincts to become strong, but that's what Lady Macbeth thought at that.

Or that's what Shakespeare made Lady Macbeth think in this play.

Lady Macbeth doesn't mind committing terrible crimes to get what she wants.

And so she manipulates Macbeth.

There's that key word, manipulates, persuading someone for your own advantage.

She wants him to kill Duncan, so she controls him for her own advantage, because we know she wants Macbeth to kill Duncan so that he can become king.

And then she will be the queen.

Here are some key quotes of Lady Macbeth, so from Shakespeare's play, these are things that Lady Macbeth says.

She says, "Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it," so she's saying, "Look innocent; look like an innocent flower.

But underneath it, you're the serpent; you're devious and cunning." She says, "And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty," so she's almost asking some supernatural force to fill her with cruelty to make her strong and not kind of doubt killing Duncan.

And so "In killing Duncan, Macbeth will be," she says, "so much more than man," so we can see there that manipulative side.

She's trying to manipulate him by saying "You'll be so much more than man if you kill Duncan.

You'll be so much greater if you kill Duncan," so she's trying to persuade or manipulate him.

Okay, let's check what we've just learnt.

What adjectives, which are describing words, would you use to describe Lady Macbeth: a, ruthless; b, maternal; c, honest; d, manipulative? Can you pause the video while you think about your answer? Well done.

So, Lady Macbeth is ruthless.

We know that.

She is.

Ooh, sorry, here's a quote.

We know she's ruthless, because she says, "And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty." We know that she is not maternal, because she says, "Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent underneath it." That's not the kind of thing that, perhaps, a mother would say to their child.

She's not honest.

Again, there's that same quote.

She's saying, "Look one way, but act another," and that's dishonest.

And she is manipulative because she tells Macbeth he'll be much more the man if he kills Duncan.

Okay, so it's time for your first task in today's lesson.

You are going work with a partner so in a pair.

First, you need to decide who's going to be Macbeth and who is going to be Lady Macbeth.

And I know you'll make that decision really quickly and in a really grownup way.

Reenact Act I, Scene vii, which we've just looked at, where Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to kill Duncan.

Use what you know about the two characters to generate your own dialogue.

It can be different from the play.

Include words and phrases from the word bank below to help you.

Let me read the words from the word bank to you: "Loyal, coward, serpent, flower, kinsman"; remember that's what he refers himself; he says, "I am Duncan's kinsman"; "host" because he is staying at his house so he's hosting him, "deed, weapon, prophecies, have courage, and betray." Now, you'll see some of those words are in Shakespeare's play, for example, "act like the flower, but be the serpent underneath it," and you can use those ideas.

But I don't want you to worry about just repeating, trying to remember every line from the play that we've just watched and that we've just read.

You can come up with some of your own dialogue, and in fact, you can use your imaginations, and you can add extra detail to the scene.

What would you have said if you were writing the scene if you were Shakespeare? What lines would've you added? So, you are working with a partner.

You're reenacting it.

You're thinking of different lines, and you're using the word bank, so if you get the bit stuck and think, "Ooh, I'm not sure.

I'm Macbeth, but I don't know what to say here," you could think, "Ooh, host.

Ooh, I haven't said anything about that yet," and that could be your next line.

So, I hope you really enjoy this task, because it's a really fun task and a chance to do some acting.

So could you pause the video now while you complete this task? Okay, well done.

I saw some incredible performances there.

I wish I could've seen every single one of you performing that amazing scene.

So, here's some examples of what you might've said.

The person who was playing the part of Macbeth might've said, "I cannot betray my king, who hath shown me kindness.

I am his kinsman and his host.

I will not do it." And then Lady Macbeth might've said, "Think not of Duncan's kindness but of your own power.

Imagine the kindness you can bestow on others if you become king yourself," so she's trying to manipulate him there, isn't she? So there's an example of the kind of thing you might have said in your acting.

Okay, we're now going to look at the second learning cycle, analyzing the scene.

Macbeth has an internal conflict.

There's that key word again.

Like an argument going on inside his own brain, he doesn't know what to do.

Part of him wants to kill Duncan, and part of him wants to remain loyal.

He has this internal conflict.

Now, I want you to think now about what are the reasons Macbeth should kill Duncan.

Now, of course, we know that no one should kill anyone, but in the context of this play of Shakespeare's play, why would Macbeth think it was a good idea to kill Duncan? Can you pause the video now while you think about some ideas why Macbeth feels he should kill Duncan? Okay, let's look at some examples and see if they're the same as the ideas you came up with.

Okay, so he has a lust for power.

He wants to be king.

He's greedy for money.

And this would make him rich because if he killed Duncan and became king he would be rich.

It would please his wife, Lady Macbeth, who we know is cruel and ruthless.

The witches predicted it would happen.

They predicted he'd be Thane of Cawdor, and that came true, so maybe this is meant to come true, as well.

And maybe he thinks the dagger is a sign of fate, another supernatural sign, a bit like the witches and now the dagger.

It's like all these signs are pointing, telling him what he should do.

Okay, true or false: Macbeth wants to kill Duncan because he hates him? Is it true or false? Pause the video now.

Well done, this is false.

Which is the better justification for your answer: a, Macbeth respects and likes Duncan; he just wants to be king himself; or b, Macbeth is jealous of Duncan? Pause the video now.

That's right: a is a better justification; Macbeth respects and likes Duncan; he just wants to be king himself; because we know he has a lust for power and he's very ambitious.

Okay, so what are the reasons Macbeth should not kill Duncan? So, we know he's got this internal conflict.

We've thought about the reasons he thinks he should do it, so these are the reasons he shouldn't do it.

Could you pause the video and see if you can think of any reasons now? Okay, well done, I heard loads of great ideas there.

Let's see if they're the same as mine.

So, he is a loyal subject.

He doesn't want to be a traitor.

If he fails he will be known as a traitor.

His good reputation will be ruined, and he would be killed.

Duncan has just made him Thane of Cawdor, so it's like Duncan's just almost given him an award or almost bestowed something upon him for his bravery in battle.

Duncan likes Macbeth, and Macbeth is hosting Duncan in his castle, so Duncan's gone to stay with Macbeth, which shows how much he likes and trusts Macbeth back.

Okay, so which of the following are reasons why Macbeth is tempted to kill Duncan: he has a lust for power; he wants to become king himself; Lady Macbeth would respect him more; it would make his wife unhappy? Pause the video now.

Well done, the reasons Macbeth is tempted to kill Duncan is that he has a lust for power, he wants to become king himself, Lady Macbeth would respect him more.

It's not true that it would make his wife unhappy, because we know it would make her happy if he killed Duncan.

So, Act I, not just this act that we have.

In an act, we have lots of different scenes, but the whole of Act I ends with anticipation of the murder.

It has not happened yet, but it has been planned.

Could you just pause the video and just have a discussion about "how do you think this has left the audience feeling?" They know that Macbeth is going to kill Duncan.

He hears the bell, and he says, "Hear it not, Duncan," because, basically, "I'm coming to kill you," but he hasn't done it yet.

And then the act ends, and the audience are left with that information.

How do you think they're feeling? Pause the video now.

Okay, well done.

You're right.

It's going to leave the audience feeling uneasy and uncomfortable, worried or nervous, tense, scared.

Ending Act I at this point creates suspense.

The audience are left feeling excited and nervous.

They are waiting for something to happen.

Do you think this was a good point to end Act I? Or would you have ended it after the murder? Why? Could you.

Think about that.

First of all, would you have ended the act like this? Or would you have ended it after he's killed Duncan? And why? Discuss that with a partner now.

Pause the video.

Okay, well done, I heard lots of great discussions there.

I actually think that it was a good point to end Act I, because if we saw the murder then the big sort of event has already happened, you know, so the audience wouldn't be left in that suspense.

I think it's really good.

A bit like we spoke earlier about when you end a chapter or finish a book and you really want to carry on reading, it's going to leave the audience really wanting to see what happens next.

Okay, so it's time for your next task, so you've got to sort each statement either for or against killing Duncan.

And then you can think of any other reasons that you could add.

So here are the different statements.

I'll read them to you.

As I read them, start trying to think, "Is this a reason for killing Duncan? Or is this a reason against killing Duncan?" So, he, which is obviously Macbeth, has a lust for power, and he wants to be king.

So is that a reason to kill Duncan or to not kill him? His good reputation will be ruined, and he would be killed.

If he fails, he'll be known as a traitor.

He is greedy, and he would be rich.

It would please his wife, Lady Macbeth.

Was seeing the dagger a sign of fate? He is a loyal subject.

Duncan has just made him Thane of Cawdor.

So, you have a table that looks like this, for killing Duncan and against killing Duncan, and you need to sort each statement and put them in the right table.

And once you finish that, see if you can add any other reasons.

So good luck with this task.

Pause the video now.

Okay, well done.

Let's go through the answers.

So, reasons to kill Duncan, or for killing Duncan, are he has a lust for power, he wants to be king; he's greedy, he would be rich; it would please Lady Macbeth; and maybe, seeing the dagger was a sign of fate.

The reasons against killing Duncan are his good reputation will be ruined and he would be killed; he is a loyal subject; if he fails, he'll be known as a traitor; and Duncan has just made him Thane of Cawdor.

So he's already just received quite a nice honor, so perhaps he doesn't need anything else.

He's already the Thane of Cawdor.

Okay, well done.

Perhaps you also were able to add some of your own ideas.

So, let's summarize what we have learnt today.

We have learnt that Act I, Scene vii, creates suspense in the play.

Macbeth has an internal conflict and doesn't know whether to kill Duncan or not.

In plays, soliloquies often happen when characters have an internal conflict.

In Macbeth's mind, there are reasons for and against killing Duncan.

Lady Macbeth is a strong woman, and she manipulates Macbeth.

So these are all the things that we have learnt today.

We are going, later in this unit, to write our own soliloquies of this very part in the play, where Macbeth has is having this internal conflict and he's speaking his thoughts out loud: "Should I do this? Should I do this? What will happen? How will I feel?" All of those kind of questions are going to be put into an incredible soliloquy that we are going to write ourselves, so it's really great that we now have a really firm understanding of this very important scene in Shakespeare's "Macbeth." Well done for all your hard work today, and hopefully, I'll see you for some soliloquy writing later in the unit.

Bye for now.