Understanding the context of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I understand who William Shakespeare was and know some of the key features of his literary style.
Key learning points
- William Shakespeare was a renowned English playwright, poet and actor.
- Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1616.
- Shakespeare's plays were written at a time when the theatre was an important form of entertainment.
- Shakespeare wrote at least 39 plays that can broadly be grouped into tragedies, comedies and historical plays.
- Shakespeare's plays centre around complex themes and intricate plot structures.
Keywords
Playwright - a person who writes plays
Theatre - a form of art that involves live performances by actors on a stage in front of an audience
Play - a dramatic work originally intended for the stage
Monarch - a ruler who holds supreme and hereditary power over a state or territory, often referred to as a king or queen
Common misconception
Shakespeare's plays are too difficult to understand or inaccessible due to the language used.
Many of Shakespeare's themes, emotions and characters resonate universally across time.
Teacher tip
Explore abridged versions of Shakespeare's plays, read the synopsis of his plays and watch videos about William Shakespeare to further support pupil's knowledge.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a playwright?
Q2.What is a play as a literary form?
Q3.What is an important aspect of acting on stage?
Q4.Why was William Shakespeare popular during his era?
Q5.True or false? William Shakespeare's works continue to be studied, performed and adapted across the globe.
Q6.Match the text types to example sentences that you might find in them.
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.
To be or not to be: that is the question.
The sun peeked through the curtains, casting a warm glow.
Today was the BEST day of my life!
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.William Shakespeare is a famous what?
Q2.How many plays has William Shakespeare written?
Q3.Put these significant events in order of chronology.
Q4.Which of the following is true about plays in Shakespeare's time?
Q5.Which of the following is a play about a tragedy depicting the rise and fall of a Scottish general?
Q6.Match the title of the play to their descriptions.
a love story of two young lovers from feuding families
the rise and fall of a Scottish general
a comedy with mistaken identities, love triangles and humour
To help you plan your 5 English lesson on: Understanding the context of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 5 English lesson on: Understanding the context of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 English lessons from the Shakespeare's 'Macbeth': narrative and soliloquy writing unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.