'Macbeth': masculinity as Macbeth's hamartia
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can confidently describe how insecurities surrounding masculinity lead to Macbeth's downfall.
Key learning points
- Arguably, Macbeth's presentation as a brave warrior is a façade for his own insecurities.
- Macbeth's insecurities are a result of a patriarchal society.
- Arguably, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are victims of the society that they live in.
- Macbeth's hamartia could be the insecurities he feels regarding his lack of patrilineal line
- Macbeth's hubris, his bloodlust and his susceptability to manipulation are all parts of his hamartia.
Keywords
Offspring - your children can be referred to as your offspring
Hamartia - a hamartia is a character’s fatal flaw.
Hubris - hubris means excessive pride
Bloodlust - bloodlust is an uncontrollable desire to kill or harm others
Façade - a façade is a deceptive outer appearance
Common misconception
Macduff acts as a foil to Macbeth solely because he is noble and courageous.
Ask pupils if Macbeth had dealt with his grief/devastation like Macduff would there have been different outcomes?
Teacher tip
Prepare an example of surface-level vs. nuanced understanding from another text pupils have read and have confidence with.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What are Macbeth's greatest character flaws in 'Macbeth'?
Q2.A character who is a construct, designed to highlight contrasting qualities in another character, is called a .
Q3.Which of the following characters is not a foil to Macbeth in 'Macbeth'?
Q4.Starting with the first, put the following events into the chronological order they appear in 'Macbeth'.
Q5.What is the definition of hamartia?
Q6.Which of the sentences below is correctly using the term hubris?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Arguably, Macbeth's is the insecurities he feels regarding his lack of patrilineal line in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'.
Q2.Macbeth's hubris, and susceptibility to external pressure are, arguably, all a result of his insecurities in 'Macbeth'.
Q3.Select the criteria below which you would expect to see in a response with deeper analysis.
Q4.In Act 4, Sc3 of 'Macbeth', Macduff shows his grief. Why does this make him a foil to Macbeth?
Q5.In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', it can be argued that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are victims of the society they live in. Which answers below which best justify this argument?
Q6.Pick the response that uses keywords with the greatest success. Arguably, Macbeth's hamartia is his crippling insecurities surrounding his lack of patrilineal line as...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: 'Macbeth': masculinity as Macbeth's hamartia, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: 'Macbeth': masculinity as Macbeth's hamartia, 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 4 English lessons from the Macbeth and masculinity: the struggle for power unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.