Lady Macbeth’s character development across Act 1 of ‘Macbeth’
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explore the presentation of Lady Macbeth in Act 1, Scene 5 and Act 1, Scene 7 of ‘Macbeth’.
Key learning points
- Lady Macbeth seems to become more desperate for power throughout Act 1
- Lady Macbeth's desperation could be interpreted as what leads to her manipulating her husband
- Lady Macbeth's language appears to get more aggressive and violent in Act 1, Scene 7
- Lady Macbeth uses persuasive rhetoric in Act 1, Scene 7
Keywords
Rhetoric - If you are skilled in the art of rhetoric, it means you speak persuasively and eloquently.
Desperation - Desperation is a state of being in distress or despair. Being in this state can make you act impulsively.
Emasculate - If you emasculate someone, you deprive them of their masculine role or identity.
Ruthless - If you are ruthless, you act without mercy.
Imagery - Imagery is language that creates a vivid mental image.
Common misconception
Lady Macbeth's presentation is the same in both Act 1, Scene 5 and Scene 7.
There is an increase in urgency, violence and strategy in Act 1, Scene 7.
Teacher tip
Consider how you want to explore the quotations from LC1 so that discussion is rich enough to support the writing section of the lesson.
Equipment
You need access to a copy of William Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
Depiction or discussion of sexual content
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In Act 1, Scene 7 of 'Macbeth', Macbeth has a soliloquy. What could be argued is its purpose?
Q2.In Act 1, Scene 7 of 'Macbeth', why is Lady Macbeth initially angry with Macbeth?
Q3.What information does a single paragraph outline contain that can support extended writing?
Q4.'Macbeth' is a story about regicide. For Shakespeare's Jacobean audience, why was regicide one of the most serious crimes you could commit?
Q5.In 'Macbeth', Shakespeare uses Act 1 to show that Lady Macbeth knows Macbeth very well. Which lines of dialogue best show this intimacy?
Q6.When Lady Macbeth first sees Macbeth in Act 1, she greets him with, 'Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor! Greater than both by the all-hail hereafter!' What are valid inferences about this greeting?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In Act 1, Scene 7 of 'Macbeth', how could Lady Macbeth's dialogue be characterised?
Q2.What could characterise Lady Macbeth's change from Act 1, Scene 5 of 'Macbeth' to Act 1, Scene 7?
Q3.In 'Macbeth', Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth, 'When you durst do it [regicide], then you were a '.
Q4.Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth, '[I] know How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck'd my nipple from its boneless gums and its brains out.'
Q5.Which quotation is the strongest example of the emotional blackmail Lady Macbeth uses to suggest she doubts Macbeth's constancy in Act 1 of 'Macbeth'?
Q6.Starting at the beginning, place Act 1, Scene 7 of 'Macbeth' in the correct order.
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Lady Macbeth’s character development across Act 1 of ‘Macbeth’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Lady Macbeth’s character development across Act 1 of ‘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 4 English lessons from the Macbeth: Lady Macbeth as a Machiavellian villain unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.