Year 11 English – Ballarat High School 2009
Outcome 4 – Reading and Responding
On completion of this unit the student should be able to
understand the techniques used to construct texts and
understand the characters, ideas, themes and values presented
in the text.
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Coursework
You will complete a range of activities from Section 1, 2 and 3 as
William Shakespeare
directed by your teacher. All students will complete Section 4,
1564 - 1616
the practice SAC, an analytical essay. You will also be required
to complete a range of other tasks, as directed by your teacher to further develop
your understanding of the text.
Section 1: Comprehension of plot, character, themes & issues by Act
Tuning In:
1. Individual Reflection: Most people have ambitions or goals. What do you
want most from life? What are you prepared to do to attain it?
2. Think, Pair, Share: Think of some people you know or have read about who
are/were ambitious. Have their ambitions led to a positive or negative result?
Are ambitions sometimes destructive? Explain.
3. Brainstorm, share and record everything you know about Shakespeare and
Macbeth.
 You will also watch Polanski’s film version of Macbeth and/or listen to audio
readings of the play before reading Macbeth as a class. Graphic novels of
Macbeth are also available through your English teacher or the library if
required.
Act 1, Scenes 1 – 7 (Prediction)
4. What mood is created with the opening ‘witches’ scene? Give examples of
imagery. Why does Shakespeare begin the play in this way? Record a
significant line.
5. List words and phrases to describe Macbeth in the beginning of the play.
6. What prophecy is made for Macbeth and Duncan and how do they respond?
7. What counsel does Banquo offer regarding the witches’ prophecy?
8. Who is the stronger character at this stage Macbeth or Lady Macbeth? Who is
the most moral? Who is the most wicked? What lines support your ideas?
Act 2, Scenes 1 -4 (Murder)
9. What does the dagger soliloquy (Scene 1) tell us about Macbeth’s nature, and
the likely consequences of killing Duncan?
10. What is Macbeth’s reaction immediately after the
murder (Scene 2) and is it significant?
11. What is Lady Macbeth’s reaction, and what does it
tell us about her?
Act 3, Scenes 1-6 (Banquet)
12. How is Macbeth keeping himself aware of the attitudes and activities of his
court?
The plot at a glance:
13. Macbeth and his wife are not enjoying being
king and queen. How would you characterise
their mental state, and what is causing it?

Macbeth and Banquo meet
three witches who predict
their futures
Act 4, Scenes 1 – 3 (Division)
14. How does Macbeth take the witches’ second
set of prophecies? As viewers/readers are we
inclined to agree with his interpretation, or to
see something else in them?

Macbeth is greeted as a war
hero and made Thane of
Cawdor

Macbeth kills Duncan

Macbeth becomes king

Macbeth arranges Banquo’s
murder

Banquo’s ghost haunts
Macbeth at a banquet

Macduff’s wife and children
are killed

Lady Macbeth goes mad
then kills herself

Macbeth fights Macduff and
is killed.

Malcolm becomes King
15. Identify the characters in this ac t who seek
revenge. Draw up a chart to show what
factors motivate each of them and what effect
each one might have on the outcome of the
play.
Act 5, Scenes 1-8 (End)
16. The sleep walking scene is one of the most
famous in all Shakespeare’s plays. How can we
describe (a) the way it makes us feel, and (b)
the point it is making at the level of moral
subtext?
17. How are the witches’ prophecies fulfilled, and what does Macbeth finally
understand about the nature of evil?
18. How are we positioned to judge Malcolm, the new king, and why?
Section 2: A deeper analysis - Plot, character, themes & issues
19. What do you think the 5 or 6 most important scenes are and why? Pick a key
passage/quote from each of these scenes to support your ideas.
20. Provide a character study of Macbeth. Discuss the factors which lead him to
his downfall. What is Macbeth like at the beginning compared to the end of
the play? Make a list of quotations showing Macbeth in a good light and a
collection of damning remarks about him. Who and what has influenced
Macbeth and in what ways?
21. Write five key words for each of these minor characters and find a quote from
each: Banquo, Macduff, Malcolm, Duncan and Lady Macduff.
22. Choose one of the soliloquies or speeches and rewrite it in plain English or
analyse one great speech from Macbeth and discuss what it is saying, how
Shakespeare creates ‘effects’ in the audience’s mind, and how the speech
relates to the overall message of the play.
23. There are a number of themes and issues explored
through the play Macbeth such as power and authority,
deception (nothing is as it seems), good verses evil, gender
expectations, corruption, kingship vs tyranny. Answer the
following questions in detail, using direct examples and
quotes from the text to support your ideas.
a. What has the play got to tell us about selfish,
unchecked ambition?
b. Appearances cannot always be trusted. The truth is often disguised or
hidden. Can you find instances in the play in which characters try and hide
the truth from those around them? Why do they do so? What does this
tell us about the world we live in?
c. Compare the way in which Macbeth and Macduff view what it is to be a
‘man’.
d. Compare Macbeth’s style of leadership to Malcolm’s and Duncan’s.
Section 3: Speaking and listening tasks:
Form a group and complete one of the following to share with the class:
a. MOCK TRAIL: Put Macbeth and Lady Macbeth on trail. What sort of
questions would you ask them and how do you think they would respond?
b. DRAMATIC READING: Select a section of the play as a group, rehearse and
present a dramatic reading of the scene.
c. PANEL SHOW: Chose a central issue from the novel. A panel is formed
with a host and interviews the author and/or key characters from the play.
Questions should be centred around one of two main issues or themes
from the novel.
Section 4: Analytical essay
Write an analytical essay of 600-800 words choosing one of the two questions:
Macbeth is a play that explores the destructive nature of power. Do you
agree?
OR
To what extent is Macbeth responsible for his own demise?
ANALYTICAL ESSAY ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
1. Knowledge and content
 Knowledge of key aspects of the set text
 Selection of appropriate evidence from the text to support response
2. Analysis
 Complex discussion and analysis of themes/ideas, characters, setting, symbolism
etc as appropriate
 Critical analysis of the structure/conventions of the text used by the author to
construct meaning
3. Structure and organisation
 Coherent ordering and development of ideas appropriate to the word length,
purpose and form
4. Control of the conventions of written language
 Spelling, punctuation, grammar, written expression, fluency
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All students are required to attend the live theatre production of Macbeth at
school on Tuesday 25th August, Week 7.
Students should play $10.00 to their English teacher by 20th August.
The Macbeth SAC will be held Week 10 from 14-18th
September in the double English lesson.
Macbeth coursework is to be completed two weeks prior to
your SAC date.