The Scottish play
Year level: 10
Peta McFadzean, King Island District High School, Tas
Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Copyright Photolibrary.
About the unit
Unit description
In this unit of work, students are introduced to Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and explore the play’s
historical context, plot and themes through drama-based activities. Assessment tasks
throughout the unit include journal responses, character diary entries, self-devised scripts and
art and design challenges. At the end of the unit, students create a performance that best suits
their preferred learning style and shows their understanding, then share that with an audience.
Knowledge, understandings, skills, values

Students explore language, interpretations, motivation and conflict through drama activities.

Students understand that voice, movement and silence affect meaning in performance.

Students explore the role of key characters in the play.

Students work cooperatively to create shared work for performance.

Students create a culminating performance in response to the play, either independently or
in groups.
Focus questions

Why does Macbeth behave in the way that he does?

How does the character of Lady Macbeth develop throughout the play?

How many ways can this story be presented?
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The Scottish play by Peter McFadzean, King Island District High School, Tas
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Resources
Internet sites

Summaries of Macbeth at Sparknotes: http://www.sparknotes.com

Classical comics – Macbeth: http://www.classicalcomics.com

Macbeth rap (‘Sound and fury’) from Flocabulary’s Shakespeare:
http://www.flocabulary.com (select ‘Free Teacher Resources’)
Software

Presentation or slideshow software such as MS PowerPoint
Print
Books

Macbeth, William Shakespeare – various versions for display and comparison
Other resources

Shakespeare: the animated tales, Season 1, ‘Episode 3: Macbeth’, written by Leon Garfield,
1992

Macbeth, directed by Roman Polanski, 1971

Variety of clips of different versions of Macbeth, eg: A performance of Macbeth, directed by
Philip Carsson, 1979

Sticky notes

Index cards

Materials for presentations – laptop, data projector, etc

Digital camera (one that is able to capture still images and videos)
Attached printable resources
The following teacher-created learning resources referred to in the unit of work are
available for you to modify, print and use in your own teaching and learning context:

Moved synopsis

Warm-up activities
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The Scottish play by Peter McFadzean, King Island District High School, Tas
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Teaching the unit
Setting the scene
Resources

Warm-up activities (pages 12–14)

Moved synopsis guidelines (page 10)

Summary of the play at Sparknotes: http://www.sparknotes.com

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare – your preferred edition

Macbeth, directed by Roman Polanski – opening scene

Macbeth rap (‘Sound and fury’): http://www.flocabulary.com (select ‘Free Teacher
Resources’)

Shakespeare: the animated tales
Teaching and learning activities
Getting dramatic
Warm up: ‘Stop … Go … ’, frozen tableaux in pairs and fours. Refer to Warm-up activities
(page 12) for more detail.
Divide the class into groups of three and ask students to turn to Act 1, scene 1 of Macbeth. Little
knowledge of the language should be divulged, except to explain that Graymalkin and Paddock
are ‘familiars’. Give each group a different direction for responding to the text (differentiate
depending on students’ levels of confidence).

Choose six key words and represent each with a tableau.

Choose six key words or phrases and represent each with a movement and sound.

Perform the text as a mime or expressive movement.

Translate into modern English.

Present as a radio play.
Students share their work in the above order. Then have groups pair up and amalgamate their
interpretations and share again. Finally, all groups amalgamate to create one single
performance of the scene.
As a class, view the opening scene of Polanski’s film version of Macbeth. Ensure that students
understand that this is only one interpretation.
Photos of class tableaux and the recording of voices can be presented as a viewing and
listening activity.
This can be followed by a class discussion and written journal reflection.
What’s the plot?
Return to Act 1, scene 1 and allocate each student a line from the scene. The whole class runs
around in a circle. When it is a student’s line, they must jump up on a chair and deliver it with
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The Scottish play by Peter McFadzean, King Island District High School, Tas
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gusto! All students to join in on ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair, Hover through the fog and filthy air’.
Encourage cackling! Students can try this in different ways – softly, loudly, with silly voices, etc.
This activity is great for building energy and revisiting the last lesson.
Create a moved synopsis of the play. The summary at Sparknotes could form the basis of this:
http://www.sparknotes.com.
Refer to Moved synopsis (page 10) for how to tell the basic story and let students act out
certain key parts.
Extension activities
Have students view the ‘Sound and fury’ Macbeth rap at: http://www.flocabulary.com and work
in pairs to develop their own rap.
Watch the ‘Macbeth’ episode of Shakespeare: the animated tales and take notes to develop a
basic plot summary.
Assessment
Have students retell the plot of Macbeth as though they are explaining it to a friend. Ask them to
acknowledge the bits that they are unclear about – they don’t need to know it perfectly. This
could be an oral or written task.
Take notes about students’ level of participation, understanding of the layout of a script and
confidence when sharing work.
Investigating
Resources

Warm-up activities (pages 12–14)

Macbeth by William Shakespeare – your preferred edition

Sticky notes

Variety of clips of different versions of Macbeth
Teaching and learning activities
Tuning in
Discuss and then respond in journals to recap last lesson.
Why did Shakespeare begin Macbeth with the three witches?
To murder, or not to murder?
Begin with a warm-up game, selecting from the Warm-up activity examples
(pages 12–14).
~
Have students create and memorise a six-line script (three lines each) where one character is
trying to convince the other to perform a murder. Suggest that they may use persuasive
techniques such as flattery, reassurance and threatening of ego, and give some examples.
Once they have created their script, they should rehearse it with the ‘persuasive’ character
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The Scottish play by Peter McFadzean, King Island District High School, Tas
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chasing the other. View this as ‘Theatre in the round’. Students could be redirected to perform
their pieces again (with one moment of stillness; with the opposite person chasing; with both
totally still; with one standing on a chair) to see the differences in interpretation.
~
View as many versions as possible of Macbeth Act 1, scene 7, starting with: ‘We will proceed no
further in this business’. Students should listen for Lady Macbeth accusing Macbeth of
cowardice, questioning his manhood, saying that she would do this for him and trying to
reassure him. Conduct an open discussion with the class about the different interpretations.
Give students Act 1, scene 7, lines 31–82 to read together. Their task is to condense the
section into a 20-line script that conveys the meaning of the scene. They may change phrases,
leave words out etc, but the exchange should be true to the original.
Groups should share their versions of this scene.
Get it off the page!
Warm up using the ‘Radioactive dude’ game in Warm-up activities (page 13).
~
Divide the class into pairs and groups of three. Ask them to prepare a tableau of a moment of
action from the play from the following list.

A battle scene

Macbeth and Banquo after seeing the witches disappear

Macbeth seeing the image of a dagger

Macbeth returning to Lady Macbeth after he has murdered Duncan

Macbeth talking to the hitmen about Banquo’s murder

Lady Macbeth telling Macbeth to be courageous

Macduff finding out that his family has been murdered

The doctor watching Lady Macbeth sleepwalking

Macduff slaying Macbeth
Have groups volunteer to share their tableau with the class.
Next, groups read from Act 1 to the end of Act 3. They can use the original version or a
‘simplified’ version, depending on the groups. Groups choose or are allocated different scenes
to rehearse and then perform them to the class in chronological order.
The deed is done …
Ask students to think back to their self-devised scripts in which one character was persuading
the other to commit a murder. They are to imagine that the murder took place and write a script
for the phone call that may have followed to share with the class. This leads into a close reading
of Act 2, scene 2.
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The Scottish play by Peter McFadzean, King Island District High School, Tas
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Divide the class into pairs. Ask students to read the scene together and then identify parts of the
scene where:

Lady Macbeth is nervous

Lady Macbeth has lost faith in Macbeth

Lady Macbeth has a soft spot

Macbeth is paranoid

Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to calm down

Lady Macbeth is being practical

Macbeth’s conscience is troubling him

Lady Macbeth insults Macbeth to his face

Macbeth regrets his actions.
After sharing their findings, watch at least two interpretations of this scene and discuss.
Make it your own
Start with the class engaging in stretching exercises and vocal warm-ups. Have students create
a pattern for crossing the floor. Give students a copy of Act 2, scene 2, lines 8–23. Students are
to speak one line each, while crossing to the next person. This could also be tried with students
running around the room and delivering the line from a chair. This will show how Shakespeare
used short lines to reveal the nervousness of the characters.
~
In groups, students translate the above scene for performance. They may change it to two men
or two women. They may want to think of it as a scene from a crime television show or another
story that they know where a murder has been committed. For example, they could change the
daggers to guns, as Baz Luhrmann does in his Romeo + Juliet. Students may change or
modernise phrases, leave words out, etc, but the exchange should be true to the original.
‘Thou play’dst most foully for’t’
Have students warm up by giving them a limited amount of time to create a short scene that
goes quickly from one mood to another. You could suggest ideas such as: watching a sporting
game, everyone having fun until someone gets a text message that is bad news, a person who
thinks they are about to win an award and then doesn’t. Ask students to pinpoint the change in
mood when watching their peers’ work.
~
As a class, read Act 3, scene 1 up until line 37. Discuss what has led up to Macbeth choosing to
organise the murder of his close friend and what this reveals about his character.
View several versions of this scene. In their journals, students write about this part of the story
from either Macbeth or Lady Macbeth’s point of view.
‘Out damned spot!’
Have the class use a Think-Pair-Share strategy to explore the following terms: ‘conscience’,
‘post-traumatic stress’, ‘mental breakdown’. Ask students to write definitions or examples for
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The Scottish play by Peter McFadzean, King Island District High School, Tas
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each of these on sticky notes and place them on the board under these headings. Discuss.
Begin with a warm-up game, selecting from the examples in Warm-up activities
(pages 12–14).
Have groups of three students read and then act out the original text of Act 5, scene 1. Discuss
as a class how this scene fits into the plot.
Has there been any foreshadowing of this behaviour?
What events have led to Lady Macbeth’s decline?
View and discuss as many interpretations of this scene as you have access to.
Assessment
For The deed is done …
What happens in this scene?
What is revealed about the two characters?
How does this scene relate to what happens in the rest of the story?
Which character do you like more? Why?
For Make it your own!
Performances of the scene may be acted out or spoken as for a radio play. Students can create
a rubric to use for peer assessment of these scenes. This will give an opportunity to reflect on
the elements of drama, including voice, space, mood and tension.
Bringing it all together
Resources

Macbeth by William Shakespeare – your preferred edition

Index cards
Teaching and learning activities
Have students write four diary entries that chart the development of Lady Macbeth’s character.
They should concentrate on thoughts, feelings and reflections that are consistent with her
character in each scene.

Entry 1: Before the murder, from Act 1, scene 5 to the end of the act

Entry 2: After the murder, up to Act 2, scene 2

Entry 3: After the feast, Act 3, scenes 2 and 4

Entry 4: Before her death, Act 5, scene 1
~
Give each student a blank index card. They are to select a quote that appeals to them from the
play, copy it onto their card with the act and scene and draw an illustration. Then have them put
the cards in chronological order on the floor.
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
The Scottish play by Peter McFadzean, King Island District High School, Tas
7
Communicating
Resources

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare – your preferred edition

Materials for presentations – laptop, data projector, etc
Negotiated response
Inform students that they have three lessons to create their major assessment assignment for
Macbeth to be shared with a wider audience. They may work in groups, in pairs or
independently.
Choices

Choose a scene to present as a slideshow of images with selected pieces of text.

Create a photo story for the entire play that can be presented with printed text or recorded
voices. Pictures can be sourced from royalty-free photo sites on the internet, or your own
photographs, or they can be original creations.

Choose one of your rewrites of a scene to rehearse and polish for performance.

Create a series of illustrations for key scenes that could be used in an illustrated version of
the play.

Create a cartoon version of a scene.

Make a video inspired by a quote or a scene.

Re-tell each of the five acts in poetry.

Create a soundtrack for Macbeth.

If a student or group has their own idea for a response, this can be negotiated with the
teacher.
Once students have selected their assignment, they will need to record this in their journal,
along with their progress, decisions and research. The journal will form part of their assessment.
Ask students to help write the criteria for an assessment rubric. Criteria such as the following
should be included: understanding of characters, understanding of language, evidence of
planning and refining, understanding of the chosen text.
Assessment
Students present their negotiated response work to the class or an invited audience (perhaps
parents or other community members). As part of their presentation, students should explain
their intentions, their planning and the actual artefact they created for their negotiated response,
demonstrating what they have learned.
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The Scottish play by Peter McFadzean, King Island District High School, Tas
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Writer: Peta McFadzean
The material in this unit of work may contain links to internet sites maintained by entities not
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Education Services Australia Ltd:

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
does not make any warranties or representations as to, and will not be liable for, the
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While the material in this unit of work is not remunerable under Part VB of the Copyright Act
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Moved synopsis
Introduction
The term ‘moved synopsis’ has been developed by Bell Shakespeare to describe an interactive
storytelling activity in which students act out a short synopsis of the play.
We encourage teachers to write their own script for this exercise and where possible include
elements relevant to the particular group of students.
Warwick University drama educator Jonathon Neelands calls this approach the ‘Shakespeare
whoosh’.
The point of the ‘moved synopsis’ or ‘Shakespeare whoosh’ activity is twofold:
1. students start to interact by participating in a safe and entertaining activity
2. through participation, students learn the story of the play.
Creating your script
The Bell Shakespeare website contains resources in which you may find short synopses of
most of Shakespeare’s plays. These can be adapted into a script for a moved synopsis.
Alternatively you can do an internet search of the synopsis or work from a published copy of the
play.
The key to the moved synopsis is to work at the level of interaction that encourages and
enthuses your students about the story. What will drive them to want to know what happens
next?
Cue cards can be used for a few words or a short line of dialogue for the students to read out at
the relevant point in the narrative. We have found that students who are confident readers but
not necessarily confident actors will engage with simple actions while reading a line of script
from a cue card held in front of them. Reluctant readers might be more comfortable without cue
cards, or with one- or two-word cue cards.
Your script should be in short sections for each scene or section of a scene that contains
important action and dialogue.
So how do you do it?
With your narrative script of the story in hand, invite your students to form a circle with you.
Invite students to come into the circle to be the characters as they appear in the narrative. With
a play such as The tempest, you might invite students into the circle to create the boat. For A
midsummer night’s dream students might create the forest of trees and the sounds of the forest
at night.
© 2010 Bell Shakespeare
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The Scottish play by Peter McFadzean King Island District High School, Tas
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Example
A midsummer night’s dream
We (everyone in the circle) are in Athens and the duke (select a student who comes into the
circle and poses like a duke) called Theseus is preparing for his marriage to Hippolyta (select
another student), who is queen of the Amazons.
This will be accompanied by a four-day festival of pomp and entertainment. Theseus calls his
master of the revels (select another student), Philostrate, to find suitable amusements for the
occasion (encourage other students to mime the actions of various acts) – a juggler, dancers,
circus acrobats, opera singers.
An Athenian nobleman (select another student) called Egeus marches into Theseus’s court
with his daughter (select another student), Hermia, and two young men (select another two
students), Demetrius and Lysander.
As you read the next section encourage the students to act out what you say about their
character.
Egeus wants his daughter Hermia to marry Demetrius. Demetrius loves Hermia, but Hermia
is in love with the other guy, Lysander, and she refuses to marry Demetrius. Egeus asks for
Theseus to allow the full penalty of law to fall on Hermia’s head if she disobeys him. Theseus
gives Hermia until his wedding to consider her options, warning her that disobeying her father’s
wishes could result in her being sent to a convent or even executed.
(Exit all but Lysander and Hermia.) Hermia and Lysander plan to escape Athens the following
night and marry in the house of Lysander’s aunt, a long way from Athens.
Enter Hermia’s friend Helena (select another student). Hermia and Lysander tell Helena of
their intention to elope. (Exit Hermia and Lysander.)
Helena has always been in love with Demetrius (recall student playing Demetrius), and still
loves him even though he dissed her once he met Hermia. Helena tells Demetrius of Hermia
and Lysander’s plan, hoping that she will win him back. Time passes and it is evening.
Demetrius stalks into the woods after his intended bride and her lover; Helena follows behind
him.
© 2010 Bell Shakespeare
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The Scottish play by Peter McFadzean King Island District High School, Tas
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Warm-up activities
Introduction
How often do students come into the class overstimulated from socialising at recess or lunch, distracted
or just seemingly disinterested?
When approaching Shakespeare’s plays, Bell Shakespeare recommends focusing the students
through an appropriate warm-up activity. Actors use various warm-up activities in preparation for
rehearsal and performance.
A safe physical focus activity will lead students into a physical approach to the text. Consider
that Shakespeare’s plays were written to be performed. He rarely uses any stage direction, so
all of the action is concealed in the characters’ words. A physical approach to studying
Shakespeare will enable students to visualise the plays as theatre and to think more confidently
about the characters and the plot. A warm-up activity will calm and focus the group before
entering the world of the play.
Once teachers adjust to using an activity to warm up and focus the class, they will find that the
lesson is more productive.
Choosing a warm-up activity
The effective warm-up activity leads into the activity on text. Choose an activity that connects
with the purpose of the text activity.
Sample warm up activities
Stop … Go ...
Have the students walk around the room, hands swinging naturally by their sides, changing
direction, using peripheral vision. Give them the following instructions, explaining each one at a
time: stop, go, fast, slow, sit, stand, jump, clap.
Vary the rhythm of your instructions and emphasise the notion of ensemble (that is, everyone
working together as a group and doing things simultaneously). Now tell them that you’re going
to do the opposite: stop=go, fast=slow, sit=stand and jump=clap (and vice versa).
Purpose: this exercise builds ensemble, listening skills, light-heartedness and a workout of the
spatial and language parts of the brain.
That’s amazing!
In this group activity in a circle, a person walks in extreme slow motion into the middle; those in
the circle make amazed noises (‘ooooh!’ etc). When the person gets to the middle of the circle,
they strike a pose and the group goes wild: stamping, yelling and cheering. The person in the
centre invites another person into the circle by gesturing to them and then leaves.
Purpose: this exercise develops stage presence and confidence, and encourages vocalisation.
© 2010 Bell Shakespeare
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
The Scottish play by Peter McFadzean King Island District High School, Tas
12
Handshake snake
This is a terrific name game and very non-confrontational.
Have everyone stand in a circle and choose one person to begin. Let’s say this person’s name
is Roderigo. Next to Roderigo is Ravi. Next to Ravi is Jane. Roderigo turns to Ravi and
introduces himself, shaking Ravi’s hand. The dialogue goes like this:
Roderigo: Roderigo (his own name, pointing to self with other hand)
Ravi: Ravi (her own name, pointing to self with other hand)
Roderigo: Ravi (repeats Ravi’s name)
Ravi: Roderigo (repeats Roderigo’s name)
And so on around the circle. Once Roderigo has introduced himself a few times, Ravi begins,
introducing herself to Jane and so on, around the circle. By the end of the exercise everyone
has introduced themselves to everyone.
Purpose: this exercise builds ensemble, listening skills.
Word association
Divide the class into pairs. The first person says a word and the second responds immediately
with the first word that pops into their head. Emphasise that you must respond to the last word
you heard and not the last word you said.
Purpose: this activity increases speed of thought, active listening and sharpness of response.
Verbal diarrhoea
Divide the class into pairs. The first person suggests a topic and the second speaks on that
topic, following any tangents that may arise. The idea is to keep talking, letting the mind and the
mouth go. At 10, 20 or 30 seconds ring a bell or clap to change roles. The last words spoken
become the topic to be discussed by the other member of the pair.
Purpose: this activity increases speed of thought, active listening and sharpness of response.
Radioactive dude
1. Students walk around the room in any direction. They secretly choose one other person in
the group, and this person is ‘radioactive’ to them. If they get too close to the radioactive
person, they will die. When the teacher says go, students must get as far away from the
radioactive person as possible.
2. When the teacher says ‘freeze’, each student secretly chooses a second person. This
person is small and weak and the student loves this person very much. When the teacher
says go, students have to keep their body between the person that they fear – the
radioactive dude – and the person they love.
3. When the teacher says ‘freeze’, each student secretly chooses a third person. This person
is brave and strong and can protect the student. So now students have to line up the
radioactive dude, this new strong protecting person, themselves and finally the small weak
person they love.
© 2010 Bell Shakespeare
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
The Scottish play by Peter McFadzean King Island District High School, Tas
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This third part is impossible, and it’s good to only let students go for 10 seconds. Aside from the
entertainment value for the teacher, it’s a good starting point to discuss pursuing seemingly
impossible objectives.
Acting is all about pursuing what you want: ‘how much does it matter?’ The more you want it the
more exciting, funny and dramatic it is.
Purpose: this is a brilliant exercise to introduce the play elements: unrequited love and danger
and the acting elements: pursuing your objective, shifting targets and the idea of ‘how much
does it matter?’
Zen wrestling
This is an awesome physical awareness exercise. Have the class divide into pairs of equalsized people. Each pair stands with their toes facing one another, their feet a few inches apart
(the closer you stand the harder it is). Each person places their palms together with their
partner’s. Now keeping their palms in contact at all times, they try to off-balance their partner. If
one person takes a step the other scores a point. It’s more about balance than strength and
size.
Have pairs swap two or three times.
Discuss what students found. Who was an immovable zen master? How many points did
everyone score?
Purpose: this activity increases spatial awareness, connecting with a performance partner. It is
an ideal exercise to use before exploring a physical scene.
Laugh, scream, cry
Ask students to wander around the space. For 20 seconds each person must run up to as many
people and either laugh, scream or cry in their faces.
Purpose: this activity lets out some energy and introduces the idea of ‘how much does it
matter?’
© 2010 Bell Shakespeare
© Education Services Australia Ltd, 2010, except where indicated otherwise
The Scottish play by Peter McFadzean King Island District High School, Tas
14