Learning Guide to Macbeth
Film: 1979 UK television production; Royal Shakespeare Company
Subjects: Drama/Scotland;
Social Emotional Learning: Ambition, corruption; power;
Moral-Ethical Emphasis: General.
Age: 14+; UK: PG; Drama; 1979; 93 minutes; black and white; Available from
Amazon.com
Actors: Ian McKellen, Judi Dench;
Director: Phillip Casson
Description: One of many productions of Shakespeare’s tragic play, the UK television
release of Macbeth is set on a simple stage and largely duplicates the experience of
seeing the play. Through lighting and camera work, rather than props and elaborate
setting, this film serves to focus on the actor’s craft and Shakespeare’s language to
recreate for the viewer the downfall of those corrupted by power and ambition.
Benefits of the Movie: The performances by McKellen and Dench are riveting and help
students understand the complex issues raised by Shakespeare’s play. By showing the
film, either prior to or after reading the play, students will gain a clearer understanding of
both the art and the content of Macbeth.
Possible Problems: Minor. Violence is out of the camera’s eye. There are some
disturbing images of witchcraft and of struggles with guilt and insanity which should not
be a problem for students who are studying Shakespeare.
Parenting Points: Should your child be reading Macbeth in a class wherein the teacher
does not intend to show a film production of the play, take the time to watch the film with
him or her. It will not interfere with the assigned reading and will help your child access
what is very often difficult language and imagery.
How to Use Macbeth in the Classroom: Teachers who assign Shakespeare’s plays have
a myriad of intentions, methods and assignments with which they work. Some are
focused on drama, some on historical perspectives and some on the aesthetic qualities of
Shakespeare’s contribution to the literary canon. Since this guide uses a film version of
Macbeth, the focus is on an aspect of drama, and of Shakespeare specifically, that helps
the students to empathize with the characters and to identify with the various thematic
topics found in the work. It is suggested that teachers looking for help with style or
thematic structure consider looking at the guide for Looking for Richard, Al Pachino’s
study of how he and his fellow actors developed the skill to perform Shakespeare’s
Richard III.
Begin the film study of Macbeth by engaging the students in the importance of
characterization, presented in narration through description, action and dialogue. In
drama, characterization is much the same but relies almost entirely on an actor’s skill in
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communication through physicality, facial expression, inflection, tone and volume as
well as an interpretation of the passions and principles the playwright has created. A good
place to show, rather than tell, students what all of this means is through presenting two
snippets from the 2002 film, Stage Beauty, wherein the actors evolve into artists through
a process of self-awareness which. Consequently, enables them to express the true
passions expressed in the Desdemona’s death scene.
The first snippet begins at the opening credits and runs for almost exactly 10 minutes. In
this part of the film, actors present the death scene from Othello with a man, as was the
custom backed by law in the period in which Shakespeare wrote, playing the part of the
murdered Desdemona. The film itself shows the changes in both the actors themselves
and in the passions presented as women were allowed to play the parts of women,
bringing to the stage a new perspective. Billy Crudup, in the role of Ned Kyneston, a
famous cross-dressing actor, does a fine job portraying the dying Desdemona. But in the
next snippet, which comes in scene 22 of the film and lasts for 8 minutes, it is clear that a
woman’s struggle against murder is much different than a man’s perception of that
struggle. In this scene, Claire Danes plays Desdemona. Significantly, both snippets end as
the actors raise a hand, point a finger upward and remind the audience that there is more
to be watched in the play.
After showing both snippets, engage the students in discussion about the differences in
the scenes by guiding them with the following questions. Be sure students justify their
answers with direct reference to the snippets.
1. How does the presentation of Desdemona differ from one scene to the next in
terms of physical movement?
2. How does voice, inflection and volume, shift between performances?
3. What contrasts can be found in the differences between Othello in the first scene
and in the same role played out in the second scene?
4. Which of the two scenes seem most like feelings would be expressed in today’s
times?
5. Which of the two scenes show that Desdemona and Othello, caught as they are in
miserable insecurity, love each other?
Should time allow, divide the students into pairs and have them create a one to three
minute scene in which something happens but the only word that can be exchanged is
“oh.” Intonation and volume can make an entire vocabulary out of one syllable as they
will discover in their scenes. Scenes may include a look at one person asking for a date,
to be accepted or rejected by the other student; one person robbing the other, with threats
and pleas expressed in one syllable; one person accusing the other, as if by a parent or
another authority figure, of an infraction to be denied. Teachers might want to clarify this
assignment by a with a one minute exercise: ask the students to say the word “oh” all
together. This sometimes takes practice. Then ask them to say the same word with a
question mark at the end. Then, they should say the word in anger, with skepticism, as if
they were afraid, as if they were disappointed, as if they were in love. The tone shifts the
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meaning of the word in ways the students can easily understand; they are now ready to
prepare their skits.
Sometimes Shakespeare is difficult for young people because of vocabulary. The
following words are important in understanding Macbeth but are also helpful in
developing the word recognition needed to access college level reading. Students should
be asked to define these words prior to seeing the film and to note when they occur in the
dialogue. The words are listed in the order they appear in the film. Teachers should use
whichever style has served their students best in teaching vocabulary.
Brandish
Rapt
Chastise
Impede
Recompense
Repose
Prate
Palpable
Surfeit
Consort
Verity
Sundry
Jocund
Blanch
Malevolence
Abjure
Pernicious
Sear
Judicious
Redress
Perturbation
Upbraid
Tarry
Clamorous
Abhor
Prowess
Back to the film: Prior to showing Macbeth, see if you can get the students to identify
Ian McKellen from The Lord of the Rings; he plays Gandolf, a beloved character.
Students may not recognize Gandolf in Macbeth as McKellen has aged considerably in
the years between roles, but they will recognize his voice. They may identify Judi Dench
as the cranky old woman in Chocolate or Quantum of Solace or any number of roles this
fine actress has played.
As in their brief skits, character and interaction is everything in Macbeth. Tell the
students that they are watching the film to study the characters of Macbeth and Lady
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Macbeth. The themes in the play are almost entirely derived from these two persons and
the interplay between them. Tell students to pay special attention to when the two interact
without others on the stage and when they recite their monologues independently. As
students watch the film, they should take brief notes on the content of the lines recited
that illustrate any of the following topics:
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Resistance or acquiescence to temptation
Attitudes toward evil
Attitudes toward danger
Hypocrisy
Reversal of values
Pursuit of illusions
The value of ambition
Courage
Fear
Self-doubt
Despair
Relationship with sleep
Hopelessness
Belief in the supernatural
Respect for others
Aside from content of dialogue and monologue in terms of the ideas expressed, the
appearance of the actors, their physicality and facial expression are essential elements in
the quality of a Shakespearian play. Both McKellen and Dench are such fine actors that
the audience cannot help but watch them perform. Ask students to note when the camera
focuses sharply on each actor. Have them note how the actors communicate feeling
through body movements as slight as the raising of an eyebrow. You may want to turn
the sound off and replay favorite monologues or scenes in which the camera is focused
on one actor alone. Ask the students what is communicated through body language
rather than through words in the monologues. They will easily identify the feelings being
communicated. The faces and body movement of the three witches help emphasize this
point as does the fine performance of The Porter, played by Ian McDiarmid, with his
comic relief.
Once the film has been seen and notes taken, students will be able to compare and
contrast Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in terms of each of the above categories and they
will be able to comment on the craft of acting in communicating the ideas presented. For
example, in terms of sleep: Macbeth says he has murdered sleep and it is clear that his
guilt and self doubt make it impossible for him to get a good night’s sleep. Lady Macbeth
is seen sleep-walking, a more aggressive and active symptom of the same sleeplessness
that Macbeth faces, but also inspired by guilt. Students may determine that Macbeth has
been the more passive player in the quest for power that began with the murder of
Duncan and that Lady Macbeth worked harder to bring the events about, thus the
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different styles of sleep disorder. The acting, during each bit of dialogue and monologue
dealing with sleep convincingly shows the fatigue and strain associated with
sleeplessness.
Students can be divided into groups of three or four to share the notes they have taken
and to help one another with suggestions and details. After about 15 to 30 minutes of
group work, selected students from each unit can share with the class any of the attitudes,
values or characteristics that they feel are important in understanding Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth. The interchange between students should well prepare them for the following
discussions and assignments.
Discussion Questions:
1. Shakespeare gave no stage direction relating to the witches and the director of this
film has done a fine job of making them seem strange and foreboding. What is
learned about Macbeth and Lady Macbeth by their reactions to the witches?
Suggested response: Macbeth reacts with surprise to the witches, but not in fear.
He says, “So foul and fair a day,” words that echo the words of the witches,
“Fair is foul and foul is fair.” This makes a connection between the evil of the
witches and the foreshadowed evil of Macbeth. When Lady Macbeth learns of her
husband’s encounter with the witches, she is inspired by their prophecy and urges
her husband to believe them, and thus she sides with the forces of evil.
2. What evidence supports the belief that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth loved each
other? Suggested response: Aside in the affection expressed in the acting, it is
evident that genuine love exists between these ambitions and doomed characters.
Macbeth addresses his wife as “my dearest love” and she shows herself willing to
promote great evil in order to help her husband achieve what he and she feel is
his destiny. She is soothing and helpful after Macbeth has killed Duncan.
3. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth lose their grips as the play progresses and the
guild created by the horror in the events begins to dominate. How do their
behaviors differ in response to this guilt? Suggested response: Lady Macbeth
falls into despair so deep that she cannot sleep and eventually kills herself;
Macbeth, virtually numbed emotionally, also falls into despair, made evident by
his soliloquy, “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow,” yet he continues on his
evil course until his death.
4. What challenges to Macbeth’s manhood and Lady Macbeth’s womanliness are
made apparent in the play? Suggested response: Lady Macbeth often chides her
husband to man up saying he is afraid and cowardly; She asks him, “Wouldst
thou have that thou esteem’st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own
esteem, letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would…” Later she says that when
Macbeth had introduced the idea of gaining the throne, “…then you were a
man…” She tells him to “…But screw your courage to the sticking place…” in
order to psych him up to the task of murder which she has outlined. She also says
she would kill her own children rather than go back on a promise as Macbeth
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seems to be doing. He tells her to “Bring forth men-children only; for thy
undaunted mettle should compose nothing but males.” Apparently, at this place
in the film, which in the play occurs at the end of the first act, Lady Macbeth is the
man of the house. In Act 1, Scene 5, she had prayed to the spirits of evil to “unsex
me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direct cruelty.”
5. What characteristics of honor or morality or even self preservation may have
turned this ambitious couple from their doomed course? Suggested response:
Answers will vary. Ask the students if their suggestions fit into the way both
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have been characterized and as such are at all
possible. Macbeth seems to be more sensitive and introspective than the ambitious
and proactive Lady Macbeth. They both seem revolted by the murders and are
virtually consumed by guilt. “Vaulting ambition” had each of them in its grip. It
may be difficult to find characteristics, other than the love the Macbeth’s feel for
each other, to turn them from their doomed direction.
Assignments and Assessments:
Informal assessments can be made by checking the quality of notes and by paying close
attention to the level of participation achieved by each student.
Formal assessments can be derived from the following essay prompts:
1. Write a formal essay on the manner by which Lady Macbeth chides her husband
to murder. Use what she says as well as her manner of presenting her arguments
to Macbeth that embolden him to act.
2. Write a formal essay in which you show the feelings Lady Macbeth and Macbeth
express about one another and illustrate how these feelings change as the play
progresses.
3. Compare and contrast attitudes toward murder, fear and courage expressed by
Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Support your assertions with direct reference to the
film.
4. Write an opinion piece in which you argue whether or not Macbeth could have
carried out the crimes he commits without the support of Lady Macbeth. Consider
which of the two characters is the stronger.
5. Write a dialogue that might be probable given the context of circumstances in
which one or the other, Macbeth or Lady Macbeth, change their minds and stop
the ambitious slide toward criminality.
6. Write an opinion piece in support of your position on the love Lady Macbeth and
Macbeth share. Consider whether this relationship is based in love and mutual
respect or in ambition and the desire for power.
7. Write an evaluation of the values learned through the absence of these values in
the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Consider using the notes you
compiled while watching the film to justify the existence of the values you want
to discuss.
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8. Write an evaluation of how staging and lighting emphasize the characteristics of
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
9. Discuss the slide into despair expressed by both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
towards the film’s end. In your discussion, show how the deaths of both
characters fulfill this progress toward despair.
10. Discuss the use of blood and dangers and witches as they affect both Macbeth and
Lady Macbeth and lead toward changes in their attitudes and feelings.
Beyond Macbeth:
Since ambition and guilt are the factors that lead Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to doom
despite the love they have for one another, it is important that students fully understand
these two aspects of character and the profound effects they may have on their own lives.
T. S. Eliot, in his play, Murder in the Cathedral, writes that “Ambition comes when early
force is spent.” He suggests that ambition is a negative characteristic that comes into
play only after the natural drive toward a goal begins to fade. The students should
consider this concept, which is contrary to the standard way of looking at ambition. For
example, is a basketball player who loves the game and plays for both the thrill of the
sport and the fun of competition more enjoyable to watch, or more popular among the
fans, than the player who seeks to make it in the NBA and seems to care most about his
own stats and salary? Would a patient prefer a doctor who earned his place as a surgeon
on the natural drive he felt to be a healer or one who desired the power and status of such
a position in society? Would a voter prefer a candidate whose personal characteristics put
him onto the ballot over one who worked desperately sought the power of political
office? There are many ways to look at the concept of ambition; students should be
encouraged to reflect upon the notion as they read literature and watch films showing this
powerful human drive.
Guilt, too, is an important characteristic about which Shakespeare has much to say in
Macbeth. It is a human feeling well known to young people and is a part of how they
interact in their relationships; they know well how to “guilt trip” one another and often
accuse parents and teachers of “guilt tripping” them. Students should be encouraged to
reflect on the social power of guilt to achieve conformity and on how it may be a
considerable force in their own lives. Might any of them select a college or a career out of
feelings of guilt in regards to the desires of their parents? Do any of them remain in
relationships out of feelings of guilt about hurting a friend? To avoid guilt, an individual
must be clear about his or her personal values before choices are made that may be
motivated by guilt or that could possibly engender guilt later. They must learn the
differences between guilt and regret and, most importantly, they need to learn how to
overcome guilt once they fall into its grip. A good film to see in regards to elimination of
guilt is “The Fisher King” which ultimately reveals how guilt can only be ameliorated
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through giving of oneself without regard for self-gratification. Students can find the
power of guilt in their own lives, in literature and film and should be encouraged to
reflect on it as a forceful human characteristic.
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