English II Agenda: Week of May 12 through May 16
Monday through Thursday Study guide questions for Act I are due today; for Act II on
Thursday.
IRLA: Your goal during independent reading this week is to preview the study questions for
Macbeth and answer as many as you are able before we resume reading the play each day. (We
are starting Act III today, so your goal is to stay closely aligned with the play.) Label the
questions clearly by act, scene and question number, as they appear in the handout.
During the work period this week we will continue reading the play.
Objectives—you will be able to:
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Answer basic questions about Shakespeare, his life and the era in which he wrote.
Understand and recount the plot of the play.
Identify the characters by name and function in the play.
Identify major motifs and themes in the play.
Interpret the actions of the major characters to form partial characterizations of them.
Form a complete, fluent understanding of the pages assigned to you in the context of the
entire play.
(If you cannot log on, you have a hard copy of the summary.)
Wrap-up Each Day: What questions do you have about the, especially as regards the plot and
characters? What difficulties are you encountering? Please use Post-Its to post your questions
on the parking lot. Read some of your classmates’ questions. Are there any you are able to
venture answers for?
As we continue to read, you will also be asked to address the following questions (#3 this
Friday):
1. The supernatural plays an important role in Macbeth. To what extent does it motivate
Macbeth's actions?
2. Discuss King Duncan and examine what contribution he makes to the play.
3. In constructing Macbeth, Shakespeare dramatically altered historical characters to enhance
certain themes. Examine Shakespeare's sources and discuss why he made these radical changes.
4. Is Lady Macbeth more responsible than Macbeth for the murder of King Duncan? Is Lady
Macbeth a more evil character than her husband and, if so, why?
5. The sleepwalking scene in Act V is one of the most memorable in all of drama. Relate this
scene to the overall play and examine what makes Lady Macbeth's revelation so provoking.
6. Choose two of the minor characters in Macbeth and examine how they contribute to the play's
action.
7. The witches tell Banquo that he will be the father of future kings. How does Banquo's reaction
reveal his true character?
8. Examine Macbeth's mental deterioration throughout the play.
9. Discuss the speech Macbeth gives upon hearing that his wife is dead in Act V, Scene V. How
do his words capture one of the major themes in the drama?
Friday, May 16 Did you turn in your study guide questions for Act II? Act III questions
due Monday, May 19.
Today will be an all writing and discussion day. To begin with, I’d like you to log on to a
Netbook and research (very briefly) Shakespeare’s sources for the characters in Macbeth. (One
classmate has already made a suggestion as to what one of these sources might have been. Do
you remember what he said?) Jot down what you know about these historical figures or what
your research reveals about them. Which characters do you think each figure inspired? What
changes did Shakespeare make? Why might he have made them?
Continue work on study guide questions.