English II Agenda: Week of May 19 through May 22
Monday through Thursday Study guide questions for Act III are due today; for Act IV 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 finishing Act IV 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, and if we finish the play
(and time allows), you will be asked to speed write a list of themes. During a speed write, your
goal is to write as much as possible in a given amount of time; it’s not necessary to be 100%
correct, but you do want to have the longest list. The “winners” will be awarded a specified
number of bonus points to be added to the lowest grade of the marking period.
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?