Macbeth Unit Activities
Day 1: Iambic Pentameter Review Sheet
Fill in the Answers to the following questions using the information in the Powerpoint
presentation.
What is an iamb?
Stressed Syllables are represented by: ______________________
Unstressed Syllables are represented by:_____________________
What is iambic pentameter?
What does iambic pentameter look like?
What is Blank Verse?
Read and listen to the stress pattern of the following line from Macbeth:
“Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, beware Macduff”
Now go back and mark the stressed or unstressed syllables in this line.
Here is another example from Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Please read and mark this line:
"The course of true love never did run true"
Day 1: Iambic Pentameter Practice
Using the information you learned about in the presentation, mark the stressed and
unstressed syllables for each verse from Macbeth.
Use ´ for stressed syllables and ˘ for unstressed syllables.
Then, write on the line what type of foot is used.
As cannons overcharged with double cracks (I, ii, 37)
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No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive (I, ii, 63)
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So foul and fair a day I have not seen (I, iii, 38)
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What hath quenched them hath given me fire. Hark! Peace! (II, ii, 2)
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Eye of newt and toe of frog (IV, i, 14)
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Your Turn
Write 5 verses of your own using iambic pentameter and the given theme.
1. School
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2. Music
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3. Sports
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4. Movies
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5. Food
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Anticipation Guide
Take a look at the statements below.
Check “yes” if you agree, and “no” if you disagree.
It is wrong to give in to temptation.
YES___ NO___
There is no difference between greed and ambition.
YES___ NO___
There is no such thing as fate. Our actions decide everything.
YES___ NO___
It is right to break my moral code for a loved one, but not for a stranger.
YES___ NO___
If someone predicted that I would one day be in a position of importance (i.e. the
President of the United States), I would wait for it to happen, rather than try to make it
happen.
YES___ NO___
I listen to my conscience.
YES___ NO___
It is possible to do something wrong and not feel guilty for it afterwards.
YES___ NO___
You should never kill another person.
YES___ NO___
What goes around comes around.
YES___ NO___
There are people that can predict the future.
YES___ NO___
One should never compromise his/her values.
YES___ NO___
Now, pick one statement and on the back of this page,
sketch a scene that justifies this statement.
Day 1: Historical Background of Macbeth
Answer the following questions using the information found on page 298 of your
textbook. This information will help you understand the history behind this play.
1. When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, the story was a mixture of ____________
and _________________.
2. Shakespeare drew on Raphael Holinshed’s _______________ as a source for
Macbeth, but adapted the material for his own purposes.
3. Holinshed’s story of Macbeth indicates that ____________ is Macbeth’s
accomplice, not ______
___________.
4. Shakespeare used what he needed from the Chronicles to create a _________
___________.
5. Shakespeare chose to make ______
___________ an innocent victim.
6. Macbeth is set in eleventh-century _______________, but it was written in
______________-century England.
7. In November of 1605, a group of __________ seeking revenge plotted to blow up
the King and Parliament with the help of _______ ________, and a holiday with
this name is still celebrated on November 5 in England.
8. The plot was revealed when was warned by letter not to attend the opening of
________________.
9. The plan was so frightening that it led to increased persecution of _________
___________________.
10. In Macbeth, Shakespeare capitalized on the sympathy generated for the
_________ by this incident.
11. Shakespeare chose the ______________ setting for this play because he knew
that King James’ family, the Stuarts, came to throne in the __________ century.
12. ________________ was thought to be the father of the first of the Stuart kings.
Shakespeare’s Cheat Sheet
The following is a list of terms that you may find helpful when reading Macbeth. You
can thank Shakespeare!
Aside: a speech directed to the audience that supposedly is not heard by the other
characters on stage at that time
Blank verse: unrhymed iambic pentameter
Comic relief: a humorous scene or incident that relieves tension in an otherwise
serious work.
Dialogue: the verbal exchanges between characters.
Dramatic irony: creates a difference between what a character believes or says and
what the reader or audience member knows to be true.
Foot: the metrical unit by which a line of poetry is measured.
Iambic pentameter: A pattern in poetry which consists of five iambic feet per line. It
consists of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
Pun: a play on words that relies on the fact that a word has more than one meaning or
sounds like another word.
Soliloquy: when a character is alone onstage and utters his or her thoughts aloud.
Tragedy: A story that presents courageous individuals who confront powerful forces
within or outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the breadth and depth of the
human spirit in the face of failure, defeat, and even death.
Tragic Flaw: an error or defect in the tragic hero that leads to his downfall, such as
greed, pride, or ambition. This may be the result of bad character, bad judgment, an
inherited weakness, or any other defect of character.
Day 2: Act 1 Pre-Reading Activity
Last night you read Act I, scene iii for homework. Write three things that you
remember about this scene, or three questions that you had during or after
reading this scene:
1: _____________________________________________________________
2:_____________________________________________________________
3:_____________________________________________________________
Turn to the anticipation guide that you completed yesterday in class. Using your
own ideas or examples from the text, make a prediction about how the ideas on
the anticipation guide connect to Macbeth.
Example:
I think : Macbeth might do something to try to become the King
Because : the witches predicted that he would become king.
This connects to Anticipation Guide Activity: 5
Now it’s your turn:
I think:_______________________________________________________
Because:_____________________________________________________
This connects to anticipation guide question :____________
Day 3: Pre-reading Activity
For homework last night you completed the Sketch-to-Stretch Prediction
Assignment. Discuss your sketch with a partner. In the space below, compare
and contrast your predictions. Do you agree with their prediction? Why or why
not?
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Day 4: Act II Pre-reading activity
Here and on the following page, you are given two “Open Mind” organizers. In your
groups, write words and draw pictures that describe what is going on in the mind of your
assigned character based on the text you’ve read so far. After class discussion, write
words and draw pictures for the other character, based on your classmate’s ideas.
Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
After filling in both organizers, write a statement comparing and contrasting
what Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are thinking.
Day 4: Post-Reading Activity: Murder Investigation Journal
Although we as readers know that Macbeth murdered Duncan, it was not evident to the
characters in Macbeth. Pretend you are a detective investigating King Duncan’s
murder. Choose two of the following suspects: Macbeth, Banquo, Malcolm,
Donalbain, Lady Macbeth. Discuss each character’s motive, and use evidence from
the text to the support reasons why this person may have murdered the King.
Suspect 1:_________________________
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Suspect 2:__________________________
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Suspect 3:____________________________
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Day 5: Pre-Reading Activity: Act III
Last week we finished reading Act 2 of Macbeth. Write a brief summary describing
what has happened in the play so far.
My Summary:
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Macbeth by Master
A heart will always see the crime
Which is transparent to the eye;
For hearts do know, truth lies in time.
And time will prove that truth does lie,
And words to bind us to our dreams,
Which then, compose the fated plot.
And nothing's ever what it seems,
And nothing is but what is not.
Disgrace does wear a pretty face,
Which I do hate with all my love.
And blood does have that wicked taste
Of which one sip won't be enough.
All sense is lost in mind's battle
In which, uncertainty has won.
All of the glory's overshadowed
By darkened fate of Scotland's throne.
While minutes weave a solid web
To catch the dreamers in their flight,
God, give me room to take a step
To walk away and look aside!
What does this poem represent about Macbeth’s feelings? How would you feel if
you were in his position? If you wanted to add any ideas to this soliloquy, why
would it be?
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Day 5: Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony: a device in which the audience’s knowledge surpasses that of the
characters. The words and actions of the characters take on different meanings for the
audience than for the play’s characters.
Think of it this way: We know something that the characters don't because the author
has somehow pointed it out
William Shakespeare made this device popular!
Where have you seen dramatic irony?
Dramatic irony most often appears in plays, books, movies, and television shows.
For example: Most horror movies include some sort of dramatic irony.
Think about: When we are shown that the killer is hiding in the kitchen, but the
innocent character doesn’t know, and goes to make a sandwich. We can’t help but
scream, “Don’t go in there!”
After watching the video clip, explain where you found dramatic irony.
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Homework:
Finish reading Act III and then find an example of dramatic irony in the text
and explain it below.
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For extra credit:
Find an example of dramatic irony and include an explanation.
Day 6: Pre-reading Activity: Act 4
Work with a partner to create a character map of Macbeth. Label the following body
parts to symbolize the following:
**Head: What Macbeth thinks
**Eyes: What Macbeth sees
**Mouth: What Macbeth says
**Hands: What Macbeth wants
**Heart: What Macbeth Loves
**Feet: Where Macbeth wants to go/ what Macbeth wants to do
Day 6: Post Reading Activity: Witches Brew Homework Activity
Return to Act IV, scene i. List ten items that the witches added to their potion below.
1._________________________________________________
2._________________________________________________
3._________________________________________________
4._________________________________________________
5._________________________________________________
6.__________________________________________________
7.__________________________________________________
8.__________________________________________________
9.__________________________________________________
10._________________________________________________
EXTRA CREDIT: Find or draw a picture of any item the witches added to
their potion!!
DAY 7: Pre-reading Activity: Conclusion of Act IV
Today you will be completing a mad-lib activity to help you remember the events and
actions of the characters in Macbeth. Choose three different characters from the box
below and complete the mad-libs.
Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
Lennox
Ross
Banquo
Witches
Donalbain
King Duncan
Here is an example:
Macduff
Macbeth to wait for the witches predictions to
come true
Banquo
wanted to/ wanted
(Character)
but
(action or activity)
Macbeth did not want to wait
(this occurred)
1.
so Macbeth murdered the King.
(outcome)
wanted to/ wanted_________________________
(Character)
(action or activity)
but_______________________________ so ___________________________.
(this occurred)
2.
(outcome)
wanted to/ wanted_________________________
(Character)
(action or activity)
but_______________________________ so ___________________________.
(this occurred)
(outcome)
3.
wanted to/ wanted _________________________
(Character)
(action or activity)
but_______________________________ so ___________________________.
(this occurred)
(outcome)