Something wicked this way comes!
Essential Questions
1. How are the themes in the play Macbeth related to our contemporary culture and lives?
2. Are we a product of nature, nurture or both?
3. Can we achieve what we want without sacrificing who we are?
4. How do we deal with an imperfect world?
5. What does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to be a woman?
What you should be able to do as a result of this unit…
- Identify and support themes within the play
- Relate the themes of the play to contemporary times and issues
- Understand and explain the use of Shakespeare’s language related to theme
Final Assignment
- A thoroughly contemporary adaptation
Thursday 5/10
Intro to Renaissance England & Sonnets
What is a sonnet?
Spenser, Sidney, and Shakespeare’s Sonnets
How to Read a Sonnet
Paraphrasing Spenser’s “Sonnet 1” together
Fri 5/11
Groups working with their own sonnet
- Spenser “Sonnet 35”
- Spenser “Sonnet 75”
- Sidney “Sonnet 31”
- Sidney “Sonnet 39”
Presentations on Poems
HW: Personal Journey Essay due Monday
Mon 5/14
Writing Our Own Sonnets
- Sonnets about love (no pets!)
Extra Credit–Write your sonnet in iambic pentameter!
HW: Finish sonnet
Tues 5/15
Writing the sonnet explication
Revising the Op-ed and working on the Adobe Spark
Wed 5/16
Revising the Op-ed and working on the Adobe Spark
Thurs 5/17
Drop
Fri 5/18
Revising the Op-ed and working on the Adobe Spark
HW: Adobe Spark Op-ed due Tuesday
Mon 5/21
Revising the Op-ed and working on the Adobe Spark
HW: Adobe Spark Op-ed due Tuesday (tomorrow!)
Tues 5/22
Intro to Macbeth
- Read the character overviews and themes
- Improvisation-Each group will receive a scenario that they will need to create a short skit for.
- Push back the desks!
- Practice your skit. You have 4 minutes!
- Perform for the class
- Discuss
- What were the different decisions made?
- What were the different moods of the scenes?
- Reading 1.1
- Each person reads a line, going around the room
- Listening to rhythm and understanding the Witches’ prophecy
Wed 5/23
Warm ups and overview to our approach
Finish 1.1 (1.1.49-end)
Reading 1.2 & 1.3 (witches vanish)
Thurs 5/24
Watching different versions of Macbeth
- What are the different settings? What details are included to indicate setting?
- How has each represented the witches?
- What’s your impression of Macbeth and the type of man he is?
Fri 5/25
Finish reading 1.3 and 1.4
Reading 1.3
- How do Macbeth and Banquo each feel about the Witches’ predictions?
- What is their relationship?
- What’s your impression of Duncan?
- How does Macbeth feel now that Malcolm has been named prince of Cumberland?
Portfolio Assignment
HW: Choose pieces for portfolio and fill out revision plan
Mon 5/28
No School – Memorial Day
Tues 5/29
Portfolio Revision Day
Wed 5/30
Drop
Thurs 5/31
Portfolio Revision Day
Review of Writer’s Reflection
HW: Printed out copy of outline for Writer’s Reflection
Fri 6/1
Writer’s Reflection and submit portfolio
Mon 6/4
Who is Macbeth?
Reviewing the prophecy
Reading 1.5 & 1.6
- Reviewing connotation & denotation, stressing stress, inflection, and non-verbal communication
- How do these techniques change the meaning and understanding of the text?
Annotating Act 1 Scene 5 for aspects of performance. Be sure to provide information on all areas
Tues 6/5
With your group, performing the scene of 1.5 between Lady M & M
- (24.24-26.18)
Viewing 1.7 (28.21-35.19)
HW: Reading and answering questions on Act 2
Wed 6/6
Promptbook for Act 2
Thurs 6/7
Review Questions
Practice Promptbooks (see handout)
- 2.2.1-73
- Use promptbook questions
- Acting out scene using promptbook
HW: Complete assigned role for group promptbook and performance
Fri 6/8
Performances
HW:Read 2.3&2.4 and answering questions on handout
Mon 6/11
Performing the Banquet Scene
- 3.4
HW: Reading Acts 4 & 5 and reading questions
Tues 6/12
Drop
Wed 6/13
Viewing Act
HW:Read 2.3&2.4 and answering questions on handout
Thurs 6/14
Last Day of class
Fri 6/15
Performing Practice Promptbook
HW: Reading 3.1
Thurs 5/4
Staging 3.1
- “Taking Care of Banquo” handout
- Read the scene, explaining what the characters are saying about one another
- Opening and ending lines
- Subtext, character’s feelings and motives, tone, who looks at whom when speaking
- Using class suggestions, act out the scene
- Macbeth’s soliloquy “Fruitless Crown”
- Reading rest of the scene
3.2-Identifying Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s Character Change
Fri 5/5
The Banquet Scene 3.4
- Read lines 3.4.161-172
- What happens in this scene?
- What is M’s state in this scene?
- What is LM’s state?
- How has M changed?
HW: Watch at least 15 min of a tv show tonight. Identify the director’s use of 4 techniques from the list below and why s/he used them in your journal.
- Zoom
- Fade
- Close-up
- Tracking shot (the camera follows a character’s movements)
- Cut (one shot ends and another point of view shot is placed next to it)
- Establishing shot (a very far away shot that shows the setting to establish the scene is a place and time for the viewer)
- Any other filming technique terms you may know
Mon 5/8
Quiz on Act 3
Summarize 3.5&3.6 (many think these scenes were not in the original)
4.1 Choral Reading 1-38 (see handout)
- How do background sounds affect reading?
- What is happening in this scene?
Tues 5/9
Drop
Wed 5/10
Staged Reading 4.1.39-177
- What are M’s objectives?
- What are his obstacles?
- Is he able to overcome the obstacles?
- Do the objectives change?
HW: Finish reading Act 4 with your group and handout with discussion questions
Thurs 5/11
Review HW
Reading 5.1
- What’s going on?
- What kind of costume would you put LM in early in the play? Now?
- What kind of lighting would you use?
Lady Macbeth Now and Then
- Working with a partner, write your responses to your assigned lines in your journal
- Practice saying the lines based on your understanding
- Lady M Face to Face Performance
HW: Watch this contemporary adaptation of Macbeth
- Where does the director stay true to the original text?
- Where does he deviate?
- What are your thoughts on some of the specific choices he made?
Fri 5/12
Overview of Sophomore Writing Portfolio
Choosing pieces and completing organizer
Mon 5/15
In class revision day and conferencing time
HW: bring organizer for in class reflection for tomorrow and printed hard copies of your portfolios for tomorrow’s class
Tues 5/16
Wed 5/17
*Portfolio due
Writing in-class writing reflection for portfolio
HW: Reading rest of Act 5
Thurs 5/18
Reviewing the rest of Act 5
Overview of the Final Assignment
Cutting the text
- What is necessary to keep for understanding?
Next, you will brainstorm with your groups for your own adaptation
- If Macbeth were taking place today, what setting/environment/context would place the play in?
Your group will then choose an act that you will adapt. You will need to write why you chose that act.
- You will take that scene from http://shakespeare.mit.edu/macbeth/ and make your prompt pages for the group
- Assign roles and complete for homework
- Promptbook questions
- Company report
- Character reports
- Staging map
- Costumes
Fri 5/19
Drop
Mon 5/22
In class work day
Tues 5/23 – Thyurs 5/25
In class work day – Assignment due Friday 5/26 at beginning of class