Macbeth Unit Sheet. Reader s Response Journal for Macbeth

Transcription

1 Macbeth Unit Sheet Major Objectives: Students will utilize the writing process to improve written communication; understand the historical background necessary to comprehend the play, Macbeth; and utilize the reading process to comprehend and evaluate difficult text. Students will complete an independent reading project. Scroll down for the handout describing the reading project. Please note the due date for the complete project is April 17, Assignments and Process: Students will listen to, read, and recite Shakespeare s Macbeth. There will be a variety of writing assignments, both before and after each scene. Students are expected to maintain a reader s response journal, take notes about the history relevant to the play, take notes on the play, and complete all assignments. After each act, students will have a quiz covering that act. There will be a final exam covering the entire play. Students will write a final literary analysis paper on the play. NOTE: STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING UP THE READING FOR ANY DAY THAT THEY MISS. THEY CAN ACCESS THE ENTIRE TEXT OF THE PLAY AT OR STUDENTS CAN COME TO CONFERENCE TO READ. Reader s Response Journal for Macbeth Act One Pre-writing In this act, the witches predict what is going to happen to Macbeth. Would you want to know your future? In two or three paragraphs, explain why or why not. Take notes on Shakespeare s life and the times in which he lived. Scenes 1-3 Review aside, soliloquy, monologue, and theme as dramatic terminology.

2 Write a plot summary of the first three scenes. Characterization: Write a description of the character of Macbeth. Note his bravery, loyalty, friendship, uncertainty about the weird sisters' prophecy. He is not originally evil. Scene 4 Write one paragraph that explains the character of Duncan. Scene 5 Explain Lady Macbeth. How do you know she is evil? How does she manipulate and control her husband? Give direct examples from the text in support of your thesis. Explain the quote, "Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way." How does this quote show her evil intent and control of her husband? Scene 6 Explain how Duncan shows gratitude and kindness to Lady Macbeth. Scene 7 Discuss the meaning and use of monologues. Paraphrase Macbeth's speech in the opening lines of this scene. What does this show about the kind of character he is? How does Lady Macbeth convince Macbeth to carry out the killing of Duncan? What does she threaten him with? Post-writing Prediction: Do you think Lady Macbeth has convinced Macbeth to kill Duncan, or will he chicken out? Act Two Pre-writing In this act, Duncan is betrayed by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. In two or three paragraphs, explain how you would feel if somebody you trusted betrayed you. Scenes One and Two

3 Assume you are the director of a new production of Macbeth. Choose two actors/actresses to play the roles of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Explain your choice. Things to consider in making your selection: a. Chemistry - Macbeth is totally in love with his wife and they are "partners in greatness" b. Sanity - Macbeth is beginning to lose his sanity because of the murder of Duncan. Who can pull of playing an insane character? c. Evil - Lady Macbeth is evil enough to "have done the deed" herself, she conjured up the entire plan, she convinces Macbeth to kill Duncan. She's not nice. What actress can play as evil as Lady Macbeth? Scenes Three and Four Take notes on the Great Chain of Being. Explain how the weather in Scene Four exemplifies the interconnectedness of all events according to the belief system in Shakespeare's England. Post-writing Explain why you think Shakespeare included some comic relief in a tragic work (consider the scene with the drunken porter). Pre-writing In two or three paragraphs, explain your opinion of Macbeth. Act Three Scene One Rewrite Macbeth's soliloquy that begins "To be thus is nothing, But to be safely thus..." and ends with "And champion me to the utterance." Use modern English, and rewrite each line. Scene Two Write a plot summary. You can use these as notes for your final test. Scenes Three - Six

4 1. Write a short plot summary of Act Three. Be sure to include all six scenes in your summary. 2. Compare and contrast the murders of Banquo and Duncan. How does the murder of Banquo illustrate mental changes that Macbeth has undergone? 3. What does Macbeth's refusal to tell Lady Macbeth about his plans to kill Banquo say about the changes in his relationship with her? 4. Explain Lady Macbeth's thoughts about Duncan's murder. 5. Explain why Macduff does not want to see Macbeth (from scene six). Post-writing Write a newspaper article detailing the coronation ceremony of Macbeth. Act Four Scene 1 1) The second witch says Something wicked this way comes as Macbeth approaches. How is this statement ironic? How is it nonetheless true? 2.) Describe how Macbeth has grown to lose his conscience. 3.) Write your own version of the Double, double, toil and trouble chant. Pick a theme and roll with it. You can think of items related to things you hate (i.e. school, doing chores, particular kinds of food, etc.). Scenes ii and iii 1.) The Macduffs are often thought of as the opposite of the Macbeths in the play. Do you agree or disagree? Compare and contrast the two women and two men. Act Five Scene i 1.) What did Lady Macbeth write on the piece of paper she is seen folding, writing on, and reading? Write a short paragraph explaining what she is doing.

5 2) What is Lady Macbeth dreaming about as she is sleepwalking? Who is she talking to? What is she looking at? Write a short paragraph explaining this scene. Scene ii 1.) What did Lady Macbeth write on the piece of paper she is seen folding, writing on, and reading? Write a short paragraph. 2.) What is Lady Macbeth dreaming about as she is sleepwalking? Who is she talking to? What is she looking at? Write a short paragraph explaining this scene. Scene iii 1.) What did Lady Macbeth write on the piece of paper she is seen folding, writing on, and reading? Write a short paragraph. 2.) What is Lady Macbeth dreaming about as she is sleepwalking? Who is she talking to? What is she looking at? Write a short paragraph explaining the scene.

6 Macbeth Figurative Language Assignment Identify which type of figurative language (simile, personification, metaphor) each of the Macbeth quotes represents. Then, explain the meaning of each. Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it. (I,v) Your face, my Thane, is as a book where men May read strange matters. (I,v) I have begun to plant thee, and will labor To make thee full of growing. (I,iv) Why do you dress me In borrowed robes? (I,iii) If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir (I,iii) Was the hope drunk Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since? (I,vii) Explain why figurative language is an essential component of good writing.

7 Notes to Study for Final Exam: Shakespeare s Time in England What is the time frame in which Shakespeare lived known as? Renaissance During the Middle Ages the European World focused on what? God and the after life When was Shakespeare born? 1564 What is the period of the reign of Elizabeth I known as? Elizabethan Age In the first three decades of Elizabeth s reign, what country was the greatest overseas threat to England? Spain What is verse drama? Plays in which the dialogue consists mostly or entirely of poetry What theater company was Shakespeare affiliated with from the 1590s on? Lord Chamberlain s Men What is the name of the theater Shakespeare became part owner in, in 1599? Globe What play does the famous line, To be or not to be, come from? Hamlet When were performances done in the theater Shakespeare owned? In the daylight, in warm weather, because it had no light or heat

8 Part I: Vocabulary. Below are the vocabulary words for Macbeth, which will be a part of the final exam. Be sure to study them before the test. Abhorred chastise industrious oblivious rebuke antidote dauntless judicious palpable redress appease desolate largess pristine repentance assailable diminutive malevolence prophetic repose augment disdaining malice rancor surmise Dramatic Terminology: Know for the final exam. Tragedy: form of drama that depicts the suffering of a heroic individual who is often overcome by the very obstacles he is struggling to remove. The protagonist may be brought low by a character flaw or, as Hegel stated, caught in a collision of equally justified ethical aims. Tragic hero: The hero of a dramatic work who has a tragic flaw and something negative befalls them Tragic flaw: A flaw in the character of the protagonist of a tragedy that brings the protagonist to ruin or sorrow. Blank verse: Verse consisting of unrhymed lines, usually of iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter: The most common meter in English verse. It consists of a line ten syllables long that is accented on every second beat (see blank verse). Dramatic irony: the discrepancy between what a character believes or says and what the reader or audience knows to be true Verbal irony: occurs when a person says one thing but means another Soliloquy: a character alone onstage uttering his or her thoughts aloud Monologue: a speech spoken by a single character

9 Aside: a speech directed to the audience that is not audible to any of the other characters

10 Independent Reading Guidelines Part I: SELECTION: Choose a book of literary merit, and at least 200 pages in length. It has to be appropriate to your reading level. I must approve your choice of books. Part II: READING: READ THE BOOK! Bring it to class with you so that you can read when we finish our classroom assignments, or when I give you time in class to read. Part III: RESPONSE JOURNAL: After you have read each chapter (or approximately 20 pages), write a 2-3 sentence plot summary. Immediately below that in your notebook, provide a response to what you have read. This should not be a further plot summary. The questions on the back of this sheet will guide your responses. Write the question at the top of your reader response entry. All entries must follow the same formatting, a sample of which is found on the back of this sheet. Part IV: DUE DATE: The entire project is due not later than April 17, You may turn it in prior to that time if you finish early. The first page of the response journal should include the following information. Title Date of Publication Author Genre Why I chose this book. Write a paragraph explaining why you chose this particular book. Part V: QUIZ:After you have read the book in its entirety, you have to come to conference (with a copy of the book) and complete an oral quiz that I will give you on the book. Part VI: FINAL PROJECT: You will complete a final project related to your book. Choose from one of the options listed. If you would like to do something else, please see me ASAP. Option A: Create an artistic visual representation of a book cover or movie poster that would be appropriate for the novel. This representation cannot be a duplication of a cover/poster already in existence. You may draw the cover or use computer graphics to enhance the quality of the overall presentation. The book cover must be on paper that is at least 8.5 x 11 inches (standard paper size), but can be larger if you choose. Option B: Poetry Book. Compile a poetry book that includes a variety of poems that express all aspects of the novel. You must create at least eight different poems based on the novel. Put each poem on a separate page. Option C: A book review is a description, critical analysis, and an evaluation on the quality, meaning, and significance of a book, not a retelling. It should focus on the book's purpose, content, and authority. A critical book review is not a book report or a summary. It is a reaction paper in which strengths and weaknesses of the material are analyzed. It should include a statement of what the author has tried to do, evaluates how well (in the opinion of the reviewer) the author has succeeded, and presents evidence to support this evaluation.

11 Guidelines for Reader Response Journals A reader response journal is just what it sounds like: your responses to what you have read. Following are some suggestions as to how your responses may be framed. Make connections with your own experience. What does the reading make you think of? Does it remind you of anything or anyone? Make connections with other texts or concepts or events. Do you see any similarities between this text (concepts, events) and other texts (concepts, events)? Does it bring to mind other related issues? Ask yourself questions about the text: What perplexes you about a particular passage? Try beginning, "I wonder why..." or "I'm having trouble understanding how...' or "It perplexes me that..." or "I was surprised when..." Write down striking words, images, phrases, or details. Speculate about them. Why did the author choose them? What do they add to the story? Why did you notice them? Divide your notebook page in half and copy words from the text onto the left side; write your responses on the right. On a first reading you might put checks in the margin where the passages intrigue you; on the second reading, choose the most interesting ideas, then write about them. Describe the author's point of view. How does the author's attitude shape the way the writer presents the material? Show a personal reaction to the story. Describe the main character s personality. Comment on how a character has changed. State an opinion about the actions of the characters. Describe how a passage in the text created an image in your mind. Speak directly to a character and give your two cents' worth. If you could stop the action at a particular point, what would you say? Evaluate an action or a decision by a character or characters. Do you feel a wise or a poor decision has been made? Why? What decision would you prefer to have been made? Why? What visual images come to mind as you read the story? Draw those images. Write also what your visual image means or represents in the story. What has occurred that you consider foreshadowing? What do you believe will occur in the future? Why? Reader Response Formatting: All responses must follow the following formatting. Date: Date each entry of your response journal. Pages Read: Write the page numbers that your response covers, ie pages Plot Summary: Write a two or three sentence summary of what you read for this entry. Response: Write your reader response for the pages here, using the above as a guided suggestion.

12 Standards Focus Reading Process Strand One Concept 4 Vocabulary PO 3 Determine how the meaning of the text is affected by the writer s word choice (e.g., literal vs. figurative language, idioms, adages). Concept 5 Fluency, PO 1. Read from a variety of genres with accuracy, automaticity (immediate recognition), and prosody (expression). Concept 6 Comprehension Strategies PO 1. Predict text content using prior knowledge and text features (e.g., illustrations, titles, topic sentences, key words). PO 2. Generate clarifying questions in order to comprehend text. PO 3. Use graphic organizers in order to clarify the meaning of the text. PO 4. Connect information and events in text to experience and to related text and sources Strand 2: Comprehending Literary Text Concept 1 Elements of Literature PO 1. Analyze the author s use of literary elements: theme (moral, lesson, meaning, message, view or comment on life) point of view (e.g., first vs. third, limited vs. omniscient) characterization (qualities, motives, actions, thoughts, dialogue, development, interactions) setting (time of day or year, historical period, place, situation) plot (exposition, major and minor conflicts, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution) PO 2. Analyze the author s use of figurative language, including simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, symbolism, allusion, and imagery in a literary selection. Writing Process Strand 2 Writing Elements Concept 1 6 (Which focuses on the six traits.) Strand 3 Concept 5 Literary Response PO 1. Write a literary analysis that: a. analyzes the author s use of literary elements (i.e., theme, point of view, characterization, setting, plot) b. analyzes different elements of figurative language, (i.e., simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, symbolism, allusion, and imagery) in a literary selection c. compares the illustration of the same theme in two different literary genres, using their structural features as the basis for the comparison (e.g., novel and play, poem and short story d. identifies how an author s choice of words and imagery sets the tone and advances the work s theme