Tracing a Word in Macbeth

Transcription

1 Folger Fundamentals, Part 3: Your Students Close-Read A Scene Independently or in a Group, and Understand It Tracing a Word in Macbeth SLEEP 1. Let s read! One side of the room takes the part of Lady Macbeth and the other side of the room assumes the role of Macbeth. Read it once through, then switch parts and do it again. Read your parts emphasizing, through inflection, the word sleep each time you come across it. Additionally, underline it. 2. In groups of three or four, clarify meaning of the passage by putting it into your own words (paraphrasing). 3. Continue discussing and draw conclusions about how the word is used. For example, how has sleep been used in previous scenes? Are characters using the word to mean different things? What is the tone in which the word is used? 4. Finally, consider how the word sleep functions in the scene as a whole. Which character uses it most often? How does the denotation and connotations of the word change between characters? Is there an unusual use of the word? How does this word affect your understanding of the scene? Common Core Anchor Standards: R.1, R.2, R.4, L.4, L.5 Mike LoMonico - MLoMonico@Folger.edu Mari O Meara - mmomeara@msn.com Jill Burdick-Zupancic - j.elizabeth.b@gmail.com

2 Enter Lady Macbeth. Scene 2 That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold. What hath quenched them hath given me fire. Hark! Peace. It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman, Which gives the stern st good-night. He is about it. The doors are open, and the surfeited grooms Do mock their charge with snores. I have drugged their possets, That death and nature do contend about them Whether they live or die., within Who s there? what, ho! Alack, I am afraid they have awaked, And tis not done. Th attempt and not the deed Confounds us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready; He could not miss em. Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done t. Enter Macbeth with bloody daggers. My husband? I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. Did not you speak? When? Now. As I descended? Ay.

3 Hark! Who lies i th second chamber? Donalbain. This is a sorry sight. A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. There s one did laugh in s sleep, and one cried Murder! That they did wake each other. I stood and heard them. But they did say their prayers and addressed them Again to sleep. There are two lodged together. One cried God bless us and Amen the other, As they had seen me with these hangman s hands, List ning their fear. I could not say Amen When they did say God bless us. Consider it not so deeply. But wherefore could not I pronounce Amen? I had most need of blessing, and Amen Stuck in my throat. These deeds must not be thought After these ways; so, it will make us mad. Methought I heard a voice cry Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care, The death of each day s life, sore labor s bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature s second course, Chief nourisher in life s feast. What do you mean?

4 Still it cried Sleep no more! to all the house. Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more. Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane, You do unbend your noble strength to think So brainsickly of things. Go get some water And wash this filthy witness from your hand. Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there. Go, carry them and smear The sleepy grooms with blood. I ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done. Look on t again I dare not. Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead Are but as pictures. Tis the eye of childhood That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, I ll gild the faces of the grooms withal, For it must seem their guilt. She exits with the daggers. Knock within. Whence is that knocking? How is t with me when every noise appalls me? What hands are here! Ha, they pluck out mine eyes. Will all great Neptune s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red. Enter Lady Macbeth. My hands are of your color, but I shame To wear a heart so white. Knock. I hear a knocking At the south entry. Retire we to our chamber.

5 A little water clears us of this deed. How easy is it, then! Your constancy Hath left you unattended. Knock. Hark, more knocking. Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us And show us to be watchers. Be not lost So poorly in your thoughts. To know my deed twere best not know myself. Knock. Wake Duncan with thy knocking. I would thou couldst. They exit.

6 Folger Fundamentals, Part 3: Your Students Close-Read A Scene Independently or in a Group, and Understand It Tracing a Word in Hamlet 1.1 LIKE The word like appears four times in this scene. Each time, a different speaker is using the word. Complete the following individually or in a pair: 1. What characters use the word like in this scene? 2. What is each speaker s point when they use like? 3. What do they mean when they say, It was like the king? 4. What do you do when someone tells you something you find beyond belief? Do you ask for more details, etc? 5. When you hear a story from a person about something they ve seen, how do you know what they re describing is real? How do you know the story is true? 6. Re-search the scene; this time, circle synonyms of the word like and record their page numbers. 7. Underline passages in which characters talk about their senses. Record the page numbers of your passages. **How does the appearance vs. reality theme affect the characters in this scene? How does it affect the audience reading/watching this scene? **If you were the director of this play, how would bring the theme of appearance vs. reality to life based on your understanding of each character s perceptions of what is going on (think props, characters, music, etc.)? Explain and justify. Common Core Anchor Standards: R.1, R.2, R.4, L.4, L.5 Mike LoMonico - MLoMonico@Folger.edu Mari O Meara - mmomeara@msn.com Jill Burdick-Zupancic - j.elizabeth.b@gmail.com