Macbeth | Class 1: Introduction to Macbeth

Pre-Reading Improvisations

Student level: remedial and higher

Divide your students into groups of three or four. Present each group with one of the scenes below. (It is not necessary that each group has a unique prompt. The improvisational format will enable different interpretations.)

Give each group about fifteen minutes to share ideas. They need not write down lines or try to memorize lines. Also, they should be encouraged to speak in their natural voices rather than affecting a Shakespearean tone. Have each group perform their improvisation before the class. (Allot some time for nervous giggling!)

  • Improvisation 1

    Scene: A dark and eerie night.

    Characters: A warrior, three witches.

    Improv: Alone in the woods one night, an older warrior comes upon three witches. Each witch delivers a prophecy about the warrior’s future.

  • Improvisation 2

    Scene: The interior of a home.

    Characters: A man, his wife, a king, two sons.

    Improv: A man and his wife plot to murder the king and assume the throne. The king and his sons arrive at their home in the midst of their planning.

  • Improvisation 3

    Scene: The interior of a woman’s bedroom.

    Characters: A woman, a servant, and a doctor.

    Improv: A sleepwalking woman is tormented in her sleep by a crime she has committed. She talks in her sleep about her crime.

Discussion Questions for Background Material

A play in Shakespeare’s day was not considered a “preservable” art form. The playwright concerned himself with the popularity of the performance, not on the strict adherence to the text.

Life of Shakespeare (1564-1616)

1. Does it surprise you that the plays were more about popularity than reverence? How might that knowledge change your approach to Macbeth?

Possible responses: Yes, it will help to view the play as a popular work, like a modern movie. No, it is still intimidating. If the latter, assure students that they will later in the course learn about accessibility and clarity in Shakespeare’s work, which will help them appreciate Macbeth on its own terms.

2. Shakespeare’s theater company did not attempt to be historically correct in costuming. Today, some theater companies like to set his plays in places as diverse as Vietnam and Hollywood. Some companies also take liberties with costuming while leaving the play in its traditional setting. For example, in one production of Macbeth some characters appeared in blue jeans. Other Shakespeare companies are “purists” and try to re-create the look of the plays as closely as possible to what Shakespeare’s portrayal might have been.

What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of both styles of staging?

Possible responses: The strengths of using diverse staging may include the ability to attract new audiences. The main weakness of diverse staging is that a production becomes so removed from the original storyline that it is impossible to maintain "trueness" to the author's work. The main strength of a traditional representation is that the viewer gets a feel for the era and the play as may have been intended by the author. The weakness of a traditional representation is that the production becomes too distanced from the modern era to attract new audiences. Situations in the play may also be too archaic to be easily identified.

Homework: Writing Assignment for Pre-Reading

Have you ever had a prediction come true? If not, do you believe that such a thing is possible?

Possible responses: Answers will vary.