William Shakespeare's Macbeth retold by Bruce Coville, ill. by Gary Kelley. New York: Dial Books, 1997. ISBN: 978080371899

 

 

  Annotation: Simplified retelling of Macbeth, including some well-known quotations, accompanied by dark images which portray the mood of the tragic tale.

 

  Media: pastels on paper

 

  Rating: 5Q/5P

 

  Curriculum Connections: English literature, Drama, Language, Macbeth

 

  Lesson plan:

 

Lesson Plan: Macbeth

 

Grade Level: Middle School or higher

 

Objectives: Students will read, examine, and become familiar with the class text of Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth.

 

Time allotted: Two classroom hours—one for initial presentation of assignment and topic discussions; one to revisit the discussions at the conclusion of the assignment. Time allotted to students for the assignment would depend on age/grade, and when in the school year the assignment was given.

 

Curriculum Connections: English literature, Drama, Language

 

Introduction:

Have students read:

 

William Shakespeare's Macbeth retold by Bruce Coville, ill. by Gary Kelley. New York: Dial Books, 1997. ISBN: 978080371899

 

Discussion Topics:

 

·         The differences between Shakespeare’s English and modern English

 

·         The value or lack of value in reading Shakespeare’s plays in their original English

 

·         The difference in interpretation between the written play and seeing the play performed

 

·         In Shakespeare’s time there were no female actors. What difficulties would this cause in putting on a performance? How could they be overcome?

 

Materials and Activities:

 

·         Computer with Internet access and printer

 

·         Local and school library visits

 

·         Sketching pad and pencils, preferably colour

 

·         Eraser

 

·         Pen and writing paper

 

Assignments:

 

          Study the difference in language between Shakespearean and  contemporary English. Write a two page paper, with several examples, comparing them and noting the differences. Give the value or lack of value in reading the play as originally written, stating your reasons.

 

Suggested activities:

 

·         Mount a performance of the play or a skit based on it

 

·         Write a short one-act play

 

·         Class field trip to Stratford or a nearby theatre to watch a live performance of the play

 

·         Watch a film version of the play and write a two-page paper of your impressions in comparison to what you have read. How close does the film version follow the written version? 

 

lss   August/2009